Avalanche Quote by Vladimir Nabokov
““The few times I said to myself anywhere: ‘Now that’s a nice spot for a permanent home,’ I would immediately hear in my mind the thunder of an avalanche carrying away the hundreds of far places which I would destroy by the very act of settling in one particular nook of the earth.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Ada, 1969
Settling in one place erases the endless possibilities that would otherwise exist elsewhere.
In simple terms: Choosing a permanent home limits imagined futures.
Key Takeaway
Consider the trade‑off between stability and imagination.
Themes
settlement
possibility
choice
consequence
imagination
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- career decisions
- home buying
- travel planning
- creative projects
- long‑term commitments
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
creative potential
Questions to Reflect On
- What freedoms might you gain by staying?
- How does permanence affect creativity?
A Different Perspective
Stability can also provide grounding for growth, not just loss.
![“...under no circumstances would he [Humbert Humbert] have interfered with the innocence of a child, if there was the least risk of a row.” quote by Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f0/vladimir-nabokov-198_children_under-no-circumstances-would-he-humbert_16228.jpg)
