Atheist Quote by Quentin S. Crisp
““The famous atheist Christopher Hitchens once declared that ‘You’re expelled from your mother’s uterus as if shot from a cannon, towards a barn door studded with old nail files and rusty hooks.’ Presumably that was what he had in mind when conceiving his three children.””
About This Quote
A vivid, hyperbolic metaphor underscores the harshness of birth and life's challenges.
In simple terms: Birth is portrayed as a violent launch.
Key Takeaway
Recognize life's inherent struggles and resilience.
Themes
birth
hardship
metaphor
Mood
dark
thoughtful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- philosophy
- writing
- stand‑up comedy
Key Concepts
existential absurdity
human condition
dark humor
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this metaphor reveal about life?
- How do you find humor in adversity?
A Different Perspective
Metaphor may be overly grim for some audiences.
![“One evening, at the time of the Six-Day War, I [Christopher Hitchens] had my wicked way with a lovely lady, who had earlier intimated that she did not perhaps find me entirely repulsive. We procured a decent room, as I remember, at the Cadogan Hotel. Perhaps a little flown with wine, I asked her…” quote by Craig Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cfd/craig-brown-10015_christopher-hitchens_one-evening-at-the-time-of-the-six-day-w_469479.jpg)
![“If we do want to do that [ colonise space to survive, ], then vacuous materialism is not going to be enough for us.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c5/quentin-s-crisp-4149_enough_if-we-do-want-to-do-that-colonise-space_40648.jpg)
![“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/351/quentin-s-crisp-4149_elements_this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing_83503.jpg)
![“[william] Burroughs, incidentally, took up the slogan that we are "Here to go", which contradicts the tendency in Eastern mysticism to advocate staying where you are because there's nowhere to go anyway. I feel conflicted on this one.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa0/quentin-s-crisp-4149_burroughs_william-burroughs-incidentally-took-up-t_122911.jpg)
![“I also remember a line from a song by Smog [Bill Callahan], which seems to describe the experience of a town-dweller moving to the country: "I was raised in a pit of snakes/Blink your eyes - I was raised on cake."” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/950/quentin-s-crisp-4149_bills_i-also-remember-a-line-from-a-song-by-sm_299534.jpg)
