"Pleasure only starts once the worm has got into the fruit, to become delightful happiness must be tainted with poison"
- Georges Bataille
About this Quote
This quote by Georges Bataille recommends that real satisfaction and joy can just be experienced when it is accompanied by a certain degree of pain or suffering. The metaphor of the worm entering the fruit is used to illustrate this concept, as the worm is a sign of something undesirable or unfavorable. The quote suggests that without the existence of something unfavorable, pleasure and happiness would be dull and unfulfilling.
Bataille's quote suggests that in order to genuinely appreciate the good things in life, one must also want to accept the bad. It indicates that the existence of discomfort or suffering can in fact boost the experience of satisfaction and joy, as it provides a contrast and makes the positive aspects of life more significant. This idea is often seen in the concept of yin and yang, which specifies that the 2 opposing forces of light and dark need to be in balance in order to achieve consistency.
In conclusion, Georges Bataille's quote suggests that pleasure and happiness can only be experienced when it is accompanied by a certain degree of pain or suffering. It indicates that without the existence of something unfavorable, satisfaction and happiness would be dull and unfulfilling.
"The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and of wisdom"