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Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

“But I ask you to consider whether these great unhappiness did not rather pass through you. Whether much within you has not changed, whether somewhere, in some part of your being, you were not transformed while you were unhappy?”

Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke

Author

Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke

German poet known for his profound poetry and epistolary works. Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry style is unique, often exploring themes such as loneliness, love, and religious faith. more

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“What about happiness? What about joy? What about passion? These are the intangible aspects of life that can't be obtained through a mere piece of paper. There are individuals who continue to exist merely because they fear death. They are often told that their true aspirations are unattainable. They are told that pursuing their dreams won't provide sufficient monetary rewards, won't cultivate good morals, and won't guarantee a secure future. But is that all we desire? Is our sole purpose to study until the end of our days? It appears that all we do is engage in education, yet we fail to grasp the bigger picture. To truly live is to experience happiness, not just to accumulate wealth or strive for a secure future. It's about having the freedom to pursue our desires and ambitions. We have our entire lives to reach that point. However, we must acknowledge that our futures can never be entirely secure, as everything can change in an instant.”

“My friend (and ex-lover) Nicole says I’m just a restless soul. My barhopping friend Mark thinks it’s just a premature middle-age crisis; I just celebrated my 33rd birthday last week, after all. I have another theory. It’s not original, so I can’t call it the James Garraty Theory of Life. Want to hear it? Here goes. No matter how old you get, how affluent or successful you become, you’ll never outrun the ghosts of your past. Particularly the ghosts of your adolescence. Put simply, you can graduate from high school, but your soul will never leave that place.”