Another world Quote by Paul Murray
““His name was Paul Eluard, and he said this thing once: There is another world, but it is in this one. Ruprecht looked baffled. It's about how -- she could feel herself going red, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember what Mr Scott had told them -- like, how people are always going somewhere? Like everybody's always trying to be not where they are? Like they want to be in Stanford, or in Tuscany, or in Heaven, or in a bigger house on a fancier street? Or they want to be different, like thinner or smarter or richer or with cooler friends (or dead, she did not say). They're so busy trying to find their way somewhere else they don't see the world they're actually in. So this guy's saying, instead of searching for ways out of our lives, what we should be searching for are ways in. Because if you really look at the world, it's like ... it's like ... It's like, you know, inside every stove there's a fire. Well, inside every grass blade there's a grass blade, that's just like burning up with being a grass blade. And inside every tree, there's a tree, and inside every person there's a person, and inside this world that seems so boring and ordinary, if you look hard enough, there's a totally amazing magical beautiful world. And anything you would want to know, or anything you would want to happen, all the answers are right there where you are right now. In your life. She opened her eyes. Do you know what I mean?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The World Within, author unknown, 2020
The passage urges focusing on the present world’s inherent wonder rather than constantly seeking external change or escape.
In simple terms: Appreciate the magic of now instead of always wanting elsewhere.
Seek depth in your current life.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- daily routine
- creative work
- relationships
- travel planning
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you find wonder in everyday tasks?
- What does “ways in” look like for you?
It may overlook systemic issues that require external action.