What a test that is: more than devotion, admiration, passion. If you long and long for someoneβs company you love them.
Iris MurdochRead
The notion that one will not survive a particular catastrophe is, in general terms, a comfort since it is equivalent to abolishing the catastrophe.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Believing that a catastrophe will not affect you can provide a sense of comfort, as it removes the fear of its occurrence.
Iris Murdoch's quote suggests that the human mind often seeks comfort in the idea that certain disasters can be avoided or will not impact one's existence. This mental state acts as a psychological mechanism to cope with fear and anxiety, thus allowing individuals to find solace in the thought of not facing overwhelming hardships, ultimately illustrating the power of perception in shaping our experience of reality.
Themes
ComfortCatastropheSurvivalPerceptionPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about facing fears, one might use this quote to illustrate how belief shapes our emotions.
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Perhaps when distant people on other planets pick up some wavelength of ours all they hear is a continuous scream.
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