Anyone who cannot come to terms with his life while he is alive needs one hand to ward off a little his despair over his fate... but with his other hand he can note down what he sees among the ruins.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Kafka describes coping with despair by protecting oneself while still documenting the brokenness of reality.
- In plain terms
- Protect yourself from hope but still write down what you see in the destruction.
- What can you take from it?
- Documenting ruins can coexist with self-preservation.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you handle despair?
- What do you document in ruins?
Another view
It assumes everyone has the capacity to write while facing despair.
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