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
The multiplication of our kind borders on the obscene; the duty to love them, on the preposterous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the tension between the overwhelming presence of humanity and the moral obligation to love all people.
Cioran's quote highlights a paradox in human existence: while the sheer number of people can feel overwhelming or even absurd, our ethical responsibility to extend love to others can seem equally unrealistic. This statement captures a sense of existential struggle, questioning the nature of our social obligations in the face of humanity's complexities and imperfections.
Themes
LoveHumanityExistentialismPhilosophyObligation
In practice
Example use cases
In discussions about ethical responsibilities towards others, this quote emphasizes the complexity of love.
More from Emile M. Cioran
All quotes →We are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
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There was a time when time did not yet exist. … 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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