Children Quote by Henry Miller
““The ovarian world is the product of a life rhythm. The moment a child is born it becomes part of a world in which there is not only the life rhythm but the death rhythm. The frantic desire to live, to live at any cost, is not a result of the life rhythm in us, but of the death rhythm. There is not only no need to keep alive at any price, but, if life is undesirable, it is absolutely wrong. This keeping oneself alive, out of a blind urge to defeat death, is in itself a means of sowing death. Every one who has not fully accepted life, who is not incrementing life, is helping to fill the world with death. To make the simplest gesture with the hand can convey the utmost sense of life; a word spoken with the whole being can give life. Activity in itself means nothing: it is often a sign of death.””
About This Quote
The passage argues that the drive to survive at any cost stems from an underlying death rhythm, and that clinging to life without true acceptance paradoxically propagates death, while authentic gestures and words embody genuine life.
In simple terms: Life’s urgency can mask a deeper death‑driven impulse.
Key Takeaway
True vitality arises from acceptance, not frantic survival.
Themes
existentialism
life‑death paradox
authenticity
human motivation
philosophical reflection
psychology
Mood
contemplative
somber
introspective
Type
philosophical
reflective
existential
When to use this quote
- confronting mortality
- seeking purpose beyond survival
- expressing genuine emotion
- overcoming fear of death
- evaluating personal motivations
Key Concepts
rhythm of life
death rhythm
acceptance of existence
meaningful action
symbolic gestures
Practical Applications
- therapy for existential anxiety
- creative writing exploring mortality
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to truly accept life?
- How can we distinguish authentic vitality from fear‑driven activity?
![“It [music] has an awakening function. Life is a rhythm. Art is an organization of rhythms. Music is a fundamental art that touches our will system. In Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Idea he speaks of music as the sound that awakens the will. The rhythm of the music awakens certain life…” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1d0/joseph-campbell-300_art_it-music-has-an-awakening-function-life_829251.jpg)
