“Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve.”
—Erich Fromm
Kino: Drifting along like makes me ponder.
Hermes: About what?
Kino: The meaning of life, the meaning of the journey.
Hermes: Heh. Humans.
Kino: I wonder if the sky will be blue tomorrow...
Hermes: About what?
Kino: The meaning of life, the meaning of the journey.
Hermes: Heh. Humans.
Kino: I wonder if the sky will be blue tomorrow...
Kokoro: Doctor S! Everybody's troubled! Why do you always do horrible things like this?
Setsuna Doctor S: I am doing nothing more than playing my role. We are all actors. I am the master of evil. And you are the hero of good. Roles given to us. Roads laid out for us by destiny. For the happy conclusion that we'll someday reach...
Kokoro: Er... You're trying to make this all complicated and philosophical to throw me off! I guess I'll just attack! Magical Gravity Beams!
Kokoro: Er... You're trying to make this all complicated and philosophical to throw me off! I guess I'll just attack! Magical Gravity Beams!
— School Days, Magical Heart Kokoro-chan OVA
"Navel-gazing from your inside-out requires you to stick your head up your butt."
— JesuOtaku's Snark Titles, JesuOtaku Anime Review
I believe that the number of people who spend all their time gazing at their navels as if it were the center of the world is far too large nowadays.
— Brichot, In Search Of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
"Have you heard the story of the two Santa Clauses? It goes that a long time ago there were two Santas... One of 'em wore white, and the other one wore black. The white Santa gave presents to good kids, and the black Santa played tricks on bad kids.
They went on like that for a while, but eventually the black Santa's tricks started to get worse and worse. Pretty soon the white Santa couldn't stand it anymore... And he stabbed the black Santa to death. When he stabbed the other Santa, the white Santa got blood all over his clothes. And that's why, these days, his clothes are red. You could say that red is all that's left of the black Santa.
I wonder... which Santa I am. The white Santa or the black Santa...?"
They went on like that for a while, but eventually the black Santa's tricks started to get worse and worse. Pretty soon the white Santa couldn't stand it anymore... And he stabbed the black Santa to death. When he stabbed the other Santa, the white Santa got blood all over his clothes. And that's why, these days, his clothes are red. You could say that red is all that's left of the black Santa.
I wonder... which Santa I am. The white Santa or the black Santa...?"
"Well I know that I'm you and you're me, but the question is, who's that guy in the Entry Plug?"
— Anonymous
What is life? To what end do we live? A man once asked me that. I beat him to within an inch of his life. An emo middle school kid I can understand, but a twenty-something yakuza? Should be illegal.
— Shizuo, Durarara!!
Listen to me, Fingal... Your navel is very deep. I can't even see to the bottom of it. If you fall in, I can't guarantee to pull you out.
— Apollonia, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Millie: So are you any closer to unlocking the secrets of the universe?
Ozy: Actually, I'm trying to find my navel.
Ozy: Actually, I'm trying to find my navel.
— A parody
from Ozy and Millie
from Ozy and MillieMike: They're just meditating. Watching.
Sarah Jane: So what are they watching?
Mike:They're mentally watching their tummies. Go up and down as they breathe.
Sarah Jane: Like contemplating their bellybuttons?
Mike: You could put it like that.
Sarah Jane: Well, I hope you all know what you're on about.
Mike: Probably seems a bit daft. It's an exercise in awareness really.
Sarah Jane: So what are they watching?
Mike:They're mentally watching their tummies. Go up and down as they breathe.
Sarah Jane: Like contemplating their bellybuttons?
Mike: You could put it like that.
Sarah Jane: Well, I hope you all know what you're on about.
Mike: Probably seems a bit daft. It's an exercise in awareness really.
— Doctor Who, "Planet of the Spiders"
Mary Jane: Are you alive, though? I mean, like, really, like, intensely alive?
Peter: ...Don't do this to me, MJ. This- I think this is why we broke up, okay? You keep sending me-
Mary Jane: No, we broke up because you're just a construct of my imagination.
Peter: You keep sending me into these existential crises and I don't know to handle them! I don't know how to deal with this, MJ!
Mary Jane: Well, you would if you would just read some of the philosophy books I sent you. But you don't, you're just like, "Oh, I'm too busy..."
Peter: Look, so, we just need to talk about something else because I'm kind of losing my mind a little.
Mary Jane: You don't have a mind, Peter. Mind over matter, matter can't be proven-
Peter: YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN! It is constant with you! Existential crises! On one hand, you got the death, and you got the life, and you got everything that life means!
Mary Jane: Peter... what is life?
Peter: ...I'm gonna cry, MJ...
Peter: ...Don't do this to me, MJ. This- I think this is why we broke up, okay? You keep sending me-
Mary Jane: No, we broke up because you're just a construct of my imagination.
Peter: You keep sending me into these existential crises and I don't know to handle them! I don't know how to deal with this, MJ!
Mary Jane: Well, you would if you would just read some of the philosophy books I sent you. But you don't, you're just like, "Oh, I'm too busy..."
Peter: Look, so, we just need to talk about something else because I'm kind of losing my mind a little.
Mary Jane: You don't have a mind, Peter. Mind over matter, matter can't be proven-
Peter: YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN! It is constant with you! Existential crises! On one hand, you got the death, and you got the life, and you got everything that life means!
Mary Jane: Peter... what is life?
Peter: ...I'm gonna cry, MJ...
