--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more formidable the contradiction…" description: "\"“The more formidable the contradiction between inexhaustible life-joy and inevitable fate, the greater the longing which reveals itself in the kingdom ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/ferdinand-cohn-133344_biology_the-more-formidable-the-contradiction-be_1841835.jpg" --- # The more formidable the contradiction between… ![“The more formidable the contradiction between inexhaustible life-joy and inevitable fate, the greater the longing which reveals itself in the kingdom of poetry and in the self-created world of dreams hopes to banish the dark power of reality. The gods enjoy eternal youth, and the search for the…” quote by Ferdinand Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/ferdinand-cohn-133344_biology_the-more-formidable-the-contradiction-be_1841835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/ferdinand-cohn-133344_biology_the-more-formidable-the-contradiction-be_1841835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/992/ferdinand-cohn-133344_biology_the-more-formidable-the-contradiction-be_1841835.jpg) > ““The more formidable the contradiction between inexhaustible life-joy and inevitable fate, the greater the longing which reveals itself in the kingdom of poetry and in the self-created world of dreams hopes to banish the dark power of reality. The gods enjoy eternal youth, and the search for the means of securing it was one of the occupations of the heroes of mythology and the sages, as it was of real adventurers in the middle ages and more recent times. . . . But the fountain of youth has not been found, and can not be found if it is sought in any particular spot on the earth. Yet it is no fable, no dream-picture; it requires no adept to find it: it streams forth inexhaustible in all living nature.”” [Ferdinand Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-cohn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human yearning for eternal youth clashes with inevitable fate, yet the quest for joy and hope persists across ages. **In simple terms:** Desire for youth vs. fate. Key Takeaway Embrace joy despite limits. Themes existential hope youth fate myth philosophy Mood reflective inspirational Type biology:1 death:1 dreams:1 eternal youth:1 eternity:1 fate:1 fountain of youth:1 gods:1 heroes:1 hope:1 joy:1 life:1 longing:1 microbiology:0 middle ages:0 mythology:0 nature:1 poetry:1 reality:1 science:1 youth:1 fountain youth:0 contradiction inexhaustible:0 inexhaustible life:0 formidable contradiction:0 When to use this quote - creative writing - therapy - spiritual practice - philosophical discussion - life coaching Key Concepts eternal youth human longing mythic archetype Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life meaning? - How do you balance hope and reality? A Different Perspective Seeking a literal fountain of youth is futile. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biology/) [Contradiction Inexhaustible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction-inexhaustible-2357239/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Eternal youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal-youth/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Formidable Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formidable-contradiction-2357241/) [Fountain of youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fountain-of-youth/) [Fountain Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fountain-youth-424166/) [Gods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods/) [Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Inexhaustible Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inexhaustible-life-2357240/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Microbiology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/microbiology/) [Middle ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-ages/) [Mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mythology/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I love all the things there are, and of all fires love is the only inexhaustible one; and that's why I go from life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-love-all-the-things-there-are-and-of-all-fires-love-is-the-only/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Being inexhaustible, life and nature are a constant stimulus for a creative mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-hofmann/being-inexhaustible-life-and-nature-are-a-constant-stimulus-for-a/) [Hans Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-hofmann/) > [If you talk about sous-vide, then you have to talk about food safety, and microbiology, and heat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/if-you-talk-about-sous-vide-then-you-have-to-talk-about-food-safety/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [ \[Bacteria are the\] dark matter of the biological world \[with 4 million mostly unknown species in a ton of soil\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/bacteria-are-the-dark-matter-of-the-biological-world-with-4-million/) [E. 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