--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man in ecstasy and the man drowning…" description: "\"The man in ecstasy and the man drowning: both raise their arms.\" — Franz Kafka" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/franz-kafka-214_arms_the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning_462484.jpg" --- # The man in ecstasy and the man drowning: both raise their… ![“The man in ecstasy and the man drowning: both raise their arms.” quote by Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/franz-kafka-214_arms_the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning_462484.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/franz-kafka-214_arms_the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning_462484.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/157/franz-kafka-214_arms_the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning_462484.jpg) > “The man in ecstasy and the man drowning: both raise their arms.” [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Both ecstatic and desperate individuals instinctively reach out, seeking connection or relief. **In simple terms:** Both raise arms in crisis. Key Takeaway Recognize shared human gestures. Themes emotion human behavior crisis response Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - therapy - emergency situations - artistic expression Key Concepts psychology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does an outstretched arm signify to you? - How do you respond to others' gestures? A Different Perspective Gestures differ across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ecstasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecstasy/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“The man in ecstasy and the man drowning—both throw up their arms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning-both-throw-up-their-arms/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The man in ecstasy and the man drowningboth throw up their arms. The first does it to signify harmony, the second to signify strife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowningboth-throw-up-their-arms-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [The man in ecstasy and the man drowning - both throw up their arms. The first to signify harmony, the second to signify strife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-man-in-ecstasy-and-the-man-drowning-both-throw-up-their-arms-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“I couldn’t believe my eyes. My fiancé, the man I’d been with since high school, was in our bed, and he wasn’t alone. Instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tabatha-vargo/i-couldn-t-believe-my-eyes-my-fianc-the-man-i-d-been-with-since-high/) [Tabatha Vargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tabatha-vargo/) > [When a man is drowning, it may be better for him to try to swim than to thrash around waiting for divine intervention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/when-a-man-is-drowning-it-may-be-better-for-him-to-try-to-swim-than/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [“You see a man drowning, you must try to save him even if you cannot swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/you-see-a-man-drowning-you-must-try-to-save-him-even-if-you-cannot/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [Simply wait, be quiet, still The world will freely offer itself to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/simply-wait-be-quiet-still-the-world-will-freely-offer-itself-to-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-do-not-need-to-leave-your-room-remain-sitting-at-your-table-and/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > ['Born This Way' is shaping up to be creative ecstasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurieann-gibson/born-this-way-is-shaping-up-to-be-creative-ecstasy/) [Laurieann Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurieann-gibson/) > [The highest ecstasy is the attention at its fullest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-highest-ecstasy-is-the-attention-at-its-fullest/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Human milk is like ice cream, penicillin, and the drug ecstasy all wrapped up in two pretty packages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-williams/human-milk-is-like-ice-cream-penicillin-and-the-drug-ecstasy-all/) [Florence Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-williams/) > [ “Ecstasy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth." \[From: 19 Lessons On Tea\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pushkin/ecstasy-is-a-glass-full-of-tea-and-a-piece-of-sugar-in-the-mouth-from/) [Alexander Pushkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pushkin/) > [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [Basketball isn't just a sport to me ; it's my ecstasy !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamira-robinson/basketball-isn-t-just-a-sport-to-me-it-s-my-ecstasy/) [Jamira Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamira-robinson/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) ## More by Franz Kafka > [ “The tremendous world I have inside my head. But how \[to\] free myself and free it without being torn to pieces. 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As heavy, as light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/faith-like-a-guillotine-as-heavy-as-light/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [You need not even listen, just wait...the world will offer itself freely to you, unmasking itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/you-need-not-even-listen-just-wait-the-world-will-offer-itself-freely/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“I will cross hundreds of seas and oceans without sinking to reach you, see your eyes and sink completely into their depths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-will-cross-hundreds-of-seas-and-oceans-without-sinking-to-reach-you/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-have-no-memory-for-things-i-have-learned-nor-things-i-have-read-nor/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“This sounds crazy, but it is so. 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It appears more decidedly to make one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-true-way-goes-over-a-line-that-rather-than-spanning-heights-is/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Every new discovery is assumed at once into the sum total of knowledge, and with that ceases in a sense to be a discovery;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/every-new-discovery-is-assumed-at-once-into-the-sum-total-of/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [“Sou de pedra. Sou a minha própria pedra tumular, sem nenhum interstício para a dúvida ou para a fé, para o amor ou para…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/sou-de-pedra-sou-a-minha-pr-pria-pedra-tumular-sem-nenhum-interst-cio/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) [Explore all 741 Franz Kafka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. 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Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? 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I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. 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