“I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our more stupid melancholy propensities, for is there anything more stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly throw away, to loathe one’s very being and yet to hold it fast, to fondle the snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?”
This powerful reflection on suffering and survival comes from the sharp mind of Voltaire. He was a leading figure of the French Enlightenment. The quote captures a profound paradox of the human condition. It explores our ability to endure immense pain while still clinging desperately to life. However, to truly understand its depth, we must look at its origin. The quote appears in Voltaire’s masterwork of satire, Candide, ou l’Optimisme.
The Voice of a Survivor: Context in Candide
Voltaire does not speak these words himself in the novel. Instead, he gives them to a character known only as the “Old Woman.” She shares her tragic life story in Chapter 12. Her history is a catalog of horrors. She was born a princess but suffered war, rape, slavery, and even cannibalism. After recounting these unimaginable trials, she makes this startling confession about her persistent love for life.
This context is crucial. The statement comes from someone who has every reason to despair. Yet, she does not. The Old Woman’s experience serves as a direct rebuttal to the novel’s main satirical target. That target is the optimistic philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. The character Pangloss ridiculously parrots this philosophy, claiming everything happens for the best in “the best of all possible worlds.” The Old Woman’s story demonstrates the absurdity of such a belief when faced with real, brutal suffering.
Unpacking the Philosophical Weight
The quote dissects a fundamental, if illogical, human trait. The Old Woman calls the will to live a “ridiculous weakness” and a “stupid melancholy propensity.” She questions the logic of carrying a burden you wish to discard. Furthermore, she uses the vivid metaphor of fondling a snake that devours you. This imagery powerfully conveys the self-destructive yet deeply ingrained nature of our attachment to life, no matter how painful it becomes.
Voltaire uses this moment to explore themes that would later become central to existentialist thought. He highlights the conflict between our desire for meaning and the often chaotic, cruel reality of the world. The quote suggests that our instinct to survive is not based on reason or logic. Instead, it is an innate, powerful force that defies easy explanation. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, even when that resilience seems foolish.
Voltaire’s Satirical Genius
Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet, was a master of satire. Source He used wit and irony to critique the political and religious institutions of his time. His work championed reason, freedom of speech, and tolerance. In Candide, he takes aim at blind optimism that ignores the evidence of human suffering.
The Old Woman’s quote is a perfect example of his method. It is simultaneously tragic and darkly humorous. It forces the reader to confront an uncomfortable truth about their own nature. We are all, in some way, fondling the snake that devours us. We find reasons to continue even when circumstances seem hopeless. This contradiction is not a flaw to be fixed but a core part of what makes us human. Consequently, the quote has resonated with readers for centuries, offering a strange comfort in its honest portrayal of our shared struggle.