Emil Cioran Quotes

Emil Cioran — Romanian Philosopher born on April 08, 1911, died on June 20, 1995

Emil Cioran was a Romanian philosopher and essayist, who published works in both Romanian and French. Cioran was born in Rășinari, Sibiu County, which was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. His first French book, A Short History of Decay, was awarded the prestigious Rivarol Prize in 1950. It was the only book for which he accepted an award given to him, claiming that it would have been insolent of him to refuse it. The Latin Quarter of Paris was his permanent residence and he lived much of his life in isolation with his partner Simone Boué... (wikipedia)

Insomnia is a vertiginous lucidity that can convert paradise itself into a place of torture.

I lost my sleep, and this is the greatest tragedy that can befall someone. It is much worse than sitting in prison.

However much I have frequented the mystics, deep down I have always sided with the Devil; unable to equal him in power, I have tried to be worthy of him, at least, in insolence, acrimony, arbitrariness and caprice.

I saw that philosophy had no power to make my life more bearable. Thus I lost my belief in philosophy.

The capital phenomenon, the most catastrophic disaster, is uninterrupted sleeplessness, that nothingness without release.