Conversation Quote by Walker Percy
““For some time now the impression has been growing upon me that everyone is dead. It happens when I speak to people. In the middle of a sentence it will come over me: yes, beyond a doubt this is death. There is little to do but groan and make an excuse and slip away as quickly as one can. At such times it seems that the conversation is spoken by automatons who have no choice in what they say. I hear myself or someone else saying things like: "In my opinion the Russian people are a great people, but--" or "Yes, what you say about the hypocrisy of the North is unquestionably true. However--" and I think to myself: this is death. Lately it is all I can do to carry on such everyday conversations, because my cheek has developed a tendency to twitch of its own accord.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Moviegoer, Walker Percy, 1961
The narrator feels existential alienation, perceiving ordinary conversation as empty and lifeless, reflecting a deep sense of personal death and disconnection.
In simple terms: Everyday talk feels dead, leaving the speaker detached.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address feelings of alienation.
Themes
existentialism
alienation
communication
identity
death
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crises
- therapy sessions
- creative writing
- philosophical discussions
Key Concepts
absurdism
self-awareness
social masks
Questions to Reflect On
- How does feeling detached affect your relationships?
- What steps can restore authentic connection?
A Different Perspective
Such numbness may mask underlying mental health issues requiring professional help.
![“[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)
