“ while you know what you are living for, you live for the sake ofsome people's not enslaving others, that the artist and the man whorubs his paints may dine equally well. ”
Anton Chekhov, My Life (1896). copy citation
| Author | Anton Chekhov |
|---|---|
| Source | My Life |
| Topic | artist painting |
| Date | 1896 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by Constance Garnett |
| Weblink | https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/My_Life_(Chekhov) |
Context
“I am going up a ladder which is called progress, civilization,
culture; I go on and up without knowing definitely where I am going,
but really it is worth living for the sake of that delightful ladder;
while you know what you are living for, you live for the sake of
some people's not enslaving others, that the artist and the man who
rubs his paints may dine equally well. But you know that's the
petty, bourgeois, kitchen, grey side of life, and surely it is
revolting to live for that alone? If some insects do enslave others,
bother them, let them devour each other! We need not think about”
source
