All events became omens; I lost the ability to take anything literally.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The narrator interprets every event as a warning or sign of something else.
- In plain terms
- Every event seems like a bad sign to the narrator.
- What can you take from it?
- Over-interpreting events can make normal life seem dangerous.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How much do you read into small details?
- Can you distinguish signal from noise?
Another view
This describes a state of mental distress rather than a practical philosophy.
More from Douglas Coupland
Starved for affection, terrified of abandonment, I began to wonder if sex was really just an excuse to look deeply into another human being's eyes.
Permalink to quote #3 ... after you're dead and buried and floating around whatever place we go to, what's going to be your best memory of Earth ? ... What moment for you defines wh…
Permalink to quote #5 McJob : A low-pay, low-prestige, low-dignity, low-benefit, no-future job in the service sector. Frequently considered a satisfying career choice by people who …
Permalink to quote #2
Related quotes
My soul is full of whispered song,- My blindness is my sight; The shadows that I feared so long Are full of life and light.
Alice CaryAlice Cary quote #1 The Forsytes were resentful of something, not individually, but as a family; this resentment expressed itself in an added perfection of raiment, an exuberance …
John GalsworthyJohn Galsworthy quote #2 You may say you attained some stage in your practice. But that is just a trivial event in your long life. It is like saying the ocean is round, or like a jewel…
Shunryu SuzukaShunryu Suzuka quote #3