There are horrors beyond life's edge that we do not suspect, and once in a while man's evil prying calls them just within our range.
H. P. LovecraftRead
Sometimes I believe that this less material life is our truer life, and that our vain presence on the terraqueous globe is itself the secondary or merely virtual phenomenon.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that a less materialistic life is more authentic and that our existence on Earth may be less significant than it seems.
H. P. Lovecraft reflects on the nature of human existence, positing that a life focused less on material possessions is closer to our true selves. He implies that our physical presence on Earth, while often seen as central, may actually be secondary to a deeper, more meaningful existence that transcends the physical realm.
Themes
PhilosophyMaterialismExistenceTruthLife
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on minimalism, someone could use this quote to emphasize the importance of valuing experiences over possessions.
More from H. P. Lovecraft
All quotes →I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.
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Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places.
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The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination.
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No new horror can be more terrible than the daily torture of the commonplace.
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I am, indeed, an absolute materialist so far as actual belief goes; with not a shred of credence in any form of supernaturalism—religion, spiritualism, transcendentalism, metempsychosis, or immortality.
H. P. LovecraftRead
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