Lethargy Quote by Doris Lessing
““We had a kind of pity for each other; we were both afflicted permanently with a feeling of sad helplessness because we were unable to make each other happy in this way. But nothing stopped us from choosing other partners. We did not. That I did not, isn't surprising, because of that quality in me I call lethargy, or curiosity, which always keeps me in a situation long after I should leave it.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Golden Notebook, 1962
Two people share mutual sadness and helplessness, yet they continue choosing each other despite recognizing the futility, driven by lethargy or curiosity that traps them beyond rational departure.
In simple terms: They stay stuck in a sad, unfulfilling bond.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when curiosity becomes stagnation.
Themes
relationships
sadness
stagnation
self‑awareness
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- toxic relationships
- unhealthy friendships
- career collaborations
- family dynamics
Key Concepts
attachment theory
existential dread
psychological inertia
Questions to Reflect On
- What holds you in unfulfilling connections?
- How can curiosity be redirected productively?
A Different Perspective
Staying may cause emotional harm and prevent growth.
![“[The sceptic] must acknowledge, if he will acknowledge any thing, that all human life must perish, were his principles to prevail.All discourse, all action would immediately cease, and men remain in a total lethargy, till the necessities of nature, unsatisfied, put an end to their miserable…” quote by David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/218/david-hume-538_acknowledge_the-sceptic-must-acknowledge-if-he-will_122087.jpg)