It now lately sometimes seemed like a kind of black…
““It now lately sometimes seemed like a kind of black miracle to me that people could actually care deeply about a subject or pursuit, and could go on caring this way for years on end. Could dedicate their entire lives to it. It seemed admirable and at the same time pathetic. We are all dying to give our lives away to something, maybe. God or Satan, politics or grammar, topology or philately—the object seemed incidental to this will to give oneself away, utterly. To games or needles, to some other person. Something pathetic about it. A flight-from in the form of a plunging-into. Flight from exactly what? These rooms blandly filled with excrement and meat? To what purpose?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Intense devotion can feel both noble and absurd, exposing the paradox of seeking meaning through self‑sacrifice.
In simple terms: Deep commitment can be both admirable and tragic.
Key Takeaway
Question why we give ourselves away.
Themes
meaning
devotion
paradox
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career pursuits
- political activism
- artistic creation
- spiritual practice
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you to devote yourself?
- When does devotion become self‑destructive?
A Different Perspective
Blind devotion may lead to loss of self or burnout.