This succinct statement by Samuel Beckett emphasizes the permanence of fundamental truths or core aspects of existence despite the flux of external circumstances. The word "essential" suggests an underlying reality or principle that remains constant over time. In Beckett's work, which often explores themes of absurdity, human suffering, and existential persistence, this quote reflects a recognition that while the surface of life may be chaotic and unpredictable, the basic nature of human experience or existence remains unchanged. It invites reflection on what elements of life are truly immutable, encouraging readers to look beyond transient appearances to grasp deeper, enduring realities.
In an age marked by rapid technological advances, social shifts, and constant innovation, Samuel Beckett’s assertion reminds us that core human experiences and values remain constant. Despite changing tools, trends, or contexts, fundamental aspects like empathy, the search for meaning, and personal connection persist. This perspective encourages us to focus on what truly matters amidst the noise of modern life, grounding us in timeless truths as we navigate contemporary challenges.
“The essential is never to arrive anywhere, never to be anywhere. The essential is to go on squirming forever at the edge of the line, as long as there are waters and banks and ravening in heaven a sporting God to plague his creature, per pro his chosen shits. I've swallowed three hooks and am still hungry. Hence the howls. What a joy to know where one is, and where one will stay, without being there. Nothing to do but strech out comfortably on the rack, in the blissful knowledge you are nobody for eternity.”
“To be always what I am - and so changed from what I was.”
“I've got my faults, but changing my tune isn't one of them.”
“To have been always what I am - and so changed from what I was.”
“It took me a long time, my lifetime so to speak, to realise that the colour of an eye half seen, or the source of some distant sound, are closer to Giudecca in the hell of unknowing than the existence of God, or the origins of protoplasm, or the eistence of self, and even less worthy than these to occupy the wise, It's a bit much, a lifetime, to achieve this consoling conclusion, it doesn't leave you much time to profit by it.”
“I could die today, if I wished, merely by making a little effort, if I could wish, if I could make an effort. But it is just as well to let myself die, quietly, without rushing things. Something must have changed. I will not weigh upon the balance any more, one way or the other.”