What on earth is to become of me? What have I done?” I…
““What on earth is to become of me? What have I done?” I exclaimed as I paced the soft carpet. “Well,” I went on with sudden determination, “what MUST come, MUST — that’s all;” and, taking up the bonbons and the cigars, I ran back to the other part of the house. The fatalistic formula with which I had concluded (and which was one that I often heard Nicola utter during my childhood) always produced in me, at the more difficult crises of my life, a momentarily soothing, beneficial effect. Consequently, when I re-entered the drawing-room, I was in a rather excited, unnatural mood, yet one that was perfectly cheerful.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The narrator confronts existential dread, then adopts a fatalistic resolve that paradoxically lifts his spirits.
In simple terms: Facing crisis, he finds comfort in accepting fate.
Key Takeaway
Embrace acceptance to calm anxiety.
Themes
existential angst
fatalism
psychology
resilience
Mood
anxious
hopeful
reflective
Type
literary
psychological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- stressful decision
- mental health
- emotional regulation
Key Concepts
determinism
coping mechanisms
self‑talk
Questions to Reflect On
- How does accepting fate affect your agency?
- When does acceptance become avoidance?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on fatalism may discourage proactive problem solving.