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Bark Quote by Michael Ende

“The Nothing is spreading," groaned the first. "It's growing and growing, there's more of it every day, if it's possible to speak of more nothing. All the others fled from Howling Forest in time, but we didn't want to leave our home. The Nothing caught us in our sleep and this is what it did to…” quote by Michael Ende
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“The Nothing is spreading," groaned the first. "It's growing and growing, there's more of it every day, if it's possible to speak of more nothing. All the others fled from Howling Forest in time, but we didn't want to leave our home. The Nothing caught us in our sleep and this is what it did to us." "Is it very painful?" Atreyu asked. "No," said the second bark troll, the one with the hole in his chest. "You don't feel a thing. There's just something missing. And once it gets hold of you, something more is missing every day. Soon there won't be anything left of us.”

Michael Ende

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, 1979

The Nothing represents a creeping emptiness that erodes existence, leading to loss of purpose and identity.

In simple terms: Nothing erodes life.

Key Takeaway

Guard against apathy.

Themes

existence void identity despair

Mood

melancholic philosophical

Type

literary reflective

When to use this quote

  • personal crises
  • societal decline
  • mental health

Key Concepts

nihilism psychological decay

Questions to Reflect On

  • What emptiness do you feel?
  • How can you fill it?
A Different Perspective

The metaphor may be too abstract for practical use.

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