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No, they did not bury me, though there is a period of time…

“No, they did not bury me, though there is a period of time which I remember mistily, with a shuddering wonder, like a passage through some inconceivable world that had no hope in it and no desire. I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets…” quote by Joseph Conrad
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““No, they did not bury me, though there is a period of time which I remember mistily, with a shuddering wonder, like a passage through some inconceivable world that had no hope in it and no desire. I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces, so full of stupid importance. I dare say I was not very well at that time. I tottered about the streets—there were various affairs to settle—grinning bitterly at perfectly respectable persons. I admit my behavior was inexcusable, but then my temperature was seldom normal in these days.””

Joseph Conrad

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator feels alienated from ordinary life, seeing others as shallow and their daily routines as meaningless, leading to contempt and dark humor.

In simple terms: Feeling detached and contemptuous toward everyday people.

Key Takeaway

Recognize the danger of extreme cynicism.

Themes

alienation contempt existential

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • urban life
  • social interactions
  • personal crisis
  • mental health

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology literature

Questions to Reflect On

  • Why do we sometimes despise the mundane?
  • Can humor soften existential despair?
A Different Perspective

This perspective can isolate the narrator and hinder empathy.

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