Above all, we must abolish hope in the heart of man. A calm despair, without angry convulsions, without reproaches to read more

Above all, we must abolish hope in the heart of man. A calm despair, without angry convulsions, without reproaches to Heaven, is the essence of wisdom.

But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.

But what we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.

Despair is like forward children, who, when you take away one of their playthings, throw the rest into the fire read more

Despair is like forward children, who, when you take away one of their playthings, throw the rest into the fire for madness. It grows angry with itself, turns its own executioner, and revenges its misfortunes on its own head.

Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair

Never despair; but if you do, work on in despair

Discomfort guides my tongue
And bids me speak of nothing but despair.

Discomfort guides my tongue
And bids me speak of nothing but despair.

It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire, and many things to fear.

It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire, and many things to fear.

O that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or read more

O that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.

There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when read more

There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope.

All my life I believed I knew something. But then one strange day came when I realized that I knew read more

All my life I believed I knew something. But then one strange day came when I realized that I knew nothing, yes, I knew nothing. And so words became void of meaning. I have arrived too late at ultimate uncertainty.