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
One can experience loneliness in two ways: by feeling lonely in the world or by feeling the loneliness of the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Loneliness can be subjective or objective; it can come from personal feelings or from recognizing the widespread isolation in society.
This quote by Emile M. Cioran explores the dual nature of loneliness. It suggests that one can feel loneliness either as a result of their own emotional state, feeling isolated from those around them, or a broader understanding of how the world itself can be an inherently lonely place, filled with people who also feel disconnected and misunderstood. This deeper perspective highlights the universal nature of loneliness, where both personal feelings and societal conditions contribute to a sense of isolation.
Themes
LonelinessIsolationHuman ExperienceWorldSociety
In practice
Example use cases
Utilize this quote in a discussion about mental health and loneliness at a seminar.
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
Similar quotes
Whatever extra there is in me at any given moment isn't fully formed. I am hardly aware of it; it awaits the next book. It will - with luck - come to me during the actual writing, and it will take me by surprise
V. S. NaipaulRead
In a world wounded by conflicts, where violence is justified in God's name, it's important to repeat that religion can never become a vehicle of hatred, it can never be used in God's name to justify violence.
Pope Benedict XviRead
How did her life live itself without her.
Jonathan Safran FoerRead
There is no absolute point of view from which real and ideal can be finally separated and labelled.
T. S. EliotRead
So you know how things stand. Now forget what they think of you. Be satisfied if you can live the rest of your life, however short, as your nature demands. Focus on that, and don't let anything distract you. You've wandered all over and finally realized that you never found what you were after: how to live. Not in syllogisms, not in money, or fame, or self-indulgence. Nowhere.
Marcus AureliusRead
As a good wine must be kept in a good cask, so a wholesome body is the proper foundation for a well-appointed inner ground.
Johannes TaulerRead