In twenty years' time-in other words, when you're thirty-seven years old-you will have understood at last that all the evil in the world-I mean the poverty and ignorance of the poor and the cunning and lavishness of the rich-and all the vulgarity in the world, and all the violence, and all the brutality-I mean all the things that make you feel guilty and think of suicide-by the time you're thirty-seven you'll know that all these things are the result of everyone's thinking alike, Ka said.
In Orhan Pamuk's novel "Snow," the character Ka reflects on the future, suggesting that by the age of thirty-seven, an individual will gain a profound understanding of the world's ills. He points out that issues like poverty, ignorance among the poor, and the excesses of the wealthy create a sense of guilt and despair that can lead to dark thoughts. This realization is framed as a collective insight, emphasizing that many of the world's problems stem from a uniformity of thought among people.
The quote highlights the idea that societal issues are not merely individual problems but are connected to broader patterns in human thinking. By the time one reaches their late thirties, Ka suggests, there will be a better comprehension of how these interconnected dynamics operate. This insight can serve as a catalyst for change, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of social injustices and the complexities of human behavior in the face of adversity.
