Despair Quote by Walker Percy
“As for hobbies, people with stimulating hobbies suffer from the most noxious of despairs since they are tranquilized in their despair.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Moviegoer, 1961
People with intense hobbies may feel deep despair, as their excitement is dulled by their own sorrow.
In simple terms: Intense hobbies can mask deep sadness.
Key Takeaway
Balance passion with emotional health.
Themes
hobbies
despair
tranquility
Mood
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- creative work
- daily routine
- mental health
- artistic pursuits
Key Concepts
existential angst
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your hobbies reflect your inner state?
- Can passion become a distraction from pain?
A Different Perspective
Hobbies may not cure underlying issues.
![“It might interest you to know," Tully says, "that there's a reason people build miniatures. Doesn't matter if it's guys laying out model railroads or women decorating dollhouses. It's about control. It's about reinventing reality." [...] "Some people get a lot of satisfaction in creating a little…” quote by Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c55/jane-lotter-39539_control_it-might-interest-you-to-know-tully-says_69440.jpg)
![“[In art] you are telling the reader or the listener or the viewer something he already knows but which he doesn't quite know that he knows, so that in the action of communication he experiences a recognition, a feeling that he has been there before, a shock of recognition.” quote by Walker Percy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3f1/walker-percy-1958_action_in-art-you-are-telling-the-reader-or-the_116938.jpg)
