I missed the future. Obviously I knew even before his…
““I missed the future. Obviously I knew even before his recurrence that I'd never grow old with Augustus Waters. But thinking about Lidewij and her boyfriend, I felt robbed. I would probably never again see the ocean from thirty thousand feet above, so far up that you can't make out the waves or any boats, so that the ocean is a great and endless monolith. I could imagine it. I could remember it. But I couldn't see it again, and it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Human ambition is never satisfied; even fulfilled dreams leave longing for more
In simple terms: People always want something beyond what they achieve
Key Takeaway
Recognize contentment beyond endless striving
Themes
ambition
desire
mortality
growth
existentialism
Mood
melancholic
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- career planning
- creative projects
- personal goals
- grief counseling
Key Concepts
impermanence
satisfaction
meaning of life
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance ambition with gratitude?
- When does striving become harmful?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize perpetual dissatisfaction