quote · Legacy record
In my youth once when I had a really exquisite toothache I suddenly realized that my tooth had temporarily become the centre of the universe that its outcries were more important than anything else and that I would do absolutely anything to placate it. And as one gets older and starts worrying about cancer one becomes more and more conscious of the fragility of the whole body and with that consciousness comes a new and degrading kind of fear. It is degrading because it strengthens the desire to survive on any terms and the desire to survive on any terms is the most base of all our instincts.
In my youth once when I had a really exquisite toothache I suddenly realized that my tooth had temporarily become the centre of the universe that its outcries were more important than anything else and that I would do absolutely anything to placate it. And as one gets older and starts worrying about cancer one becomes more and more conscious of the fragility of the whole body and with that consciousness comes a new and degrading kind of fear. It is degrading because it strengthens the desire to survive on any terms and the desire to survive on any terms is the most base of all our instincts.
Historical period not yet established
Meaning not yet available
An individual explanation has not yet been added. We do not substitute a generic description for an interpretation of these particular words.
Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Otto Friedrich
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided quotation collection
Supplied reference C; CSV row 410233; supplied attribution, independently unverified
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.