--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The continuous narrative of existence is…" description: "\"The continuous narrative of existence is a lie. There is no continuous narrative, there are lit-up moments, and the rest is dark. When you look closely..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/jeanette-winterson-166_amphetamines_the-continuous-narrative-of-existence-is_2653648.jpg" --- # The continuous narrative of existence is a lie. There is… ![“The continuous narrative of existence is a lie. There is no continuous narrative, there are lit-up moments, and the rest is dark. When you look closely, the twenty-four hour day is framed into a moment; the still-life of the jerky amphetamine world. That woman-a pieta. Those men, rough angels with…” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/jeanette-winterson-166_amphetamines_the-continuous-narrative-of-existence-is_2653648.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/jeanette-winterson-166_amphetamines_the-continuous-narrative-of-existence-is_2653648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9af/jeanette-winterson-166_amphetamines_the-continuous-narrative-of-existence-is_2653648.jpg) > “The continuous narrative of existence is a lie. There is no continuous narrative, there are lit-up moments, and the rest is dark. When you look closely, the twenty-four hour day is framed into a moment; the still-life of the jerky amphetamine world. That woman-a pieta. Those men, rough angels with an unknown message. The children holding hands, spanning time. And in every still-life, there is a story, the story that tells you everything you need to know.” [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is composed of fleeting moments rather than a seamless story; meaning emerges from isolated instances. **In simple terms:** Life is a series of moments, not a continuous story. Key Takeaway Focus on each moment’s significance. Themes philosophy existentialism perception Mood contemplative poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - art analysis - personal reflection - creative writing - mindfulness Key Concepts temporal perception fragmentation meaning-making Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize the true significance of a moment? - What narratives do you impose on fragmented experiences? A Different Perspective Moments can be misinterpreted as a false continuity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amphetamines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amphetamines/) [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Holding hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holding-hands/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Still life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/still-life/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Storytelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storytelling/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The continuous narrative of existence is a lie. There is no continuous narrative, there are lit-up moments, and the rest is dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-continuous-narrative-of-existence-is-a-lie-there-is-no-continuous/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [An epic is not made by piecing together a set of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lascelles-abercrombie/an-epic-is-not-made-by-piecing-together-a-set-of-heroic-lays/) [Lascelles Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lascelles-abercrombie/) > [We lie in order to tolerate our existence and, most of all, we lie to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-ferrante/we-lie-in-order-to-tolerate-our-existence-and-most-of-all-we-lie-to/) [Elena Ferrante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-ferrante/) > [“I have to live, perhaps, till seventy years. As far as I know, I have good health. Half a century of existence may lie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/i-have-to-live-perhaps-till-seventy-years-as-far-as-i-know-i-have/) [Charlotte Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“Of course that is not the whole story, but that is the way with stories; we make them what we will. It’s a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/of-course-that-is-not-the-whole-story-but-that-is-the-way-with-2/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Everyone who tells a story tells it differently, just to remind us that everybody sees it differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/everyone-who-tells-a-story-tells-it-differently-just-to-remind-us/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Everyone who tells a story tells it differently, just to remind us that everybody sees it differently. Some people say there are true things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/everyone-who-tells-a-story-tells-it-differently-just-to-remind-us-2/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I love the song 'Into the Night.' It's Roy Orbison meets David Lynch meets Iggy Pop on amphetamines. It has a punk edge that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ville-valo/i-love-the-song-into-the-night-it-s-roy-orbison-meets-david-lynch/) [Ville Valo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ville-valo/) > [He would use amphetamines to stay awake because he would have late night maneuvers that would go way into the early morning hours and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-presley/he-would-use-amphetamines-to-stay-awake-because-he-would-have-late/) [Priscilla Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priscilla-presley/) > [“I know about your happy little illusion, that you never call your wife by name, that you take amphetamines just to give yourself that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-alexopoulos/i-know-about-your-happy-little-illusion-that-you-never-call-your-wife/) Ken