Some deny the existence of misery by pointing to the sun; he denies the existence of the sun by pointing to misery.
Franz KafkaRead
Every one of us has a bad conscience, which he tries to escape by going to sleep as quickly as possible.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on human guilt and the desire to escape unpleasant feelings through sleep.
Franz Kafka's quote explores the concept of a 'bad conscience' that plagues individuals, suggesting that many people seek solace in sleep as a means of escaping their guilt or internal struggles. It highlights the psychological burden we carry and how we often turn to rest as a temporary refuge from our deeper issues.
Themes
GuiltConscienceSleepEscapeAnxiety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about mental health, you might use this quote to emphasize the importance of addressing internal struggles rather than avoiding them.
More from Franz Kafka
All quotes →One can disintegrate the world by means of very strong light. For weak eyes the world becomes solid, for still weaker eyes it seems to develop fists, for eyes weaker still it becomes shamefaced and smashes anyone who dares to gaze upon it.
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But Gregor understood easily that it was not only consideration for him which prevented their moving, for he could easily have been transported in a suitable crate with a few air holes; what mainly prevented the family from moving was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been hit.
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Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.
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A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.
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The ulterior motives with which you absorb and assimilate Evil are not your own but those of Evil. _x000D_ The animal wrests the whip from its master and whips itself in order to become master, not knowing that this is only a fantasy produced by a new knot in the master's whiplash.
Franz KafkaRead
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