As for myself: I had come to the conclusion that there was…
“As for myself: I had come to the conclusion that there was nothing sacred about myself or any human being, that we were all machines, doomed to collide and collide and collide. For want of anything better to do, we became fans of collisions. Sometimes I wrote well about collisions, which meant I was a writing machine in good repair. Sometimes I wrote badly, which meant I was a writing machine in bad repair. I no more harbored sacredness than did a Pontiac, a mousetrap, or a South Bend Lathe.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
He sees humans as mechanical, lacking inherent sacredness, and finds meaning in how well they function like machines.
In simple terms: Humans are like machines, not sacred.
Key Takeaway
Accept our mechanical nature, improve our "repair".
Themes
existentialism
human nature
mechanism
self-awareness
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing
- self-reflection
- philosophical discourse
Key Concepts
determinism
nihilism
creative expression
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing yourself as a machine affect your creativity?
- Can we find sacredness in mechanical existence?
A Different Perspective
Machines can be upgraded, but the metaphor may ignore emotional depth.