Politics Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald
““Trying what?" cried Maury fiercely. "Trying to pierce the darkness of political idealism with some wild, despairing urge toward truth? Sitting day after day supine in a rigid chair and infinitely removed from life staring at the tip of a steeple through the trees, trying to separate, definitely and for all time, the knowable from the unknowable? Trying to take a piece of actuality and give it glamour from your own soul to make for that inexpressible quality it possessed in life and lost in transit to paper or canvas?””
About This Quote
Source Short story: "The Crack-Up" (essay collection), 1936
The passage critiques the struggle to reconcile artistic ambition with existential doubt, questioning the value of imposing order on chaos.
In simple terms: Artists wrestle with meaning and chaos.
Key Takeaway
Balance ambition with humility.
Themes
art
existentialism
creativity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- personal reflection
- therapy sessions
- creative retreats
Key Concepts
nihilism
search for meaning
artistic authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can artists stay grounded while seeking truth?
- When does striving become self‑destruction?
A Different Perspective
Obsessive pursuit of meaning can stifle spontaneity.
