Hope is a bad thing. It means that you are not what you want to be. It means that part of you is dead, if not all of you. It means that you entertain illusions. It's a sort of spiritual clap, I should say.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Miller criticizes hope as a sign of dissatisfaction and illusion. He suggests that hoping means you are not fully alive or present.
- In plain terms
- Hope means you are not happy with your current situation.
- What can you take from it?
- Live fully without relying on hope.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Are you content?
- Does hope hold you back?
Another view
Hope can sometimes provide necessary motivation.
More from Henry Miller
The trouble with Buddhism ?-- in order to free oneself of all desire, one has to desire to do so.
Permalink to quote #41 Every man has his own destiny: The only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.
Permalink to quote #43 The artist who becomes thoroughly aware consequently ceases to be one.
Permalink to quote #40
Related quotes
Es gibt noch ein anderes, besseres Leben.
August von KotzebueAugust von Kotzebue quote #1 Inde fit ut raro, qui se vixisse beatum dicat et exacto contentus tempore vita cedat uti conviva satur, reperire queamus.
HoraceHorace quote #1 When a glass sits on a table here, people don't wonder if it's half filled or half empty. They just hope it's good beer.
Sherman AlexieSherman Alexie quote #1