Human beings Quote by Virginia Woolf
““He wondered why on earth he had asked these people, and what one really expected to get from bunching human beings up together. "Cows," he reflected, "draw together in a field; ships in a calm; and we're just the same when we've nothing else to do. But why do we do it?—is it to prevent ourselves from seeing to the bottom of things" (he stopped by a stream and began stirring it with his walking-stick and clouding the water with mud), "making cities and mountains and whole universes out of nothing, or do we really love each other, or do we, on the other hand, live in a state of perpetual uncertainty, knowing nothing, leaping from moment to moment as from world to world?—which is, on the whole, the view I incline to.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf, 1925
The passage reflects on humanity’s tendency to gather and create meaning, questioning whether it stems from love, fear of emptiness, or perpetual uncertainty.
In simple terms: People gather and create meaning, but why?
Key Takeaway
Consider why we seek connection and meaning.
Themes
existence
meaning
uncertainty
human nature
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- relationships
- creative projects
- philosophical contemplation
Key Concepts
existentialism
social cohesion
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives you to seek connection?
- Does uncertainty motivate creation?
