Absurdist-fiction Quote by Ashim Shanker
““His hatred for all was so intense that it should extinguish the very love from which it was conceived. And thus, he ceased to feel. There was nothing further in which to believe that made the prospect of feeling worthwhile. Daily he woke up and cast downtrodden eyes upon the sea and he would say to himself with a hint of regret at his hitherto lack of indifference, 'All a dim illusion, was it? Surely it was foolish of me to think any of this had meaning.' He would then spend hours staring at the sky, wondering how best to pass the time if everything—even the sky itself— were for naught. He arrived at the conclusion that there was no best way to pass the time. The only way to deal with the illusion of time was to endure it, knowing full well, all the while, that one was truly enduring nothing at all. Unfortunately for him, this nihilistic resolution to dispassion didn’t suit him very well and he soon became extremely bored. Faced now with the choice between further boredom and further suffering, he impatiently chose the latter, sailing another few weeks along the coast , and then inland, before finally dropping anchor off the shores of the fishing village of Yami.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Unknown (fictional narrative)
The passage explores a character’s descent into nihilism, boredom, and suffering as he grapples with meaninglessness and the illusion of time.
In simple terms: A man feels nothing, sees life as meaningless, and chooses suffering over boredom.
Recognize that avoidance of meaning can lead to deeper despair.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- loneliness
- contemplation
- seeking purpose
- enduring monotony
- facing despair
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to find meaning when everything feels empty?
- Can embracing boredom lead to growth?
His conclusion that enduring nothing is meaningless may ignore the potential for creating personal meaning.