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Agnosticism Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

“There is yet another reason why I cannot, nor wish to, believe in God: the fairy tale about him is not really mine, it belongs to strangers, to all men; it is soaked through by the evil-smelling effluvia of millions of other souls that have spun about a little under the sun and then burst…” quote by Vladimir Nabokov
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““There is yet another reason why I cannot, nor wish to, believe in God: the fairy tale about him is not really mine, it belongs to strangers, to all men; it is soaked through by the evil-smelling effluvia of millions of other souls that have spun about a little under the sun and then burst…””

Vladimir Nabokov

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Gift, 1938

The narrator rejects belief in God, seeing religion as a foreign narrative tainted by collective sins.

In simple terms: He views God as an alien story stained by humanity’s flaws.

Key Takeaway

Question the origins and ownership of belief systems.

Themes

skepticism religion existentialism

Mood

critical philosophical introspective

Type

literary existential

When to use this quote

  • philosophical debates
  • personal crises
  • literary analysis

Key Concepts

theology mythmaking moral impurity

Questions to Reflect On

  • Do you think spirituality can be both personal and universal?
  • How do collective histories shape individual belief?
A Different Perspective

The argument may overlook personal comfort faith can provide.

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