Existential-questions Quote by Henry Miller
““It’s like a man in the trenches again: he doesn’t know any more why he should go on living, because if he escapes now he’ll only be caught later, but he goes on just the same, and even though he has the soul of a cockroach and has admitted as much to himself, give him a gun or a knife or even just his bare nails, and he’ll go on slaughtering and slaughtering, he’d slaughter a million men rather than stop and ask himself why.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller, 1934
He describes a relentless drive to survive, even when life feels meaningless, using violent imagery to illustrate perseverance.
In simple terms: Even when life feels empty, we keep moving forward, often through harsh means.
Key Takeaway
Accept that survival can be irrational but still vital.
Themes
survival
existentialism
resilience
Mood
dark
intense
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- war zones
- personal crises
- mental health struggles
Key Concepts
meaninglessness
human instinct
violence
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you to keep going despite despair?
- Can you find meaning without self‑harm?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may glorify self‑destruction rather than healthy coping.
![“Wal-Mart is going in and slaughtering [small towns] just as we once killed the buffalo.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/09c/garrison-keillor-1037_buffalo_wal-mart-is-going-in-and-slaughtering-sm_1409659.jpg)
