What had happened in these ten years for there suddenly be…
““What had happened in these ten years for there suddenly be so much to say — so much so pressing that it couldn’t wait to be said? Everywhere I walked, somebody was approaching me talking on a phone and someone was behind me talking on a phone. Inside the cars, the drivers were on the phone. When I took a taxi, the cabbie was on the phone. For one who frequently went without talking to anyone for days at a time, I had to wonder what that had previously held them up had collapsed in people to make incessant talking into a telephone preferable to walking about under no one’s surveillance, momentarily solitary, assimilating the streets through one’s animal senses and thinking the myriad thoughts that the activities of a city inspire. For me it made the streets appear comic and the people ridiculous. And yet it seemed like a real tragedy, too. To eradicate the experience of separation must inevitably have a dramatic effect. What will the consequence be? You know you can reach the other person anytime, and if you can't, you get impatient—impatient and angry like a stupid little god.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The omnipresence of phones erodes solitary reflection, turning public spaces into noisy, connected zones, raising concerns about privacy and mental fatigue.
In simple terms: Phones dominate public life, reducing solitude.
Key Takeaway
Seek moments of silence amidst constant connectivity.
Themes
technology
isolation
communication
urban life
Mood
lonely
critical
Type
observational
critical
When to use this quote
- city walking
- public transport
- workplace
- social gatherings
Key Concepts
attention
privacy
social media
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you create personal quiet in a hyper‑connected world?
- What benefits might arise from occasional digital silence?
A Different Perspective
Constant connectivity can increase anxiety and reduce deep thinking.