--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The \"through-and-through\" universe seems…" description: "\"The \"through-and-through\" universe seems to suffocate me with its infallible impeccable all-pervasiveness. Its necessity , with no possibilities; its r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/william-james-228_abyss_the-through-and-through-universe-seems-t_913812.jpg" --- # The "through-and-through" universe seems to suffocate me… ![“The "through-and-through" universe seems to suffocate me with its infallible impeccable all-pervasiveness. Its necessity , with no possibilities; its relations, with no subjects, make me feel as if I had entered into a contract with no reserved rights ... It seems too buttoned-up and…” quote by William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/william-james-228_abyss_the-through-and-through-universe-seems-t_913812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/william-james-228_abyss_the-through-and-through-universe-seems-t_913812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8e/william-james-228_abyss_the-through-and-through-universe-seems-t_913812.jpg) > “The "through-and-through" universe seems to suffocate me with its infallible impeccable all-pervasiveness. Its necessity , with no possibilities; its relations, with no subjects, make me feel as if I had entered into a contract with no reserved rights ... It seems too buttoned-up and white-chokered and clean-shaven a thing to speak for the vast slow-breathing unconscious Kosmos with its dread abysses and its unknown tides.” [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote expresses a feeling of being overwhelmed by a deterministic, all-encompassing universe that leaves no room for freedom or possibility, evoking existential dread. **In simple terms:** Feeling trapped by a rigid, all‑controlling cosmos. Key Takeaway Recognize and question deterministic assumptions. Themes existentialism determinism freedom anxiety cosmology Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - philosophical contemplation - creative writing - mental health therapy - spiritual practice Key Concepts Phenomenology ontological nihilism subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How does belief in a fixed cosmos affect your choices? - Can you find agency within perceived constraints? A Different Perspective The view may ignore human agency and the capacity for meaning‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Clean shaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean-shaven/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Tides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tides/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) ## Related quotes > [The greatest empiricists among us are only empiricists on reflection: when left to their instincts, they dogmatize like infallible popes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-greatest-empiricists-among-us-are-only-empiricists-on-reflection/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [I'm all about first impressions, so I love a guy who looks good and walks in with some confidence. 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The person I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/when-i-look-in-the-mirror-i-see-not-only-the-person-i-am-but-the/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I've always been a stubble man; I don't do clean-shaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-armstrong/i-ve-always-been-a-stubble-man-i-don-t-do-clean-shaven/) [Jonas Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-armstrong/) > [Within, stood a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/within-stood-a-tall-old-man-clean-shaven-save-for-a-long-white/) [Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/) > [I've been recognized every now and then. It's always in computer stores. 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It's a more lush personal grooming style.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-don-t-know-what-it-is-on-an-elemental-level-but-a-beard-in-general/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“She spotted Captain Winston in the barn, hitching the mares to the wagon, and walked out to join him. When he turned around, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-alexander/she-spotted-captain-winston-in-the-barn-hitching-the-mares-to-the/) [Tamera Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-alexander/) > [When I'm clean-shaven and bathed, I look like a lawyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-benjamin-hickey/when-i-m-clean-shaven-and-bathed-i-look-like-a-lawyer/) [John Benjamin Hickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-benjamin-hickey/) > [If I'm not clean-shaven I'm not happy going out the door. I have to run a quick razor over my face to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-jackson/if-i-m-not-clean-shaven-i-m-not-happy-going-out-the-door-i-have-to/) [Colin Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-jackson/) > [You want to be more hairy, that's beautiful. You want to be more clean-shaven, that's great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/you-want-to-be-more-hairy-that-s-beautiful-you-want-to-be-more-clean/) [Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/) > [I've just always rocked the goatee. 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The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [In the dim background of our mind we know meanwhile what we ought to be doing: getting up, dressing ourselves, answering the person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/in-the-dim-background-of-our-mind-we-know-meanwhile-what-we-ought-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“Our minds thus grow in spots; and like grease-spots, the spots spread. 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They may have seen them, may have said them, done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/most-people-probably-are-in-doubt-about-certain-matters-ascribed-to/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“How soon, indeed, are human things forgotten! As we meet here this morning, the Southern sun is shining on their place of burial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/how-soon-indeed-are-human-things-forgotten-as-we-meet-here-this/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [There can be no difference anywhere that does not make a difference somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/there-can-be-no-difference-anywhere-that-does-not-make-a-difference/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [It is wrong always, everywhere, and for everyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-is-wrong-always-everywhere-and-for-everyone-to-believe-anything/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [The pragmatist turns away from abstraction and insufficiency, from verbal solutions, from bad a priori reasons, from fixed principles, closed systems, and pretended absolutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/the-pragmatist-turns-away-from-abstraction-and-insufficiency-from/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) [Explore all 854 William James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) ## More Abyss quotes > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I admire the Elsie Tanners and Barbara Windsors of the world: people who have crawled back from the abyss. I'm quite camp in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-admire-the-elsie-tanners-and-barbara-windsors-of-the-world-people/) [Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/) > [I've been to unpretty places with the roles I've played, and I'm attracted to reckless abandon. I like being taken to the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-ve-been-to-unpretty-places-with-the-roles-i-ve-played-and-i-m/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [I look into my heart and see the abyss looking back at me.' 'I won't let you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-look-into-my-heart-and-see-the-abyss-looking-back-at-me-i-won-t-let/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/there-is-no-drop-of-water-in-the-ocean-not-even-in-the-deepest-parts/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“But first whom shall we send In search of this new world, whom shall we find Sufficient? Who shall tempt, with wand'ring feet The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-first-whom-shall-we-send-in-search-of-this-new-world-whom-shall/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Many women don’t know what orgasm is. Many men don’t know was total orgasm is. 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Red Spider White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/we-belong-to-an-age-where-apocalypse-is-our-daily-bread-coffee-s/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) [Browse all 625 Abyss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The \"through-and-through\" universe seems to suffocate me with its infallible impeccable all-pervasiveness. Its necessity , with no possibilities; its relations, with no subjects, make me feel as if I had entered into a contract with no reserved rights ... 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