“The secret of a full life is to live and relate to others as if they might not be there tomorrow, as if you might not be there tomorrow. It eliminates the vice of procrastination, the sin of postponement, failed communications, failed communions. This thought has made me more and more attentive to all encounters, meetings, introductions, which might contain the seed of depth that might be carelessly overlooked. This feeling has become a rarity, and rarer every day now that we have reached a hastier and more superficial rhythm, now that we believe we are in touch with a greater amount of people, more people, more countries. This is the illusion which might cheat us of being in touch deeply with the one breathing next to us. The dangerous time when mechanical voices, radios, telephones, take the place of human intimacies, and the concept of being in touch with millions brings a greater and greater poverty in intimacy and human vision.”
— Anaïs Nin, May 1946.
And this coming from Nin in 1946. “…Hastier and more superficial rhythm.” “…we believe we are in touch…” illusion of being in touch deeply.” “…mechanical voices take the place of human intimacies…”
What would she say about us today?
Anaïs Nin (1903 – 1977) was an American author born to Spanish-Cuban parents in Neuilly, France, where she was also raised. Her father, Joaquín Nin, was a Cuban pianist and composer, when he met her mother Rosa Culmell, a classically trained singer of French and Danish descent who was working in Cuba. Nin lived most of her life in the United States where she became an established author. She published journals (which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death), novels, critical studies, essays and short stories. Anaïs Nin is perhaps best remembered as a diarist. Her journals, which span several decades, provide a deeply explorative insight into her personal life and relationships. Nin was acquainted, often quite intimately, with a number of prominent authors, artists, psychoanalysts, and other figures, and wrote of them often. (Source: Wiki)
Credits: Quote – thepoetoaster. Image: The Anais Nin Blog
She was prescient…we have had generations leap-frog over the fundamentals of building relationships, encouraging messages in 140 characters and acronyms in lieu of gazing into another’s eyes and listening to his/her speak. We reach many and touch fewer and fewer..
For whatever it’s worth, I attribute it to the exuberance associated with creating newer and better and faster and ultimately we adjust to the middle. Before doing it all over again.
Yes, prescient. (Had to look it up.) def. “having or showing knowledge of events before they take place: a prescient warning.” You are out of the gate at 5:38 leading the charge. On point Mimi.
wow
Great, right!?
and yet this quote touches us through a mechanical voice
Genius. And here lies the paradox. Believe F. Scott Fitzgerald said:
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
I’ve got the ideas. Whether I have the ability to function is the real question. 🙂
ha!
Prescient….precisely the word that sprang to my mind when I read this. Followed by sad. As Mimi said, theconnectivity that prevails in our world today is truly a double-edged sword…
Yes. Yet I choose to take the connectivity as a huge welcome addition. I wouldn’t have found you otherwise!
Awesome blog! Thanks so much. xo
Thank you
Thank you so much David.
I really like the words of Anais Nin. This post reminds me of an earlier post of yours. I can’t remember which one it was, but it was something about being truly present in the company of another person. Those of us who try harder at this, and it’s not even a difficult thing to do, will gain the most from this life…that is what I believe. It has become an easy thing to overlook with the way our world has become. We simply need to try harder and not forget the humanness, the love, the heart of each being in our lives.
Believe (not sure) this is the post you were referencing. http://davidkanigan.com/2013/07/14/let-them-relax-into-you/
My initial reaction was (OMG), I’m beginning to repeat myself. 🙂
And so true, I need to try harder at this. Much harder.
Yes, David, that was the one… 🙂
She was so wise. She also said we don’t see things as they are. We see things as we are. Good morning, David. Have a beautiful week.
She was Lynne (wise). So true as to how we see things (as we are and not as they are.) Your comment one, led to my share this morning on the Impostor Syndrome. Similar story…http://davidkanigan.com/2013/08/13/the-impostor-syndrome/
Have a great week Lynne.
Good reminders!
Yes…
There is no tomorrow, only this moment. She is right..
And way ahead of her time…
She said that before our independence (14th Aug’1947) umm makes me think about the question you pointed out, “What would she say about us today?”
Yes, it so resonated for me as well.