Afraid Quote by Eric Gamalinda
““Let me be the first to say that I know the name for everything and if I don’t I’ll make them up: dukkha, naufragio, talinhaga. Just like the young whose hearts give no shame, I love the excesses of beauty, there is never enough sunlight in the world I will live in, never enough room for love. I fear none of us will last long enough to prove what I’ve always suspected, that the sky is a membrane in an angel’s skull, trees talk to each other at night, ice is water in a state of silence, the embryo listens to everything we say. I am afraid for the child skipping rope on the corner of my street, the girl on the train with flowers in her hair, the man whose memory is entirely in Spanish. I am more afraid of losing consciousness when I go to sleep, or that in my sleep I will grow old and forget how desire once drove me mad with wakefulness. Just like the perfect seasons they will die and I will die and you will die also; no one knows who will go first, and this is the source of all my grief.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Unbearable Lightness of Being? (fictional)
The speaker feels overwhelmed by existential dread, fearing impermanence, loss, and the unknowable nature of reality.
In simple terms: Fear of loss and impermanence dominates thoughts.
Embrace present moments despite uncertainty.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- artistic creation
- mental health coping
- childhood concerns
- spiritual contemplation
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What anchors you when everything feels fleeting?
- How can you find meaning amid uncertainty?
The poetic style may obscure concrete solutions to anxiety.