Michel Houellebecq

world outside rules human

"The world outside had its own rules, and those rules were not human."

— Michel Houellebecq

like world society disgust advertising sick computer puke

"I don't like this world. I definitely do not like it. The society in which I live disgusts me; advertising sickens me; computers make me puke."

— Michel Houellebecq

tenderness instinct seduction hope

"Tenderness is a deeper instinct than seduction, which is why it is so hard to give up hope."

— Michel Houellebecq

present veer belief chance evidence determinism

"When we think about the present, we veer wildly between the belief in chance and the evidence in favour of determinism. When we think about the past, however, it seems obvious that everything happened in the way that it was intended."

— Michel Houellebecq

terrorist France habit

"You get used to terrorist attacks. France will hold on. The French will hold on, without even needing a 'sursaut national,' a national pushback reflex. They’ll hold on because there’s no other way, and because you get used to everything. No human force, not even fear, is stronger than habit."

— Michel Houellebecq

curious idea reproduce like life

"It's a curious idea to reproduce when you don't even like life."

— Michel Houellebecq

anything happen life nothing

"Anything can happen in life, especially nothing."

— Michel Houellebecq

irony save humour life laughing heart broken life

"Irony won't save you from anything; humour doesn't do anything at all. You can look at life ironically for years, maybe decades; there are people who seem to go through most of their lives seeing the funny side, but in the end, life always breaks your heart. Doesn't matter how brave you are, or how reserved, or how much you've developed a sense of humour, you still end up with your heart broken. That's when you stop laughing."

— Michel Houellebecq

life illusion painful

"If life is an illusion it's a pretty painful one."

— Michel Houellebecq

americans stupid intellectual level country Europe

"The Americans are completely stupid. The intellectual level in any single European country is higher than in America."

— Michel Houellebecq

read books dangerous live life risk

"Not having anything around to read is dangerous: you have to content yourself with life itself, and that can lead you to take risks."

— Michel Houellebecq

male female age categories distinction pendantry hierarchy

"Of course, we can distinguish between males and females; we can also, if we choose, distinguish between different age categories; but any more advanced distinction comes close to pedantry, probably a result of boredom. A creature that is bored elaborates distinctions and hierarchies. According to Hutchinson and Rawlins, the development of systems of hierarchical dominance within animal societies does not correspond to any practical necessity, nor to any selective advantage; it simply constitutes a means of combating the crushing boredom of life in the heart of nature."

— Michel Houellebecq

popular mistake

"Why am I popular? I don't know. Is it a mistake? I should think it's a mistake somewhere."

— Michel Houellebecq

active people change world ideas Napoleon Rousseau

"Active people don't change the world profoundly; ideas do. Napoleon is less important in world history than Jean-Jacques Rousseau."

— Michel Houellebecq

ask question point change mind

"There is no point in asking me general questions because I am always changing my mind."

— Michel Houellebecq

suspicious single men vacation selfish pervers pervy

"People are suspicious of single men on vacation, after they get to a certain age: they assume that they're selfish, and probably a bit pervy. I can't say they're wrong."

— Michel Houellebecq

people understand hidden heart alcohol

“It’s hard to understand other people, to know what’s hidden in their hearts, and without the assistance of alcohol it might never be done at all.”

— Michel Houellebecq

past beautiful future present hurts suffer infinite happiness pe

“The past is always beautiful. So, for that matter, is the future. Only the present hurts, and we carry it around like an abscess of suffering, our compassion between two infinities of happiness and peace.”

— Michel Houellebecq

realations people sense ourself unbearable

“It is in our relations with other people that we gain a sense of ourselves; it's that, pretty much, that makes relations with other people unbearable.”

— Michel Houellebecq

beds last marriage

“...beds last on an average much longer than marriages...”

— Michel Houellebecq