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To wait. In our lives we know joy, anger, sorrow, and a…

“To wait. In our lives we know joy, anger, sorrow, and a hundred other emotions, but these emotions all together occupy a bare one percent of our time. The remaining ninety-nine percent is just living in waiting. I wait in momentary expectation, feeling as though my breasts are being crushed, for…” quote by Osamu Dazai
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“To wait. In our lives we know joy, anger, sorrow, and a hundred other emotions, but these emotions all together occupy a bare one percent of our time. The remaining ninety-nine percent is just living in waiting. I wait in momentary expectation, feeling as though my breasts are being crushed, for the sound in the corridor of the footsteps of happiness. Empty. Oh, life is too painful, the reality that confirms the universal belief that it is best not to be born.”

Osamu Dazai

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 on how most of life is spent in a state of waiting, feeling empty and burdened, leading to existential despair about existence.

In simple terms: Life feels mostly like waiting, causing emptiness and doubt about being alive.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge waiting periods and seek meaningful engagement.

Themes

existential waiting emptiness despair philosophy

Mood

melancholic reflective somber

Type

philosophical existential

When to use this quote

  • daily routine
  • career planning
  • mental health therapy
  • spiritual practice
  • creative projects

Key Concepts

time perception nihilism mental health

Questions to Reflect On

  • What can transform waiting into purposeful action?
  • How do you find meaning in mundane moments?
A Different Perspective

The bleak tone may overlook moments of joy and agency within waiting.

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