Chance Quote by Graham Greene
“However great a man's fear of life, suicide remains the courageous act, the clear-headed act of a mathematician. The suicide has judged by the laws of chance - so many odds against one that to live will be more miserable than to die. His sense of mathematics is greater than his sense of survival. But think how a sense of survival must clamor to be heard at the last moment, what excuses it must present of a totally unscientific nature.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, 1951
Suicide is portrayed as a rational, calculated choice for someone who values logic over survival, despite its moral complexity.
In simple terms: Suicide seen as logical for a mathematician.
Key Takeaway
Weigh logic against life’s value.
Themes
existential
rationality
despair
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- mental health
- philosophical debate
- ethical dilemma
Key Concepts
probability
mathematical reasoning
morality
Questions to Reflect On
- Is logic sufficient to justify ending life?
- What role does hope play?
A Different Perspective
Rationalizing death ignores emotional and social factors.
![“I tossed up whether I'd see [the critic] or not: I knew too well the pompous phrases of his article, the buried significance he would discover of which I was unaware and the faults I was tired of facing.” quote by Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc1/graham-greene-441_literary-criticism_i-tossed-up-whether-i-d-see-the-critic-o_72760.jpg)
