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Accomplish Quote by Samuel Beckett

“All this business of a labour to accomplish, before I can end, of words to say, a truth to recover, in order to say it, before I can end, of an imposed task, once known, long neglected, finally forgotten, to perform, before I can be done with speaking, done with listening, I invented it all, in…” quote by Samuel Beckett
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“All this business of a labour to accomplish, before I can end, of words to say, a truth to recover, in order to say it, before I can end, of an imposed task, once known, long neglected, finally forgotten, to perform, before I can be done with speaking, done with listening, I invented it all, in the hope it would console me, help me to go on, allow me to think of myself as somewhere on a road, moving, between a beginning and an end, gaining ground, losing ground, getting lost, but somehow in the long run making headway.”

Samuel Beckett

About This Quote

Source Play: Endgame, Samuel Beckett, 1957

The speaker describes endless mental labor to articulate truth, seeking meaning and consolation amid life's uncertainties and contradictions.

In simple terms: Trying to find meaning through words and tasks.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the process, not just the outcome.

Themes

existentialism search for meaning human condition

Mood

reflective melancholic hopeful

Type

philosophical literary existential

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • therapy
  • personal reflection
  • creative work

Key Concepts

absurdism self‑reflection consolation

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “headway” mean to you?
  • Can endless effort be both burden and balm?
A Different Perspective

The endless pursuit may never fully resolve the underlying emptiness.

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