The premonition of madness is complicated by the fear of lucidity in madness, the fear of the moments of return and reunion... One would welcome chaos if one were not afraid of lights in it.
Emile M. CioranRead
Far from diminishing the appetite for power, suffering exasperates it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Suffering intensifies the desire for power rather than reducing it.
Emile M. Cioran suggests that rather than alleviating one's yearning for control and influence, experiences of suffering can actually deepen and exacerbate this drive. The paradoxical nature of human desires is highlighted, showing that adversity may lead individuals to seek greater power as a means of overcoming their pain and asserting their agency in the face of suffering.
Themes
PowerSufferingDesireControlAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges, one might refer to Cioran's quote to emphasize the strength gained from adversity.
More from Emile M. Cioran
All quotes βWe are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
Emile M. CioranRead
There was a time when time did not yet exist. β¦ The rejection of birth is nothing but the nostalgia for this time before time.
Emile M. CioranRead
A marvel that has nothing to offer, democracy is at once a nation's paradise and its tomb.
Emile M. CioranRead
Paradise was unendurable, otherwise the first man would have adapted to it; this world is no less so, since here we regret paradise or anticipate another one. What to do? Where to go? Do nothing and go nowhere, easy enough.
Emile M. CioranRead
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Emile M. CioranRead
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