Living substance conquers the frenzy of destruction only in the ecstasy of procreation.
Walter BenjaminRead
The destructive character lives from the feeling, not that life is worth living, but that suicide is not worth the trouble.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the destructive mindset that stems from a lack of appreciation for life, suggesting that the only reason one continues is the avoidance of the effort of ending life.
Walter Benjamin's quote delves into the complex emotions surrounding despair and the will to live. It articulates the notion that some individuals endure their existence not because they find life meaningful or fulfilling, but rather because the act of suicide seems to demand too much effort or trouble. This examination of the psyche suggests a critical view of the reasons why some continue to live, highlighting a stark contrast between valuing life and merely existing in a state of turmoil.
Themes
DespairLifeSuicideExistenceTrouble
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on mental health, one could use this quote to illustrate the tenuous hold some people have on life.
More from Walter Benjamin
All quotes →The illiterate of the future will not be the man who cannot read the alphabet, but the one who cannot take a photograph.
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If mythic violence is lawmaking, divine violence is law-destroying; if the former sets boundaries, the latter boundlessly destroys them; if mythic violence brings at once guilt and retribution, divine power only expiates; if the former threatens, the latter strikes; if the former is bloody, the latter is lethal without spilling blood
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Writers are really people who write books not because they are poor, but because they are dissatisfied with the books which they could buy but do not like.
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Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.
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I am unpacking my library. Yes I am. The books are not yet on the shelves, not yet touched by the mild boredom of order.
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