Friday, December 18, 2009

Meandering in futility . . .

Today is the birthday of Peter Wessel Zapffe (December 18, 1899-October 12, 1990), philosopher, author and mountaineer.

"Each new generation asks – What is the meaning of life? A more fertile way of putting the question would be – Why does man need a meaning to life?" - Peter Wessel Zapffe

"Man is a tragic animal. Not because of his smallness, but because he is too well endowed. Man has longings and spiritual demands that reality cannot fulfill. We have expectations of a just and moral world. Man requires meaning in a meaningless world." - Peter Wessel Zapffe

"If one regards life and death as natural processes, the metaphysical dread vanishes, and one obtains peace of mind." - Peter Wessel Zapffe

Zapffe image source (1)

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