Skip to content

Exhaustion Quote by Ayn Rand

“He saw an evening when he sat slumped across his desk in that office. It was late and his staff had left; so he could lie there alone, unwitnessed. He was tired. It was as if he had run a race against his own body, and all the exhaustion of years, which he refused to acknowledge, had caught him at…” quote by Ayn Rand
Download Open image
““He saw an evening when he sat slumped across his desk in that office. It was late and his staff had left; so he could lie there alone, unwitnessed. He was tired. It was as if he had run a race against his own body, and all the exhaustion of years, which he refused to acknowledge, had caught him at once and flattened him against the desk top. He felt nothing, except the desire not to move. He did not have the strength to feel--not even to suffer. He had burned everything there was to burn within him; he had scattered so many sparks to start so many things--and he wondered whether someone could give him now the spark he needed, now when he felt unable ever to rise again. He asked himself who had started him and kept him going. Then he raised his head. Slowly, with the greatest effort of his life, he made his body rise until he was able to sit upright with only one hand pressed to the desk and a trembling arm to support him. He never asked that question again.””

Ayn Rand

About This Quote

Source Novel: Atlas Shrugged, 1957

A man, exhausted by life’s burdens, finds a spark of will to rise again, illustrating inner resilience.

In simple terms: Even when drained, a spark of will can lift you.

Key Takeaway

Tap into inner resolve to overcome fatigue.

Themes

resilience willpower self‑discovery

Mood

determined hopeful

Type

literary motivational

When to use this quote

  • work burnout
  • personal crisis
  • creative block
  • health recovery

Key Concepts

existential psychological motivation

Questions to Reflect On

  • What inner spark can you summon now?
  • How do you sustain motivation after a setback?
A Different Perspective

The narrative may idealize struggle, ignoring systemic factors.

2.4 out of 5 (6 ratings)

More by Ayn Rand

Explore all 1,777 Ayn Rand quotes

More Exhaustion quotes

Browse all 329 Exhaustion quotes