Controlled hysteria is what's required. To exist constantly in a state of controlled hysteria. It's agony. But everyone has agony. The difference is that I try to take my agony home and teach it to sing.
Arthur MillerRead
The closer a man approaches tragedy the more intense is his concentration of emotion upon the fixed point of his commitment, which is to say the closer he approaches what in life we call fanaticism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
As a person faces tragedy, their emotional focus on their commitments intensifies, potentially leading to fanaticism.
In this quote, Arthur Miller reflects on how adversity and tragedy can amplify a person's emotional dedication to their beliefs or commitments. This heightened focus, while potentially motivating, can also lead to extremes in thought and behavior, often resulting in fanaticism, where one's attachments overshadow rationality and flexibility.
Themes
TragedyEmotionCommitmentFanaticismBeliefs
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the effects of extreme situations on beliefs during a seminar on psychology.
More from Arthur Miller
All quotes →The word "now" is like a bomb through the window, and it ticks.
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Amos Oz is one of the finest novelists of this entire period. MY MICHAEL is a beautiful work of great depth and in some indescribable way lingers in the mind as a lyric song to his country's people as much as a moving love story.
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Just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away.
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Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer.
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The structure of a play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost.
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