--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were profound reasons for his…" description: "\"There were profound reasons for his attachment to the sea: he loved it because as a hardworking artist he needed rest, needed to escape from the demand..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/thomas-mann-1103_arms_there-were-profound-reasons-for-his-atta_1820909.jpg" --- # There were profound reasons for his attachment to the sea… ![“There were profound reasons for his attachment to the sea: he loved it because as a hardworking artist he needed rest, needed to escape from the demanding complexity of phenomena and lie hidden on the bosom of the simple and tremendous; because of a forbidden longing deep within him that ran quite…” quote by Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/thomas-mann-1103_arms_there-were-profound-reasons-for-his-atta_1820909.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/thomas-mann-1103_arms_there-were-profound-reasons-for-his-atta_1820909.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d70/thomas-mann-1103_arms_there-were-profound-reasons-for-his-atta_1820909.jpg) > “There were profound reasons for his attachment to the sea: he loved it because as a hardworking artist he needed rest, needed to escape from the demanding complexity of phenomena and lie hidden on the bosom of the simple and tremendous; because of a forbidden longing deep within him that ran quite contrary to his life's task and was for that very reason seductive, a longing for the unarticulated and immeasurable, for eternity, for nothingness. To rest in the arms of perfection is the desire of any man intent upon creating excellence; and is not nothingness a form of perfection?” [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The sea offers the artist a refuge from complexity, a place for rest and a yearning for the infinite, suggesting that embracing nothingness can be a form of perfection. **In simple terms:** The sea is a restful escape that hints at perfection through nothingness. Key Takeaway Seek quiet spaces that allow contemplation of the infinite. Themes art rest perfection longing nothingness Mood contemplative melancholic inspired Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - creative work - personal reflection - spiritual practice - overcoming burnout Key Concepts existentialism aesthetic philosophy the sublime Questions to Reflect On - How does embracing emptiness influence artistic creation? - Can rest be both a retreat and a catalyst for excellence? A Different Perspective The ideal of nothingness may be unattainable, leading to perpetual dissatisfaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Attachment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attachment/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Excellence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence/) [Excellence Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excellence-nothingness-2192977/) [Forbidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Hardworking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardworking/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Longing Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-deep-433871/) [Longing Unarticulated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-unarticulated-2192979/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Needed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed/) [Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothingness/) [Perfection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection/) [Perfection Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfection-desire-2192975/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Ran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Seductive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seductive/) [Seductive Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seductive-longing-2192973/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tasks/) ## Related quotes > [“To find peace in the presence of the faultless is the desire of the one who seeks excellence; and is not nothingness a form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/to-find-peace-in-the-presence-of-the-faultless-is-the-desire-of-the/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [WHEN YHU STRIVE FOR PERFECTION, DESIRE GET CONFUSED AND YHU KAN LOE YOUR DIRECTION](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/when-yhu-strive-for-perfection-desire-get-confused-and-yhu-kan-loe/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [When you strive for perfection, Desire get confused and you could lose your direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/when-you-strive-for-perfection-desire-get-confused-and-you-could-lose/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [Marriage is the result of the longing for the deep, deep peace of the double bed after the hurly-burly of the chaise-longue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-lewis/marriage-is-the-result-of-the-longing-for-the-deep-deep-peace-of-the/) [Jerry Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-lewis/) > [“When the universe was young, it took a breath, then sighed with a longing so deep, so ancient, that it stole God’s attention for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-belle/when-the-universe-was-young-it-took-a-breath-then-sighed-with-a/) [Kate Belle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-belle/) > [“Every human being is longing for involvement. 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If I get an offer, I would definitely take it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urvashi-rautela/everyone-in-tollywood-is-so-hardworking-and-professional-if-i-get-an/) [Urvashi Rautela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urvashi-rautela/) > [Sourav's greatest strength is his mind. He is hardworking - not only in the nets but also mentally. He bounces back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sachin-tendulkar/sourav-s-greatest-strength-is-his-mind-he-is-hardworking-not-only-in/) [Sachin Tendulkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sachin-tendulkar/) > [Don't ever eat your bread without remembering the hardworking peasants!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/don-t-ever-eat-your-bread-without-remembering-the-hardworking-peasants/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I've discovered that Motown and Broadway have a lot in common - a family of wonderfully talented, passionate, hardworking young people, fiercely competitive but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berry-gordy/i-ve-discovered-that-motown-and-broadway-have-a-lot-in-common-a/) [Berry Gordy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berry-gordy/) > [The idea that more taxes and more government spending is the best way to help hardworking middle class taxpayers - that's an old idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/the-idea-that-more-taxes-and-more-government-spending-is-the-best-way/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Recipients of transfers set a bad example for others, including their children, other relatives, and friends, who see that one can receive goods, services,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-higgs/recipients-of-transfers-set-a-bad-example-for-others-including-their/) [Robert Higgs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-higgs/) > [Flint's got so many hardworking, good people who just want a fair shake and it starts with making sure their government is responsive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-whitmer/flint-s-got-so-many-hardworking-good-people-who-just-want-a-fair/) [Gretchen Whitmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-whitmer/) ## More by Thomas Mann > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. 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In my eyes it is the brightest sword that reason has against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/i-hope-that-you-have-nothing-against-malice-my-good-engineer-in-my/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“...only the exhaustive can be truly interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/only-the-exhaustive-can-be-truly-interesting/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“The days began to fly now, and yet each one of them was stretched by renewed expectations and swollen with silent, private experiences. Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/the-days-began-to-fly-now-and-yet-each-one-of-them-was-stretched-by/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“The average man thinks that a little falseness goes with beauty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/the-average-man-thinks-that-a-little-falseness-goes-with-beauty/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“A stimulus is a stimulus. The body doesn't give a damn about the meaning of the stimulus. Whether minnows or communion, the sebaceous glands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/a-stimulus-is-a-stimulus-the-body-doesn-t-give-a-damn-about-the/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [It is remarkable how a man cannot summarize his thoughts in even the most general sort of way without betraying himself completely, without putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/it-is-remarkable-how-a-man-cannot-summarize-his-thoughts-in-even-the/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [“One always needs to be reminded; one is by no means always in possession of one’s whole self. Our consciousness is feeble; only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/one-always-needs-to-be-reminded-one-is-by-no-means-always-in/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [Everything is politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/everything-is-politics/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) > [Is not life in itself a thing of goodness, irrespective of whether the course it takes for us can be called a 'happy' one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/is-not-life-in-itself-a-thing-of-goodness-irrespective-of-whether-the/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Explore all 239 Thomas Mann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? 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