Courage Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke
““There I sat, probably looking so dreadful that nothing had the courage to stand by me; not even the candle, which I had just done the service of lighting it, would have anything to do with me. It burned away there by itself, as in an empty room. My last hope was always the window. I imagined that outside there, there still might be something that belonged to me, even now, even in this sudden poverty of dying. But scarcely had I looked thither when I wished the window had been barricaded, blocked up, like the wall. For now I knew that things were going on out there in the same indifferent way, that out there, too, there was nothing but my loneliness. The loneliness I had brought upon myself and to the greatness of which my heart no longer stood in any sort of proportion. People came to my mind whom I had once left, and I did not understand how one could forsake people.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, 1910
A narrator feels profound isolation, seeing the world as indifferent, and longs for connection that seems unreachable.
In simple terms: Deep loneliness and yearning for belonging.
Key Takeaway
Accept solitude, seek meaningful connections.
Themes
loneliness
existence
longing
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- creative writing
- personal reflection
- mental health therapy
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
solitude
Questions to Reflect On
- How does perceived indifference shape our self‑worth?
- Can we find comfort in shared human experience?
A Different Perspective
Even in isolation, external events continue, highlighting the paradox of feeling alone while life persists.
