I spit on your happiness! I spit on your idea of life--that life that must go on, come what may. You are all like dogs that lick everything they smell. You with your promise of a humdrum happiness--provided a person doesn't ask much of life. I want everything of life, I do; and I want it now! I want it total, complete: otherwise I reject it! I will not be moderate. I will not be satisfied with the bit of cake you offer me if I promise to be a good little girl. I want to be sure of everything this very day; sure that everything will be as beautiful as when I was a little girl. If not, I want to die!
by Jean Anouilh
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The quote expresses a deep longing for a passionate and fulfilling life, rejecting the notion of settling for mediocrity and feigned contentment. The speaker is outraged by the idea of a mundane happiness that requires one to suppress desires and conform. Instead, they demand a life full of intensity and certainty, reflecting a desperate yearning to reclaim the pure joy of youth and the beauty they once cherished.

This declaration underlines a universal struggle against complacency and the societal expectations that dictate a subdued existence. The speaker's visceral rejection of a limited life, accompanied by a willingness to face death rather than accept a half-hearted existence, highlights the tension between individual aspirations and the pressures to conform. The longing for completeness and authenticity resonates deeply with anyone who dares to challenge the status quo in pursuit of true fulfillment.

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