Despair Quote by Walker Percy
““What is the nature of the search? you ask. The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life. To become aware of the search is to be onto something. Not to be onto something is to be in despair.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, 1961
The search for meaning arises when one steps outside daily routine; awareness of this quest prevents despair.
In simple terms: Finding purpose beyond routine avoids despair.
Key Takeaway
Seek meaning beyond everyday life.
Themes
search
meaning
existential
despair
Mood
philosophical
contemplative
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career change
- creative projects
- spiritual practice
- travel
- education
Key Concepts
existentialism
self‑awareness
Questions to Reflect On
- What does your personal search look like?
- How does routine mask deeper longing?
A Different Perspective
The search can be vague and unsettling; not all find clear direction.
![“[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)
