Alive Quote by Walker Percy
“They all think any minute I'm going to commit suicide. What a joke. The truth of course is the exact opposite: suicide is the only thing that keeps me alive. Whenever everything else fails, all I have to do is consider suicide and in two seconds I'm as cheerful as a nitwit. But if I could not kill myself -- ah then, I would. I can do without nembutal or murder mysteries but not without suicide.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, 1961
The narrator uses dark humor to express that contemplating suicide paradoxically gives him a fleeting sense of control and relief when life feels hopeless.
In simple terms: Thinking about suicide briefly lifts his mood.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and seek help for underlying despair.
Themes
despair
dark humor
control
mental health
existential crisis
Mood
distressed
ironic
hopeful
Type
advice
reflective
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- therapy sessions
- support groups
- emergency hotlines
Key Concepts
nihilism
coping mechanisms
paradoxical relief
Questions to Reflect On
- What underlying pain drives this paradox?
- How can healthier coping replace this mindset?
A Different Perspective
Suicide thoughts are a serious health issue, not a joke.
![“[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)
