--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No wonder we cannot appreciate the really…" description: "\"No wonder we cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke: that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/david-foster-wallace-161_appreciate_no-wonder-we-cannot-appreciate-the-reall_2823136.jpg" --- # No wonder we cannot appreciate the really central Kafka… ![“No wonder we cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke: that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from the horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home.” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/david-foster-wallace-161_appreciate_no-wonder-we-cannot-appreciate-the-reall_2823136.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/david-foster-wallace-161_appreciate_no-wonder-we-cannot-appreciate-the-reall_2823136.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/960/david-foster-wallace-161_appreciate_no-wonder-we-cannot-appreciate-the-reall_2823136.jpg) > “No wonder we cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke: that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from the horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is in fact our home.” [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on the struggle to form a self, suggesting our endless quest for home is itself our home. **In simple terms:** The struggle to be human is our true home. Key Takeaway Accept the journey as the destination. Themes existentialism identity home philosophy human condition selfhood Mood thoughtful philosophical Type literary existential When to use this quote - personal growth - creative writing - mindfulness - community building Key Concepts literature psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - What does “home” mean to you? - How do you find peace in perpetual searching? A Different Perspective May feel overwhelming to accept endless struggle. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [“The horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle: That our endless and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-horrific-struggle-to-establish-a-human-self-results-in-a-self/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“‎"-that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That our endless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/that-the-horrific-struggle-to-establish-a-human-self-results-in-a/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It's not that students don't "get" Kafka's humor but that we've taught them to see humor as something you get -- the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-not-that-students-don-t-get-kafka-s-humor-but-that-we-ve-taught/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [ “\[T\]he horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That our endless and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/t-he-horrific-struggle-to-establish-a-human-self-results-in-a-self/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Actors have an innate sense of self and humanity, the good ones do, and of being generous of heart and generous of spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/actors-have-an-innate-sense-of-self-and-humanity-the-good-ones-do-and/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [I do think that the strongest character is somebody that you can connect with to your personal self, or at least find the humanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruthie-ann-miles/i-do-think-that-the-strongest-character-is-somebody-that-you-can/) [Ruthie Ann Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruthie-ann-miles/) > [“Is there any more feudal, soul eradiating experience than standing before the little window on a microwave oven watching the carousel slowly revolve your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/is-there-any-more-feudal-soul-eradiating-experience-than-standing/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [It seems to me that this whole alone is worthy of the deeper sort of love; and that there is peace, freedom, I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/it-seems-to-me-that-this-whole-alone-is-worthy-of-the-deeper-sort-of/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [Apocalypse can mean the unveiling of the deeper self of humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-marx-hubbard/apocalypse-can-mean-the-unveiling-of-the-deeper-self-of-humanity/) [Barbara Marx Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-marx-hubbard/) > [Kafka's evocations are, rather, unconscious and almost sub-archetypal, the little-kid stuff from which myths derive; this is why we tend to call even his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/kafka-s-evocations-are-rather-unconscious-and-almost-sub-archetypal/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“There’s something elementally horrific about waking before dawn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-s-something-elementally-horrific-about-waking-before-dawn/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Racism springs from the lie that certain human beings are less than fully human. It's a self-centered falsehood that corrupts our minds into believing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alveda-king/racism-springs-from-the-lie-that-certain-human-beings-are-less-than/) [Alveda King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alveda-king/) > [“I'm putting back into the self the responsibility for the collective life. If each one of us took very seriously the fact that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-m-putting-back-into-the-self-the-responsibility-for-the-collective/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/a-human-being-is-spirit-but-what-is-spirit-spirit-is-the-self-but/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [ “The ego has been a fatality both for the human self and for God. 1 \[1 - This was once revealed to me in a dream.\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-berdyaev/the-ego-has-been-a-fatality-both-for-the-human-self-and-for-god-1-1/) Nicolas Berdyaev ## More by David Foster Wallace > [“I felt more solidly composed, now that I was horizontal. I was impossible to knock down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-felt-more-solidly-composed-now-that-i-was-horizontal-i-was/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“We all have our little solipsistic delusions, ghastly intuitions of utter singularity: that we are the only one in the house who ever fills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/we-all-have-our-little-solipsistic-delusions-ghastly-intuitions-of/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It's no accident that in a bureaucracy getting fired is called 'termination,' as in ontological erasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-s-no-accident-that-in-a-bureaucracy-getting-fired-is-called/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Footnote: 79) The anchor is gigantic and must weigh a hundred tons, and -- delightfully -- it really is anchor-shaped, i.e. the same shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/footnote-79-the-anchor-is-gigantic-and-must-weigh-a-hundred-tons-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The paradoxical intercourse of audience and celebrity. 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Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“If you’re subjected to enough great salesmen and salespitches and marketing concepts for long enough—like from your earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, let’s say—it is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/if-you-re-subjected-to-enough-great-salesmen-and-salespitches-and/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Why is the truth usually not just un- but anti-interesting?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/why-is-the-truth-usually-not-just-un-but-anti-interesting/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“She almost reminds the engineer of certain types in high school whom everyone adored because you sensed it made no difference to them whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/she-almost-reminds-the-engineer-of-certain-types-in-high-school-whom/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [To be, in a word, unborable… It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-be-in-a-word-unborable-it-is-the-key-to-modern-life-if-you-are/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“It is within your power to experience a crowded, loud, slow, consumer-hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred, on fire with the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/it-is-within-your-power-to-experience-a-crowded-loud-slow-consumer/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“The happy pleasure of the person alone, yes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-happy-pleasure-of-the-person-alone-yes/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [There is such a thing as raw, unalloyed, agendaless kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-is-such-a-thing-as-raw-unalloyed-agendaless-kindness/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) [Explore all 999 David Foster Wallace quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) ## More Appreciate quotes > [All I hear is the people that appreciate me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hardy/all-i-hear-is-the-people-that-appreciate-me/) [Greg Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hardy/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. 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User-generated content without editorial oversight will simply be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eisner/eventually-the-consumer-will-come-to-appreciate-the-editorial-point/) [Michael Eisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eisner/) > [The connoisseur of art must be able to appreciate what is simply beautiful, but the common run of people is satisfied with ornament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-connoisseur-of-art-must-be-able-to-appreciate-what-is-simply/) [Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [This time, there were no drugs involved. The hours were completely normal daytime hours. I think we were able to appreciate the interplay, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/this-time-there-were-no-drugs-involved-the-hours-were-completely/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [I would like beautiful gymnastics to be recognized as the best. I want the judges to appreciate things that are not necessarily winning points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kohei-uchimura/i-would-like-beautiful-gymnastics-to-be-recognized-as-the-best-i-want/) [Kohei Uchimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kohei-uchimura/) > [One of the most important rules for success is this: Every great success is the result of hundreds and thousands of small efforts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/one-of-the-most-important-rules-for-success-is-this-every-great/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [It's great at this stage in my life to still be in the running, that people appreciate you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/it-s-great-at-this-stage-in-my-life-to-still-be-in-the-running-that/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Love is too wonderful for us but why we often times do not ever appreciate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamad-idrus/love-is-too-wonderful-for-us-but-why-we-often-times-do-not-ever/) [Mohamad Idrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamad-idrus/) > [I think the most important thing is to stay hopeful, to believe wonderful things are possible and do your best. 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