Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
The quote questions whether birth itself is a crime or sin, implying a deep existential guilt.
In plain terms
Why do we feel guilty just for being alive?
What can you take from it?
Reflect on the inherent weight of existence.

Where it applies

  • philosophical reflection
  • existential crisis
  • theological debate

Putting it to work

  • journaling about purpose
  • discussing ethics of life
  • exploring nihilism

Questions to consider

  • Does existence require justification?
  • Is life a burden or a gift?

Another view

It assumes birth carries moral weight which many find unfounded.

More from Alphonse de Lamartine

  1. Our only truth is our sorrow.

    Permalink to quote #17

  2. God is nothing but a dream word, in order to explain the existence of the world.

    Permalink to quote #19

  3. There is a woman at the begining of all great things.

    Permalink to quote #16

Related quotes

  1. We are sinful not only because we have eaten of the Tree of Knowledge, but also because we have not yet eaten of the Tree of Life. The state in which we are is…

    Franz KafkaFranz Kafka quote #47

  2. Appealing to his Einstein's way of expressing himself in theological terms, I said: If God had wanted to put everything into the universe from the beginning, H…

    Karl PopperKarl Popper quote #6

  3. Pues el delito mayor Del hombre es haber nacido.

    Pedro Calderon de la BarcaPedro Calderon de la Barca quote #6