Irvin D. Yalom Quotes

An intention that rejects what has no meaning in fact is a rejection of the entirety of being.

For many, to live in a universe that may have no purpose, and no creator, is unthinkable.

The fact we exist merely means we exist. That's all it means.

I want to know why the universe exists, why there is something greater than nothing.

The fact that life has no meaning is a reason to live - moreover, the only one.

The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless.

The greatest mystery of existence is existence itself.

If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

Meaning is man-created. And because you constantly look for meaning, you start to feel meaninglessness.

If nothing had any meaning, you would be right. But there is something that still has a meaning.

Is it possible that existence is our exile and nothingness our home?

The purpose of existence is to exist. It is too fantastic to have a meaning.

Well, what I don't get is why do we exist? I don't mean how, but why.' I watched the fireflies of his thoughts orbit his head. He said, 'we exist because we exist. . .we could imagine all sorts of universes like this one, but this is the one that happened.

I think life's an irrational obsession.

The meaning of the universe lies outside the universe.

The deeper the experience of an absence of meaning - in other words, of absurdity - the more energetically meaning is sought.

Nothing proves that we are more than nothing.

I don't think that people accept the fact that life doesn't make sense. I think it makes people terribly uncomfortable. It seems like religion and myth were invented against that, trying to make sense out of it.

Life has to be given a meaning because of the obvious fact that it has no meaning.

To watch King Lear is to approach the recognition that there is indeed no meaning in life, and that there are limits to human understanding.

We don't understand why we're here, no one's giving us an answer, religion is vague, your parents can't help because they're just people, and it's all terrible, and there's no meaning to anything.

When I was young I read 'L'Etranger' by Camus, and it made me aware of the strangeness of life.

At any street corner the feeling of absurdity can strike any man in the face.

The thing that is incredible is life itself. Why should we be here in this sun-illuminated universe? Why should there be green earth under our feet?