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
Where are my sensations? They have melted into... me, and what is this me, this self, but the sum of these evaporated sensations?
Interpretation
This quote explores the relationship between sensations and the concept of self, suggesting that our identity is shaped by our experiences.
Emile M. Cioran's quote delves into the introspective notion that our individual identity, or 'self', is fundamentally constructed from our sensations and experiences. By stating that these sensations have melted into the self, he implies that the essence of who we are is not a fixed entity but rather a fluid amalgamation of our lived experiences, emotions, and perceptions, highlighting the transient nature of identity and existence.
In practice
In a discussion about personal identity at a philosophy club meeting.
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.
We are afraid of the enormity of the possible.
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.
A marvel that has nothing to offer, democracy is at once a nation's paradise and its tomb.
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.
It is not worth the bother of killing yourself, since you always kill yourself too late.
Americans are a very backward people, with all the real virtues of a backward people; the patriarchal simplicity and human dignity of a democracy, and a respect for labor uncorrupted by cynicism.
If we have been pleased with life, we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hand of the same master.
I looked back at the summit of the mountain, which seemed but a cubit high in comparison with the height of human contemplation, were in not too often merged in the corruptions of the earth.
Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
It is easier to sail many thousand miles through cold and storm and cannibals, ina government ship, with five hundred men and boys to assist one, than it is to explore the private sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean of one's being alone.
Therefore another prologue must tell he is not a lion
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