Skip to content

Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think…

“Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think that people who ask don't know the vanity and the nothingness of writing. I think it is very usual and natural for a writer to commit suicide, because in order to keep on writing he must be a very strong person.” quote by Kobo Abe
Download Open image
“Many people ask why a writer commits suicide. But I think that people who ask don't know the vanity and the nothingness of writing. I think it is very usual and natural for a writer to commit suicide, because in order to keep on writing he must be a very strong person.”

Kobo Abe

About This Quote

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

Writing’s emptiness and vanity can drive writers toward suicide, reflecting the intense personal cost of artistic pursuit.

In simple terms: Writing can feel empty and deadly.

Key Takeaway

Recognize mental health risks in creative work.

Themes

mental health artistic pressure existential dread

Mood

somber reflective

Type

literary cautionary

When to use this quote

  • author workshops
  • therapy
  • support groups
  • publishing industry

Key Concepts

vanity nihilism creative burnout

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you support writers’ wellbeing?
  • What alternatives exist to self‑destruction?
A Different Perspective

Not all writers face suicide; many find fulfillment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Kobo Abe

Explore all 67 Kobo Abe quotes

More Asks quotes

Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes