Living is a sickness to which sleep provides relief every sixteen hours. It's a palliative. The remedy is death

Living is a sickness to which sleep provides relief every sixteen hours. It's a palliative. The remedy is death

Nicolas Chamfort, a French writer and playwright known for his wit and cynicism, once famously said, “Living is a sickness to which sleep provides relief every sixteen hours. It's a palliative. The remedy is death.” This quote encapsulates Chamfort’s dark and pessimistic view of life, highlighting the idea that existence itself is a burden from which we can only find temporary respite in sleep.

Chamfort’s words suggest that life is inherently painful and exhausting, with sleep serving as a necessary escape from the trials and tribulations of being alive. By comparing sleep to a palliative, he implies that it is a temporary remedy that provides relief but does not cure the underlying sickness of existence. In this view, death is seen as the ultimate solution to the suffering of life, offering a permanent release from the struggles and hardships that come with being alive.

Chamfort’s perspective on life as a sickness is reflective of his own experiences and observations of the world around him. Born in the 18th century, he lived through a time of great social and political upheaval in France, witnessing the injustices and inequalities that plagued society. His writings often reflect a deep sense of disillusionment with human nature and the world in which he lived, leading him to adopt a cynical and fatalistic outlook on life.

Despite the bleakness of his words, Chamfort’s quote also carries a certain poetic beauty and truth. It speaks to the universal human experience of grappling with the challenges and uncertainties of existence, and the desire for peace and rest from the struggles of everyday life. In this sense, his words resonate with anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the weight of their own existence and longed for a reprieve from the burdens of living.