Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
One must fully confront their own absurdity to move past it; avoidance is impossible.
In plain terms
You have to hit the bottom of your confusion before you can see clearly again.
What can you take from it?
Face your lowest points directly to find a way forward.

Where it applies

  • personal crisis
  • philosophical reflection
  • mental health struggles

Putting it to work

  • journaling about fears
  • seeking therapy
  • meditation

Questions to consider

  • What is your current absurdity?
  • How have you avoided hard truths?

Another view

Sometimes reaching the lowest point is dangerous without support.

More from Vaclav Havel

  1. I think theatre should always be somewhat suspect.

    Permalink to quote #31
  2. The role of the writer is not simply to arrange Being according to his own lights; he must also serve as a medium to Being and remain open to its often unfatho…

    Permalink to quote #33
  3. Anyone who takes himself too seriously always runs the risk of looking ridiculous; anyone who can consistently laugh at himself does not.

    Permalink to quote #30

Related quotes

  1. There is not love of life without despair about life.

    Albert CamusAlbert Camus quote #9
  2. There do exist enquiring minds, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of th…

    G. I. GurdjieffG. I. Gurdjieff quote #13
  3. My life has been one long series of mistakes.

    Shunryu SuzukaShunryu Suzuka quote #16