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
Each of us is born with a share of purity, predestined to be corrupted by our commerce with mankind, by that sin against solitude.
Interpretation
We are all born inherently pure but are tainted by our interactions with others and the loss of solitude.
Emile M. Cioran reflects on the innate purity humans possess at birth, suggesting that this purity is gradually compromised through social interactions and the distractions of societal life. The phrase 'sin against solitude' implies that abandoning solitude leads to a loss of our true essence, as constant engagement with others can lead us away from our original, untainted selves.
In practice
In a philosophical discussion about the nature of humanity, this quote can highlight the tension between purity and corruption.
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.
This is what I mean by becoming religious: no guilt, no ego, no trip of any kind...just being herenow...being with the trees and the birds and the rivers and the mountains and the stars.
I believe there is something of the divine mystery in everything that exists. We can see it sparkle in a sunflower or a poppy. We sense more of the unfathomable mystery in a butterfly that flutters from a twig--or in a goldfish swimming in a bowl. But we are closest to God in our own soul. Only there can we become one with the greatest mystery of life. In truth, at very rare moments we can experience that we ourselves are that divine mystery.
When feminism falls short of our expectations, we decide the problem is with feminism rather than with the flawed people who act in the name of the movement.
The world is for thousands a freak show; the images flicker past and vanish; the impressions remain flat and unconnected in the soul. Thus they are easily led by the opinions of others, are content to let their impressions be shuffled and rearranged and evaluated differently.
Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises, for never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing.
I remember a time when a cabbage could sell itself by being a cabbage. Nowadays itβs no good being a cabbage β unless you have an agent and pay him a commission. Nothing is free anymore to sell itself or give itself away. These days, Countess, every cabbage has its pimp.
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