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The phrase “moments of being” comes from Virginia Woolf in her autobiographical essays, especially in Moments of Being. Woolf contrasts these with “moments of non-being”, which are the dull, habitual, and ordinary parts of life.
🌟 What are “Moments of Being”?
- These are rare, intense moments of heightened awareness when life feels vivid and meaningful.
- In these moments, the underlying patterns or “scaffolding” of existence become visible.
- They often come with a sudden insight or epiphany, revealing deep truths about life and self.
🧩 The “Scaffolding in the Background”
- Woolf believed that beneath the surface of ordinary life lies a hidden structure—a deeper reality or truth.
- During “moments of being,” this hidden scaffolding is briefly illuminated, and the interconnectedness of experiences becomes clear.
- This idea aligns with her stream-of-consciousness style, where fleeting thoughts and memories interweave to reveal deeper truths.
📖 Example in Woolf’s Works:
- In To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Ramsay experiences fleeting moments of profound connection and meaning amid the ordinary rhythms of family life.
- In Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa has sudden realizations about life, death, and connection while going about her day.
🧘 Why It Matters:
- Woolf suggests that life is mostly made up of “moments of non-being” (routine, mundane experiences), but it’s the rare “moments of being” that give life its depth and texture.
- These moments often arise through art, memory, nature, or intense emotion.
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A great part of every day is not lived consciously. One walks, eats, sees things, deals with what has to be done; the broken vacuum cleaner; ordering dinner; writing orders to Mabel; washing; cooking dinner; bookbinding. When it is a bad day the proportion of non-being is much larger.
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