Happiness Quote by Nicolas Bouvier
““Time passed in brewing tea, the odd remark, cigarettes, then dawn came up. The widening light caught the plumage of quails and partridges...and quickly I dropped this wonderful moment to the bottom of my memory, like a sheet-anchor that one day I could draw up again.You stretch, pace to and fro feeling weightless, and the word 'happiness' seems too thin and limited to describe what has happened. In the end, the bedrock of experience is not made up of the family, or work, of what others say or think of you, but of moments like this when you are exalted by a transcendent power that is more serene than love. Life dispenses them parsimoniously; our feeble hearts could not stand more.””
About This Quote
Source Travelogue: The River of Time, Nicolas Bouvier, 1970
Transcendent moments, rare and fleeting, become the core of experience, more profound than relationships or work.
In simple terms: Rare moments define life more than daily roles.
Key Takeaway
Cherish and remember transcendent experiences.
Themes
transcendence
memory
experience
serenity
Mood
nostalgic
contemplative
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- travel
- mindfulness
- creative reflection
Key Concepts
momentary insight
spiritual elevation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we create space for transcendent moments?
- What role does memory play in shaping meaning?
A Different Perspective
Such moments are scarce and may be idealized; not everyone accesses them.
![“Beyond a certain degree of hardship or misery, life often revives and heals the scars. As time passed, deportation [to the concentration camps for the young woman] had become a kind of voyage and even, thanks to the almost terrifying capacity of memory to transform horror into courage, a voyage…” quote by Nicolas Bouvier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/023/nicolas-bouvier-40384_concentration-camp_beyond-a-certain-degree-of-hardship-or-m_840228.jpg)
