Self pity is easily the most destructive of the non-pharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.
John GardnerRead
i understand that the world was nothing: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. i understood that, finally and absolutely, i alone exist. all the rest, i saw, is merely what pushes me, or what i push against, blindly - as blindly as all that is not myself pushes back. i create the whole universe, blink by blink.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the nature of existence and the individual's role in shaping their own reality amidst a chaotic world.
In this quote, John Gardner articulates a profound philosophical perspective on existence, suggesting that the world is inherently chaotic and devoid of intrinsic meaning, driven by conflict and enmity. He implies that true understanding comes from recognizing one's own solitary existence and the creative power one possesses in defining their reality, emphasizing the individual's role in navigating and interpreting the universe, moment by moment.
Themes
ExistenceChaosIndividualityRealityCreation
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy class discussing existentialism.
More from John Gardner
All quotes →Fiction does not spring into the world fully grown, like Athena. It is the process of writing and rewriting that makes a fiction original, if not profound.
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...ultimately it come down to, are you making or are you destroying? If you try very hard to create ways of living, create dreams of what is possible, then you win. If you don't, you may make a fortune in ten years, but you're not going to be read in twenty years, and that's that.
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We read five words on the first page of a really good novel and we begin to forget that we are reading printed words on a page; we begin to see images.
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They watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction. 'Poor Grendel's had an accident,' I whisper. 'So may you all.
John GardnerRead
The true artist plays mad with his soul, labors at the very lip of the volcano, but remembers and clings to his purpose, which is as strong as the dream. He is not someone possessed, like Cassandra, but a passionate, easily tempted explorer who fully intends to get home again, like Odysseus.
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