“One must always be drunk. That's all there is to it—it's the only way. So as not to feel the horrible burden of time that breaks your back and bends you to the earth, you have to be continually drunk.”
What this quote means
This quote, often attributed to Charles Baudelaire but here echoed by Sollers, is a powerful metaphor for the human condition. Time weighs on us, crushes us, and to escape it, we seek various intoxications: alcohol, passion, work, creation. But true intoxication is not oblivion; it's intensity, full presence to life. Sollers invites us to intoxicate ourselves with everything that makes our soul vibrate, to refuse gloom and embrace existence with ardor.
How to apply it daily
Choose an activity that you're passionate about and that makes you lose track of time. Give yourself an hour today to fully engage in it, without distractions.
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