Seek Nothing. Freedom.

Dominique : Look at those who’re rich and have the whole world open to them. Observe what they pick out for enjoyment. Watch them in the smarter speak-easies. That’s your mankind in general. I don’t want to touch it.

Alvah : "But hell! That’s not the way to look at it. That’s not the whole picture. There’s some good in the worst of us. There’s always a redeeming feature"


"So much the worse. Is it an inspiring sight to see a man commit a heroic
gesture, and then learn that he goes to vaudeville shows for relaxation? Or see
a man who’s painted a magnificent canvas--and learn that he spends his time
sleeping with every slut he meets?"

"What do you want? Perfection?"

"--or nothing. So, you see, I take the nothing."

"That doesn’t make sense."

"I take the only desire one can really permit oneself. Freedom, Alvah, freedom."

"You call that freedom?"

"To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing."

"What if you found something you wanted?"

"I won’t find it. I won’t choose to see it. It would be part of that lovely
world of yours. I’d have to share it with all the rest of you--and I wouldn’t.
You know, I never open again any great book I’ve read and loved. It hurts me to
think of the other eyes that have read it and of what they were. Things like
that can’t be shared. Not with people like that."


The whole conversation i've quoted here, was never so real to me. Never. Till i looked back and realised how it was just staring into my face!