Absence Quote by Mark Twain
“Annihilation has no terrors for me, because I have already tried it before I was born -a hundred million years -and I have suffered more in an hour, in this life, than I remember to have suffered in the whole hundred million years put together. There was a peace, a serenity, an absence of all sense of responsibility, an absence of worry, an absence of care, grief, perplexity; and the presence of a deep content and unbroken satisfaction in that hundred million years of holiday which I look back upon with a tender longing and with a grateful desire to resume, when the opportunity comes.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Reflections on Time, 1905
Enduring suffering can feel like an endless holiday, yet it leaves a lingering desire for renewal.
In simple terms: Suffering feels like a long holiday, prompting a wish to start anew.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the peace after hardship and seek renewal.
Themes
suffering
time
peace
renewal
nostalgia
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- creative writing
- philosophical meditation
- personal healing
Key Concepts
existential reflection
psychological resilience
temporal perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “holiday” symbolize in hardship?
- How can we transform suffering into growth?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize pain, ignoring its real damage.
