Quote by Abdelkebir Khatibi: “To think in two languages is to think in contradiction.”

This idea suggests that living and thinking between two languages means constantly navigating opposing ideas and worldviews. It's a state of creative tension where different ways of seeing things clash and coexist, enriching thought but also challenging it.

In a postcolonial Maghreb where bilingualism (Arabic and French) was common, Khatibi explored the psychological and cultural implications of living and loving across linguistic divides, influencing identity.

Moroccan sociologist, novelist, and philosopher who wrote in French and Arabic, developing the concept of 'bi-langue' — the creative tension of thinking and living between two languages. His 1971 autobiographical novel Love in Two Languages is his most celebrated literary work.