I asked her to look at me and after a few moments - (pause) - after a few moments she did, but the eyes just slits, because of the glare I bent over her to get them in the shadow and they opened. (Pause. Low) Let me in.
Samuel BeckettRead
It is useless not to seek, not to want, for when you cease to seek you start to find, and when you cease to want, then life begins to ram her fish and chips down your gullet until you puke, and then the puke down your gullet until you puke the puke, and then the puked puke until you begin to like it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that the act of seeking and wanting is essential for a vibrant life; without it, life becomes overwhelming and unpleasant.
Samuel Beckett's quote highlights the significance of desire and pursuit in life. It implies that when individuals stop seeking what they want, they become passive and accept whatever life brings, leading to an unhealthy state where they may endure unpleasant experiences without any joy. The metaphor of being force-fed and ultimately becoming desensitized represents how one can lose their zest for life when they stop striving for personal fulfillment.
Themes
SeekingWantingLifeDesireExperienceFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing one’s dreams, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of seeking and wanting.
More from Samuel Beckett
All quotes →Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It's awful.
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I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.
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And what I have, what I am, is enough, was always enough for me, and as far as my dear little sweet little future is concerned I have no qualms, I have a good time coming.
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I love order. It's my dream. A world where all would be silent and still, and each thing in its last place, under the last dust.
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We lose our hair, our teeth! Our bloom, our ideals.
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