"If we are suffering illness, poverty, or misfortune, we think we shall be satisfied on the day it ceases. But there too, we know it is false; so soon as one has got used to not suffering one wants something else"
- Simone Weil
About this Quote
Simone Weil's quote explores the human condition and our continuous pursuit of fulfillment. At its core, the quote recommends that suffering, whether brought on by health problem, poverty, or misery, is typically viewed as an obstacle to happiness. Individuals typically think that as soon as this suffering is relieved, contentment will naturally follow. In this view, the cessation of discomfort becomes associated with the attainment of happiness.
However, Weil argues that this belief is essentially flawed. She asserts that once we end up being accustomed to a life without suffering-- when health problem is recovered, hardship is eased, or misery is overcome-- we discover ourselves dissatisfied once again, yearning for something new. This observation highlights an important element of human nature: the propensity towards perpetual frustration and the pressing nature of human desire.
Weil's insight recommends that the absence of suffering doesn't correspond to joy due to the fact that human desires are ever-evolving. When instant requirements and challenges are fixed, brand-new desires emerge to fill deep space. This cycle produces a ruthless pursuit of something 'more' or 'better', suggesting that complete satisfaction is transient and frequently evasive.
Furthermore, Weil's reflection can be translated as a commentary on the short-term nature of joy. By understanding that desires continually shift, one may consider that true contentment might develop from an approval of this perpetual state of desiring rather than from the fulfillment of particular requirements.
In doing so, Weil's quote obstacles readers to reconsider how they conceive joy and satisfaction. It recommends the significance of seeking contentment not through the obliteration of suffering or the simple build-up of desires, but through a more profound understanding and acceptance of the human condition. This perspective motivates a shift in focus from external circumstances to internal understanding and acceptance, highlighting an existential approach to discovering meaning and complete satisfaction in life.
This quote is written / told by Simone Weil between February 3, 1909 and August 24, 1943. He/she was a famous Philosopher from France.
The author also have 65 other quotes.
"My sorrow, when she's here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane"
"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time"
