Absurdity Quote by Fernando Pessoa
“I feel closer ties and more intimate bonds with certain characters in books, with certain images I’ve seen in engravings, than with many supposedly real people with the metaphysical absurdity known as ‘flesh and blood’. In fact, ‘flesh and blood’ describes them very well: they resemble cuts of meat laid out on the butcher’s marble slab, dead creatures bleeding as though still alive.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Book of Disquiet, 1928
Imagined connections with art feel more authentic than relationships with flesh‑and‑blood people, who seem lifeless.
In simple terms: Art feels more real than people.
Key Takeaway
Seek depth in art and relationships.
Themes
art
loneliness
perception
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- reading
- museum visits
- creative writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
aestheticism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about authenticity?
- Can art replace human connection?
A Different Perspective
Romanticizing art can isolate one from real life.
