The Second Koran tells us that the darkness in ourselves…
““The Second Koran tells us that the darkness in ourselves is a sinister thing. It waits until we relax, it waits until we reach the most vulnerable moments, and then it snares us. I want to be dutiful. I want to do what I should. But when I go back to the tube, I think of where I am going; to that small house and my empty room. What will I do tonight? Make more paper flowers, more wreaths? I am sick of them. Sick of the Nekropolis. I can take the tube to my mistress' house, or I can go by the street where Mardin's house is. I'm tired. I'm ready to go to my little room and relax. Oh, Holy One, I dread the empty evening. Maybe I should go by the street just to fill up time. I have all this empty time in front of me. Tonight and tomorrow and the week after and the next month and all down through the years as I never marry and become a dried-up woman. Evenings spent folding paper. Days cleaning someone else's house. Free afternoons spent shopping a bit, stopping in tea shops because my feet hurt. That is what lives are , aren't they? Attempts to fill our time with activity designed to prevent us from realizing that there is no meaning?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage reflects existential dread and the habit of filling empty time with meaningless tasks to avoid confronting a lack of purpose.
In simple terms: People often busy themselves to hide emptiness.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront emptiness instead of masking it.
Themes
existentialism
loneliness
routine
meaninglessness
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
existential
When to use this quote
- daily chores
- nighttime contemplation
- social expectations
- career stagnation
Key Concepts
nihilism
self‑reflection
time perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “meaning” mean to you?
- How can you create purposeful moments?
A Different Perspective
The narrative may romanticize emptiness, overlooking the value of purposeful activity.