Visit me once each year, for it's wrong to abandon people forever.
Naguib MahfouzRead
I was suffering from a peculiar and persistent sense that I was being pursued, and also the conviction that under the political order of the times, our lives had no meaning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a feeling of existential despair and the sense of being overwhelmed by external forces.
In this quote, Naguib Mahfouz expresses an intense psychological struggle, where he feels a continuous threat or pursuit, symbolizing societal pressures, alongside a deep conviction that the political climate renders life devoid of meaning. This sentiment resonates with those who perceive their existence as influenced by oppressive structures, leading to a crisis of purpose and identity.
Themes
ExistentialismDespairPoliticsMeaninglessnessSocietyStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on existential philosophy, this quote can be used to illustrate the struggle of individuals against societal structures.
More from Naguib Mahfouz
All quotes βIt's clearly more important to treat one's fellow man well than to be always praying and fasting and touching one's head to a prayer mat.
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As for life's tragedies, our love will defeat them. Love is the most effective cure. In the crevices of disasters, happiness lies like a diamond in a mind, so let us instill in ourselves the wisdom of love.
Naguib MahfouzRead
I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while.
Naguib MahfouzRead
If the urge to write should ever leave me, I want that day to be my last.
Naguib MahfouzRead
I believe in life and in people. I feel obliged to advocate their highest ideals as long as I believe them to be true. I also see myself compelled to revolt against ideals I believe to be false, since recoiling from rebellion would be a form of treason
Naguib MahfouzRead
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