“Man is out of nature and hopelessly in it; he is dual, up in the stars and yet housed in a heart-pumping, breath-gasping body that once belonged to a fish and still carries the gill-marks to prove it. His body is a material fleshy casing that is alien to him in many ways—the strangest and most repugnant way being that it aches and bleeds and will decay and die. Man is literally split in two: he has an awareness of his own splendid uniqueness in that he sticks out of nature with atowering majesty, and yet he goes back into the ground a few feet in order blindly and dumbly to rot and disappear forever.”
― The Denial of Death
― The Denial of Death
“My own opinion is enough for me, and I claim the right to have it defended against any consensus, any majority, anywhere, any place, any time. And anyone who disagrees with this can pick a number, get in line, and kiss my ass.”
―
―
“The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”
―
―
“Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the 'transcendent' and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don't be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.”
― Letters to a Young Contrarian
― Letters to a Young Contrarian
Existential Book Club
— 1453 members
— last activity Dec 02, 2025 09:59AM
This a book club for anybody interested in reading existentialist literature and fiction. Every month I'll be putting up a new text either by an exist ...more
Franz Kafka
— 447 members
— last activity Mar 31, 2025 04:16AM
Franz Kafka's most famous works: The Metamorphosis, The Trial, The Castle, ... ...more
Political Philosophy and Ethics
— 6130 members
— last activity 22 hours, 51 min ago
Study and discussion of the important questions of ethical and political philosophy from Confucius and Socrates to the present. Rules (see also the ...more
Goodreads Librarians Group
— 302614 members
— last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Altayeb’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Altayeb’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Altayeb
Lists liked by Altayeb




















































