Grief Quote by Peter De Vries
““How I hate this world. I would like to tear it apart with my own two hands if I could. I would like to dismantle the universe star by star, like a treeful of rotten fruit. Nor do I believe in progress. A vermin-eaten saint scratching his filth for heaven is better off than you damned in clean linen. Progress doubles our tenure in a vale of tears. Man is a mistake, to be corrected only by his abolition, which he gives promise of seeing to himself. Oh, let him pass, and leave the earth to the flowers that carpet the earth wherever he explodes his triumphs. Man is inconsolable, thanks to that eternal "Why?" when there is no Why, that question mark twisted like a fishhook in the human heart. "Let there be light," we cry, and only the dawn breaks.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Man Who Loved Children?, Peter De Vries, 1965
A bleak, nihilistic view that humanity is fundamentally flawed and that progress only deepens suffering, urging a return to nature and acceptance of impermanence.
In simple terms: Man is flawed; progress can worsen suffering.
Key Takeaway
Accept limits, seek harmony with nature.
Themes
nihilism
existentialism
critique of progress
nature
despair
Mood
somber
reflective
dark
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- environmental activism
- spiritual contemplation
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
philosophical pessimism
cosmic insignificance
human error
Questions to Reflect On
- Can we find meaning despite inherent flaws?
- How might embracing nature mitigate despair?
A Different Perspective
The view may ignore humanity’s capacity for resilience and positive change.
![“Who of us is mature enough for offspring before the offspring themselves arrive? The value of [parenthood] is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults.” quote by Peter De Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33e/peter-de-vries-7735_children_who-of-us-is-mature-enough-for-offspring_97865.jpg)
