You are 27 or 28 right? It is very tough to live at that age. When nothing is sure. I have sympathy with you.
Haruki MurakamiRead
I think most people live in fiction...That's how you keep your fragile body intact.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often create fictional narratives to protect themselves from the harsh realities of life.
In this quote, Haruki Murakami suggests that individuals tend to escape into fictional worlds or beliefs to shield themselves from the vulnerabilities and uncertainties of real life. This escapism may serve as a coping mechanism that allows people to maintain their emotional and psychological well-being, thus keeping their 'fragile body intact' amidst the chaos of existence.
Themes
FictionRealityEscapismCopingLifePerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on how stories heal us, you might quote Murakami to emphasize the protective power of fiction.
More from Haruki Murakami
All quotes →They take the circuits out of people’s brains that make it possible for them to think for themselves. Their world is like the one that George Orwell depicted in his novel. I’m sure you realize that there are plenty of people who are looking for exactly that kind of brain death. It makes life a lot easier. You don’t have to think about difficult things, just shut up and do what your superiors tell you to do.
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Memories and thoughts age, just as people do. But certain thoughts can never age, and certain memories can never fade.
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I think you still love me, but we can’t escape the fact that I’m not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen. So I’m not blaming you for falling in love with another woman. I’m not angry, either. I should be, but I’m not. I just feel pain. A lot of pain. I thought I could imagine how much this would hurt, but I was wrong.
Haruki MurakamiRead
Everybody burns out in this world; amateur, pro, it doesn't matter, they all burn out, they all get hurt, the OK guys and the not-OK guys both. That's why everybody takes out a little insurance. I've got some too, here at the bottom of the heap. That way, you manage to survive if you burn out. If you're all by yourself and don't belong anywhere, you go down once, and you're out. Finished.
Haruki MurakamiRead
Life is so uncertain: you never know what could happen. One way to deal with that is to keep your pajamas washed.
Haruki MurakamiRead
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