Some deny the existence of misery by pointing to the sun; he denies the existence of the sun by pointing to misery.
Franz KafkaRead
What's happened to me,' he thought. It was no dream.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects a moment of realization and existential clarity.
In this quote by Franz Kafka, the character experiences a profound awareness of their own reality, confronting the stark difference between dream and waking life. It symbolizes a moment of self-reflection and the struggle to understand oneβs identity and circumstances, often leading to deeper questions about existence and the nature of reality itself.
Themes
RealityAwarenessExistenceIdentitySelf-Reflection
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussion about existentialism.
More from Franz Kafka
All quotes βOne can disintegrate the world by means of very strong light. For weak eyes the world becomes solid, for still weaker eyes it seems to develop fists, for eyes weaker still it becomes shamefaced and smashes anyone who dares to gaze upon it.
Franz KafkaRead
But Gregor understood easily that it was not only consideration for him which prevented their moving, for he could easily have been transported in a suitable crate with a few air holes; what mainly prevented the family from moving was their complete hopelessness and the thought that they had been struck by a misfortune as none of their relatives and acquaintances had ever been hit.
Franz KafkaRead
Association with human beings lures one into self-observation.
Franz KafkaRead
A non-writing writer is a monster courting insanity.
Franz KafkaRead
The ulterior motives with which you absorb and assimilate Evil are not your own but those of Evil. _x000D_ The animal wrests the whip from its master and whips itself in order to become master, not knowing that this is only a fantasy produced by a new knot in the master's whiplash.
Franz KafkaRead
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Your god may be your little Christian habit - the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, 'I can't do that right now; this is my time alone with God.' No, this is your time alone with your habit.
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The philosophy of waiting is sustained by all the oracles of the universe.
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We want to be in control of our lives. Whether we are jungle fighters, craftsmen, company men, gamesmen, we want to be in control. And when the government erodes that control, we are not comfortable.
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Harry, suffering like this proves you are still a man! This pain is part of being human ββ βTHEN β I β DONβT β WANT β TO β BE β HUMAN!β Harry roared.
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The empiric easily degenerates into the quack. He does not know where his knowledge begins or leaves off, and so when he gets beyond routine conditions he begins to pretend-to make claims for which there is no justification, and to trust to luck and to ability to impose upon others-to "bluff."
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It [feminism] is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands.
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