--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man finds himself, to his great…" description: "\"A man finds himself, to his great astonishment, suddenly existing, after thousands and thousands of years of non-existence: he lives for a little while..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/arthur-schopenhauer-226_astonishment_a-man-finds-himself-to-his-great-astonis_1403503.jpg" --- # A man finds himself, to his great astonishment, suddenly… ![“A man finds himself, to his great astonishment, suddenly existing, after thousands and thousands of years of non-existence: he lives for a little while; and then, again, comes an equally long period when he must exist no more. The heart rebels against this, and feels that it cannot be true.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/arthur-schopenhauer-226_astonishment_a-man-finds-himself-to-his-great-astonis_1403503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/arthur-schopenhauer-226_astonishment_a-man-finds-himself-to-his-great-astonis_1403503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/arthur-schopenhauer-226_astonishment_a-man-finds-himself-to-his-great-astonis_1403503.jpg) > “A man finds himself, to his great astonishment, suddenly existing, after thousands and thousands of years of non-existence: he lives for a little while; and then, again, comes an equally long period when he must exist no more. The heart rebels against this, and feels that it cannot be true.” [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human existence is a brief, intermittent flash amidst vast non‑existence, causing the mind to resist its fleeting nature. **In simple terms:** Life is short and intermittent. Key Takeaway Accept impermanence. Themes existence impermanence philosophy Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - personal reflection - death contemplation - mindfulness practice Key Concepts ontological temporal existential Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing life's brevity affect your choices? - What does the heart's rebellion reveal about our fear of death? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astonishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astonishment/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Non existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-existence/) [Rebel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rebel/) ## Related quotes > [If you understand, if you see, if you can feel and experience that you are not separate from existence, that you are one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/if-you-understand-if-you-see-if-you-can-feel-and-experience-that-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“Death appears as the harsh victory of the law of our ancestors of the dimension of our becoming. 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