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 →It'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.
Naguib MahfouzRead
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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