Jump off. You are a protected individual. Do not fear.
Henry MillerRead
If I am against the condition of the world, it is not because I am a moralist - it is because I want to laugh more.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the idea that a desire for joy and laughter drives a person's opposition to the world's issues, rather than a sense of moral duty.
Henry Miller's quote suggests that his critique of the world's conditions stems not from a place of morality, but from a fundamental desire to experience more joy and laughter in life. It reflects a philosophical stance that values happiness and humor over rigid moral judgments, indicating that the quest for a lighter, more joyful existence can inspire one to challenge the status quo.
Themes
HumorLaughterOppositionJoyMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about resilience, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of laughter in the face of adversity.
More from Henry Miller
All quotes →I saw through to the last sign and symbol, but I could not read her face. I could see only the eyes shining through, huge, fleshy-like luminous beasts, as though I were swimming behind them in the electric effluvia of her incandescent vision.
Henry MillerRead
The essential thing is to WANT to sing. This then is a song. I am singing.
Henry MillerRead
Great God! What have I turned into? What right have you people to clutter up my life, steal my time, probe my soul, suckle my thoughts, have me for your companion, confidant, and information bureau? What do you take me for? Am I an entertainer on salary, required every evening to play an intellectual farce under your stupid noses? Am I a slave, bought and paid for, to crawl on my belly in front of you idlers and lay at your feet all that I do and all that I know?
Henry MillerRead
We are swimming on the face of time and all else has drowned, is drowning, or will drown.
Henry MillerRead
To sing you must first open your mouth. You must have a pair of lungs, and a little knowledge of music. It is not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar. The essential thing is to want to sing. This then is a song. I am singing.
Henry MillerRead
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