Fathers Quote by Yukio Mishima
““At thirteen, Noboru was convinced of his own genius (each of the others in the gang felt the same way) and certain that life consisted of a few simple signals and decisions; that death took root at the moment of birth and man's only recourse thereafter was to water and tend it; that propagation was a fiction; consequently, society was a fiction too: that fathers and teachers, by virtue of being fathers and teachers, were guilty of a grievous sin. Therefore, his own father's death, when he was eight, had been a happy incident, something to be proud of.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Yukio Mishima, 1959
A young man’s inflated self‑importance leads him to view life as a series of trivial choices, while rejecting societal norms as false.
In simple terms: Youthful ego distorts reality.
Key Takeaway
Question assumptions about self and society.
Themes
identity
ego
rebellion
illusion
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Adolescence
- creative pursuits
- family loss
- social critique
Key Concepts
Existentialism
psychology
nihilism
Questions to Reflect On
- What drives the protagonist’s disdain for authority?
- Can self‑awareness prevent similar delusions?
A Different Perspective
Risk of glorifying destructive narcissism.
![“[On her father's death:] I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much.” quote by Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/221/erma-bombeck-780_death_on-her-father-s-death-i-didn-t-know-his_1914411.jpg)