Alexopoulos > [When I came over here (the National League), I always heard it was a stronger league, with amphetamines all over the clubhouse, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quisenberry/when-i-came-over-here-the-national-league-i-always-heard-it-was-a/) [Dan Quisenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quisenberry/) > [Bayern's midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, who scampered around the pitch like an office boy on amphetamines for the last 25 minutes or so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-liddle/bayern-s-midfielder-owen-hargreaves-who-scampered-around-the-pitch/) [Rod Liddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-liddle/) > [with her fog, her amphetamine, and her pearls ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/with-her-fog-her-amphetamine-and-her-pearls/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Very few people actually saw Andy's films like Chelsea Girls where he filmed seven hours, ran it on two screens, where each scene was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/very-few-people-actually-saw-andy-s-films-like-chelsea-girls-where-he/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [We didn't have a strong drug scene by any means. Originally, it was just purple hearts, amphetamines, speed or whatever you want to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-wooler/we-didn-t-have-a-strong-drug-scene-by-any-means-originally-it-was/) Bob Wooler ## More by Jeanette Winterson > [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? It's on top of the wardrobe where he threw it, and I think my right arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/yes-just-pass-me-my-leg-will-you-it-s-on-top-of-the-wardrobe-where-he/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. 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What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) [Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More Amphetamines quotes > [We didn't have a strong drug scene by any means. Originally, it was just purple hearts, amphetamines, speed or whatever you want to call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-wooler/we-didn-t-have-a-strong-drug-scene-by-any-means-originally-it-was/) Bob Wooler > [with her fog, her amphetamine, and her pearls ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/with-her-fog-her-amphetamine-and-her-pearls/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Bayern's midfielder, Owen Hargreaves, who scampered around the pitch like an office boy on amphetamines for the last 25 minutes or so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-liddle/bayern-s-midfielder-owen-hargreaves-who-scampered-around-the-pitch/) [Rod Liddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-liddle/) > [“I know about your happy little illusion, that you never call your wife by name, that you take amphetamines just to give yourself that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-alexopoulos/i-know-about-your-happy-little-illusion-that-you-never-call-your-wife/) Ken Alexopoulos > [I love the song 'Into the Night.' It's Roy Orbison meets David Lynch meets Iggy Pop on amphetamines. It has a punk edge that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ville-valo/i-love-the-song-into-the-night-it-s-roy-orbison-meets-david-lynch/) [Ville Valo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ville-valo/) > [He would use amphetamines to stay awake because he would have late night maneuvers that would go way into the early morning hours and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-presley/he-would-use-amphetamines-to-stay-awake-because-he-would-have-late/) [Priscilla Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priscilla-presley/) > [When I came over here (the National League), I always heard it was a stronger league, with amphetamines all over the clubhouse, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quisenberry/when-i-came-over-here-the-national-league-i-always-heard-it-was-a/) [Dan Quisenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quisenberry/) > [Very few people actually saw Andy's films like Chelsea Girls where he filmed seven hours, ran it on two screens, where each scene was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-colacello/very-few-people-actually-saw-andy-s-films-like-chelsea-girls-where-he/) [Bob Colacello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-colacello/) > [If I had a staff of even one person, or could tolerate a small amphetamine habit, or entertain the possibility of weekly blood transfusions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/if-i-had-a-staff-of-even-one-person-or-could-tolerate-a-small/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) > [Blue cheese contains natural amphetamines. Why are students not informed about this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-e-smith/blue-cheese-contains-natural-amphetamines-why-are-students-not/) [Mark E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-e-smith/) > [I was addicted to amphetamines at the time I got busted, but I tend to think I was on a determined, self-destruct course that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/i-was-addicted-to-amphetamines-at-the-time-i-got-busted-but-i-tend-to/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [Inflation is really like drugging the baby universe with speed. The supercool union of the hitherto unfriendly gods was blessed by amphetamine, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joao-magueijo/inflation-is-really-like-drugging-the-baby-universe-with-speed-the/) [Joao Magueijo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joao-magueijo/) > [I don't like speed. I would have made a terrible Futurist. 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