You will become way less concerned with what other people think of you when you realize how seldom they do.
David Foster WallaceRead
Mario, what do you get when you cross an insomniac, an unwilling agnostic and a dyslexic?" "I give." "You get someone who stays up all night torturing himself mentally over the question of whether or not there's a dog.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously highlights the struggle of an individual grappling with existential questions and uncertainty.
David Foster Wallace's quote reflects the inner turmoil of a person who can't find rest because they are caught up in their thoughts about existence and belief, specifically the absurdity and complexity of questioning the nature of reality and faith. The humor derives from the absurdity of the question posed, while the deeper issue of anxiety over such fundamental questions is presented with a light touch, illustrating how deeply these concerns can affect one's peace of mind.
Themes
ExistentialismAnxietyBeliefHumorConsciousness
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about insomnia and its effects on mental health, this quote can illustrate the comedic yet serious nature of overthinking.
More from David Foster Wallace
All quotes →Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the realest, most vivid and important person in existence.
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It seems important to find ways of reminding ourselves that most 'familiarity' is meditated and delusive.
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Under fun's new administration, writing fiction becomes a way to go deep inside yourself and illuminate precisely the stuff you don't want to see or let anyone else see, and this stuff usually turns out (paradoxically) to be precisely the stuff all writers and readers share and respond to, feel.
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Acceptance is usually more a matter of fatigue than anything else.
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Bliss - a-second-by-second joy and gratitude at the gift of being alive, conscious - lies on the other side of crushing, crushing boredom. Pay close attention to the most tedious thing you can find (Tax Returns, Televised Golf) and, in waves, a boredom like you’ve never known will wash over you and just about kill you. Ride these out, and it’s like stepping from black and white into color. Like water after days in the desert. Instant bliss in every atom.
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