--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What art thou?' Nothing. That's the…" description: "\"“What art thou?' Nothing. That's the answer. Nothing. In the heart of hearts- Nothing! So of course you can't stand that and want to be Something, and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/saul-bellow-558_art_what-art-thou-nothing-that-s-the-answer_2854186.png" --- # What art thou?' Nothing. That's the answer. Nothing. In… ![“What art thou?' Nothing. That's the answer. Nothing. In the heart of hearts- Nothing! So of course you can't stand that and want to be Something, and you try. But instead of being this Something, the man puts it over on everybody instead.” quote by Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/saul-bellow-558_art_what-art-thou-nothing-that-s-the-answer_2854186.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/saul-bellow-558_art_what-art-thou-nothing-that-s-the-answer_2854186.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e03/saul-bellow-558_art_what-art-thou-nothing-that-s-the-answer_2854186.png) > ““What art thou?' Nothing. That's the answer. Nothing. In the heart of hearts- Nothing! So of course you can't stand that and want to be Something, and you try. But instead of being this Something, the man puts it over on everybody instead.”” [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Existence confronts emptiness; striving for meaning leads to projecting aspirations onto others. **In simple terms:** Nothing confronts us; we seek meaning. Key Takeaway Recognize and own your own purpose. Themes existential identity meaning projection Mood introspective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal journaling - therapy - mindfulness practice Key Concepts Existentialism psychology of self Questions to Reflect On - What does “nothing” feel like for you? - How can you cultivate authentic purpose? A Different Perspective Avoiding self-reflection can cause projection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Beingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beingness/) ## Related quotes > [Art thou a type of beauty, or of power, Of sweet enjoyment, or disastrous sin?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-aubrey-de-vere-2nd-baronet/art-thou-a-type-of-beauty-or-of-power-of-sweet-enjoyment-or/) Sir Aubrey de Vere, 2nd Baronet > [As thou thinkest, so art thou.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/as-thou-thinkest-so-art-thou/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Art thou a friend to Roderick?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/art-thou-a-friend-to-roderick/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [“And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press, End in the Nothing all Things end in - Yes - Then fancy while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-fitzgerald/and-if-the-wine-you-drink-the-lip-you-press-end-in-the-nothing-all/) [Edward FitzGerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-fitzgerald/) > [Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/is-this-a-dagger-which-i-see-before-me-the-handle-toward-my-hand-come-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Or art thou but / A dagger of the mind, a false creation, / Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/or-art-thou-but-a-dagger-of-the-mind-a-false-creation-proceeding-from/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Less than the cloud to the wind, Less than the foam to the sea, Less than the rose to the storm Am I to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-teasdale/less-than-the-cloud-to-the-wind-less-than-the-foam-to-the-sea-less/) [Sara Teasdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-teasdale/) > [What thou art, that thou art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/what-thou-art-that-thou-art/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [Study what thou art Whereof thou art a part What thou knowest of this art This is really what thou art. 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Instead, be the man of truth, only the truth!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/be-the-man-of-no-one-instead-be-the-man-of-truth-only-the-truth/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [You say to me 'Show me your God.' I answer you, 'Everything you see in your heart that might sadden God, remove.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/you-say-to-me-show-me-your-god-i-answer-you-everything-you-see-in/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) ## More by Saul Bellow > [... a fellow can't predict what he will pick up in the form of influence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-fellow-can-t-predict-what-he-will-pick-up-in-the-form-of-influence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [If I'm out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/if-i-m-out-of-my-mind-it-s-all-right-with-me-thought-moses-herzog/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [I have begun in old age to understand just how oddly we are all put together. We are so proud of our autonomy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/i-have-begun-in-old-age-to-understand-just-how-oddly-we-are-all-put/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“On Broadway it was still bright afternoon and the gassy air was almost motionless under the leaden spokes of sunlight, and sawdust footprints lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/on-broadway-it-was-still-bright-afternoon-and-the-gassy-air-was/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There are evils that have the ability to survive identification and go on for ever... money, for instance, or war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-are-evils-that-have-the-ability-to-survive-identification-and/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Myself is thus and so, and will continue thus and so. And why fight it? My balance comes from instability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/myself-is-thus-and-so-and-will-continue-thus-and-so-and-why-fight-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“A strange heart. I myself can't account for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/a-strange-heart-i-myself-can-t-account-for-it/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [The late philosopher Morris R. Cohen of CCNY was asked by a student in the metaphysics course, Professor Cohen, how do I know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/the-late-philosopher-morris-r-cohen-of-ccny-was-asked-by-a-student-in/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“Therefore we didn't talk of genuine things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/therefore-we-didn-t-talk-of-genuine-things/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [Is our species crazy? Plenty of evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/is-our-species-crazy-plenty-of-evidence/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“But now the emphasis has shifted to making it. People have surrendered their personal moral objectives to government or schools or psychologists. It’s a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/but-now-the-emphasis-has-shifted-to-making-it-people-have-surrendered/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [There's a kind of emptiness at the center of life ... nothing to form your life on, or by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/there-s-a-kind-of-emptiness-at-the-center-of-life-nothing-to-form/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [“I don't know how it all at once came to me to talk a lot, tell jokes, kick up, and suddenly have views. 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And this is the root of the struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/for-knowledge-of-death-makes-us-wish-to-extend-our-lives-at-the/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) [Explore all 464 Saul Bellow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [The house has to serve comfort. 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