Dreams Quote by Roland Barthes
““Gaudium is what I dream of: to enjoy a lifelong pleasure. But being unable to accede to Gaudium, from which I am separated by a thousand obstacles, I dream of falling back on Laetitia: if I could manage to confine myself to the lively pleasures the other affords me, without contaminating them, mortifying them by the anxiety which serves as their hinge? If I could take an anthological view of the amorous relation? If I were to understand, initially, that a great preoccupation does not include moments of pure pleasure, and then, if I managed systematically to forget the zones of alarm which separate these moments of pleasure? If I could be dazed, inconsistent?””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Lover's Discourse: Fragments, Roland Barthes, 1977
The speaker longs for pure joy but feels blocked by obstacles, trying to balance pleasure with anxiety and intellectual analysis.
In simple terms: Desire for joy hindered by obstacles and anxiety.
Key Takeaway
Seek joy without over‑analyzing.
Themes
desire
joy
anxiety
analysis
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- mindful enjoyment
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
literature
Questions to Reflect On
- Can you enjoy moments without over‑thinking them?
- What obstacles block your joy?
A Different Perspective
Pure pleasure may be impossible without confronting underlying anxieties.
