"Happiness consumes itself like a flame. It cannot burn for ever, it must go out, and the presentiment of its end destroys it at its very peak"

Happiness, as Strindberg suggests, is inherently ephemeral and self-limiting, much like a flame that uses up its own fuel. Its intense and radiant quality contains the seeds of its own conclusion; the very process of burning brightly ensures that all that sustains the flame will be consumed. This analogy reveals a paradox within the human experience of joy: the moments at which we feel most alive can also evoke a subtle anxiety, an awareness that fulfillment cannot last.

The metaphor of the flame emphasizes impermanence, illustrating how happiness is not a state that can be preserved indefinitely but is instead a transitory experience. As it burns, it moves closer to being extinguished, and the knowledge of its mortality detracts from its intensity. Strindberg introduces the idea of ‘presentiment’, an intuitive sense of impending loss, that transforms pure happiness into a bittersweet emotion. Even at happiness’s zenith, an underlying fear or sorrow emerges, a sense that the higher we soar, the further we have to fall.

This perspective challenges common aspirations for stable, lasting contentment, suggesting that the quest itself might undermine the very experience we pursue. Human consciousness, with its tendency to look ahead or worry about what comes next, interrupts our ability to remain in the moment. The anticipation of happiness’s end, the reminder that good moments are finite, sows seeds of doubt and nostalgia before the experience can fully flower. As a result, happiness is seldom experienced in its purest form; instead, it is shadowed and ultimately eroded by an awareness of time and transience.

Strindberg’s insight is both melancholic and honest. It encourages us to reflect on our attitudes toward happiness and perhaps to shift our focus, not to prolong the flame, but to appreciate its beauty without fearing its inevitable extinguishing.