The premonition of madness is complicated by the fear of lucidity in madness, the fear of the moments of return and reunion... One would welcome chaos if one were not afraid of lights in it.
Emile M. CioranRead
My mission is to kill time, and time's to kill me in its turn. How comfortable one is among murderers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the paradox of time and existence, illustrating a mutual relationship between humans and the relentless march of time.
Emile M. Cioran's quote delves into the existential struggle between humans and time, portraying time as an inevitability that both consumes and is used by individuals. It suggests a peculiar comfort in the acknowledgment of this relationship, likening it to the presence of murderers, where the act of killing time becomes a shared experience among those who are aware of their own mortality and the fleeting nature of life.
Themes
TimeExistencePhilosophyMortalityHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be referenced in a philosophical discussion about the nature of time and existence.
More from Emile M. Cioran
All quotes βWe are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
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There was a time when time did not yet exist. β¦ The rejection of birth is nothing but the nostalgia for this time before time.
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A marvel that has nothing to offer, democracy is at once a nation's paradise and its tomb.
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Paradise was unendurable, otherwise the first man would have adapted to it; this world is no less so, since here we regret paradise or anticipate another one. What to do? Where to go? Do nothing and go nowhere, easy enough.
Emile M. CioranRead
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Emile M. CioranRead
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