Desire Quote by Erich Maria Remarque
“I had the feeling of slipping down a smooth bottomless pit. It had nothing to do with Breuer and the people. It had nothing to do with Pat even. It was the melancholy secret that reality can arouse desires but never satisfy them; that love begins with a human being but does not end in him; and that everything can be there: a human being, love, happiness, life — and that yet in some terrible way it is always too little, and grows ever less the more it seems.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: All Quiet on the Western Front, 1929
The quote expresses existential melancholy, noting that reality provokes endless desire without fulfillment, and love and happiness are perpetually insufficient.
In simple terms: Reality creates endless longing that never fully satisfies.
Key Takeaway
Accept imperfection and seek meaning beyond desire.
Themes
existentialism
melancholy
desire
love
human condition
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
existential
When to use this quote
- war trauma
- personal loss
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
nihilism
longing
unattainable fulfillment
Questions to Reflect On
- What desires feel unfulfillable?
- How can we find peace amid perpetual lack?
A Different Perspective
The view may overlook moments of contentment and resilience.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
