Agony Quote by Hermann Hesse
“The diabolical thing about melancholy is not that it makes you ill but that it makes you conceited and shortsighted; yes almost arrogant. You lapse into bad taste, thinking of yourself as Heine's Atlas, whose shoulders support all the world's puzzles and agonies, as if thousands, lost in the same maze, did not endure the same agonies.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Demian by Hermann Hesse, 1919
Melancholy can inflate ego, making one feel superior and blind to others' suffering, leading to poor judgment.
In simple terms: Sadness may breed arrogance.
Key Takeaway
Stay humble amid sorrow.
Themes
melancholy
ego
perspective
Mood
introspective
cautionary
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- mental health discussions
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What checks prevent self‑importance during sadness?
- How can you stay connected to others' pain?
A Different Perspective
Self‑absorption can distort empathy.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
