“The fact that the world does not easily collapse is, for those who live and die skating on its surface like a skater, a problem that cannot be ignored.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
Japanese
「世界がなかなか崩壊しないということこそ、その表面をスケーターのように滑走して生きては死んでゆく人間にとっては、ゆるがせにできない問題だった。」
English
“The fact that the world does not easily collapse is, for those who live and die skating on its surface like a skater, a problem that cannot be ignored.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima explores the fragility and transience of human existence in relation to the stability of the world. The image of skating on the surface evokes the idea of living lightly, almost carelessly, without deep engagement or connection to the underlying structures of life. Mishima’s metaphor suggests that many individuals move through life like skaters, gliding over its complexities and dangers, without confronting the deeper or more profound challenges that life presents. However, the fact that the world does not easily collapse—the apparent stability of society and life—becomes an unsettling issue for those who live this way. The stability of the world, in this view, tempts people into inaction, leading them to skate along its surface rather than diving into the uncertainties beneath. Mishima suggests that the illusion of stability can prevent people from acknowledging the impermanence and fragility of their own lives.
Mishima’s reflection touches on the existential tension between the illusion of permanence and the inevitable decay of both society and human life. The individuals who merely skate over the surface of life may fail to grapple with or accept the underlying uncertainty and impermanence that defines the human condition. Instead, they are distracted by the stability of the world’s external appearance, missing the deeper, more profound questions about the nature of existence and death. Mishima seems to be critiquing the emptiness that comes with living superficially, disconnected from the more serious, difficult realities of life that demand deeper reflection and understanding.
In a modern context, Mishima’s quote invites us to reflect on how we engage with the world today. In an age of globalization, technology, and seemingly perpetual stability, many people may feel as though they are skating on the surface of life—distracted by the superficial and immediate, while failing to consider the deeper and more existential challenges we face as individuals and as a society. Mishima’s words challenge us to question whether the apparent stability of modern life might lead us to overlook the fragility and transience of our existence, and whether we might be missing the opportunity to dive deeper into the complexities of life and death.
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