Consider carefully the merest event: in the best of cases…
““Consider carefully the merest event: in the best of cases, the positive and negative elements that participate in it balance out; generally the negatives predominate. Which is to say, it would have been preferable that it not take place. We should then have been dispensed from taking part in it, enduring it. What is the good of adding anything at all to what is or seems to be? History, a futile odyssey, has no excuse, and on occasion we are tempted to inculpate art itself, however imperious the need from which it emanates. To produce is accessory; what matters is to draw on one’s own depths, to be oneself in a total fashion, without stooping to any form of expression. To have built great cathedrals derives from the same error as to have waged great battles. Better to try to live in depth than to advance through centuries toward a débâcle.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Life’s events often contain more negative than positive, making existence feel futile; true value lies in authentic depth rather than external achievements.
In simple terms: Events are mostly negative; depth matters more than achievement.
Key Takeaway
Seek inner authenticity over external success.
Themes
existentialism
nihilism
authenticity
history
art
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative work
- historical analysis
- ethical decision making
Key Concepts
absurdism
depth
selfhood
meaninglessness
Questions to Reflect On
- Can you find depth in daily routine?
- What does “living in depth” mean for you?
A Different Perspective
Depth alone cannot solve systemic suffering; external change may be necessary.