Every day Quote by Nicole Krauss
““...I continued to sit there hour after hour watching the unrelenting rain slosh against the glass, thinking of our life together, Lotte's and mine, how everything in it was designed to give a sense of permanence, the chair against the wall that was there when we went to sleep and there again when we awoke, the little habits that quoted from the day before and predicted the day to come, though in truth it was all just an illusion, just as solid matter is an illusion, just as our bodies are an illusion, pretending to be one thing when really they are millions upon millions of atoms coming and going, some arriving while others are leaving us forever, as if each of us were only a great train station, only not even that since at least in a train station the stones and the tracks and the glass roof stay still while everything else rushes through it, no, it was worse than that, more like a giant empty field where every day a circus erected and dismantled itself, the whole thing from top to bottom, but never the same circus, so what hope did we really have of ever making sense of ourselves, let alone one another?””
About This Quote
The passage reflects on impermanence, perceiving life’s routines and physical reality as fleeting illusions, leading to existential doubt about meaning and connection.
In simple terms: Life feels like an ever‑changing illusion, making purpose unclear.
Seek grounding in present moments despite impermanence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- mindfulness practice
- creative writing
- therapy
- nature immersion
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find stability amid constant change?
- What rituals give you a sense of continuity?
Illusions can also be sources of beauty and insight, not just despair.