Happiness Is The Longing for Repetition

Mary Ann Reilly

Happiness Is The Longing for Repetition

For Rob.

As of 11.23.09, 1361 views, 31 favorites, and 94 comments

Towards the end of the novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera writes:

“And therein lies the whole of man’s plight. Human time does not turn in a circle; it runs ahead in a straight line. That is why man cannot be happy: happiness is the longing for repetition.”

I wondered then when I first read the novel—some 20 years ago, and I wonder today about the relationship(s) (probable and hypothetical) between happiness and repetition.

No stock images.
Featured in the Group: Freedom In Words and ART
Featured in the Group: This Is Relevant
Featured in the Group: ! Inspired Art ! (by Quotes or Poems or Music or Stories)
Featured in the Group: PixElations – The Art of Photoshop
Featured in the Group: The Woman Photographer
Featured in the Group: First Things
Featured in the Group: Textures Unlimited
Featured in the Group: Yellow Gallery

Happiness Is The Longing for Repetition belongs to the following groups:

# 1 ARTISTS OF REDBUBBLE , ! ♦♣♠♥Ȃll Things Black ♥♠♣♦ !, Complex Simplicity of Art, Yellow Gallery, ! * Irish Eyes * !, ! Inspired Art !, ! φThe Dreaming Treeφ !, 1 In The Beginning - Ancient Practices, All Around the Styles, All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, ART ACTION UNION - CREATIVE ACTIVISM, ART HOUSE PRODUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL, Art Inspired by Dreams, Avant-Garde, Beige is death!, Birds and Creatures of Flight, Bits and Pieces , Collage and Landscape photography, Core [C.O.R.E], DaDa Land, First Things, Freedom In Words & Art, Human and Nature, If it doesn't belong, Imaginative Realism, JPG Cast-Offs, Landscape and Abstract Photography, LEFT WING VALUES AND POSITIVE GLOBAL AWARENESS, Light In The Darkness, Live, Love, Dream: , Made In Digital, Masterpiece: Photography, Moody, Dark, Evocative (no nudes), Mysteries of the Common, Outsiders, Personal Meaning Photography, Perspectives, PixElations - The Art of Photoshop, Politics, Race, Sexuality and Culture, Something To Say, Style! Class! Elegance! Excellence!, Surrealism *MAX 4 PER DAY*, Textures Unlimited, THE 500 TO 5000 VIEWINGS GROUP, The Addicted Photographer►2 Per Day◄, The Birds, The Healing Journey, THE SISTERHOOD, The Top Favorite Group - 30 or more, The true beauty, The Voyage Of The Surrealists, The Woman Photographer **7 Submissions a week only please**, This Is Relevant (2 per day), Trees - 2 images per day with trees as the focal point, Tuesday Afternoon, Unconventional Artistry - 3 per day, Underground USA, Vibrant and Vivid Color, Vibration in Art and Verse - VAVoom! and Your Magic PLACE (only a place!) Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
Happiness Is The Longing for Repetition by Mary Ann Reilly
Happiness Is The Longing for Repetition by Mary Ann Reilly
  • deepbluwater

    deepbluwater

    what a thoughtful & beautiful image..
    love the words from “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”
    hmmm… happiness & repetition….

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thank you for your very thoughtful comment:)

  • gail anderson

    gail anderson

    inspired work, Mary Ann!!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    lovely to know that. thanks Gail:)

  • JennyMac

    JennyMac

    I love this image and I love the words… and I love a work which gives us something to think about. Terrific! OMG! A new superlative… I’m impressed…lol! With all the ‘terrific’ work here on rb I sometimes feel that I’m using the same words repeatedly… even though they are heartfelt it starts to sound repetitious… ahhh… a relationship with repetition!!! But am I happy with it… hmmm… it would seem not…! I long for the happiness of finding new words to describe the joy a persons work gives… ramble over… well done Mary Ann!
    : ))

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    I am overwhelmed by your comments, Jenny. Thank You:)

  • fabien mahaut

    fabien mahaut

    Yes well done ! lot of symbols here and engaged us to think about a story…

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    always like a good story…

  • Lois Bryan

    Lois Bryan

    Mary Ann … your work is consistently creative … consistently thought provoking!!! Gorgeous!!!!!!!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks Lois:)

  • JRGarland

    JRGarland

    Very thought provoking and interesting. Very well done.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    JR, thanks so much. Appreciate your comments.

  • sfmilner

    sfmilner

    Greetings Mary Ann; A wonderful sentiment and beautiful image. This statement speaks of a concept that is understandable to most but truely not recognized by many.
    steve

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Greetings returned Steve. A conundrum you pose here.

  • Denis Molodkin

    Denis Molodkin

    Great work!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks Denis:)

  • Maria Mann

    Maria Mann

    Cannot say enough, a truly beautiful, engaging and thoughtful piece. The association with Kundera is a synergetic force. xx m

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    MARIA, THANKS SO MUCH. GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT:)

  • Brian Carey

    Brian Carey

    Very nice work!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    THANK BRIAN

  • Anthony Mancuso

    Anthony Mancuso

    beautiful

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    THANKS ANTHONY FOR COMMENTING:)

  • Nelson Campbell

    Nelson Campbell

    I have been looking at this gorgeously beautiful piece of art since last night and thinking off and on about the words, and cannot come up with a coherent response in this space…it evokes a musing which meanders to all kinds of places in my head – thinking forward, thinking back, thinking sideways, feeling overwhelmed and awed yet again by all we do not and can never know in this nanosecond of existence…thanks for turning the cogs in my brain ~

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    I LIVE TO TURN COGS. THANKS NELS:)

  • johannesfrank

    johannesfrank

    I like your work her and the color is excelent
    joe

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    THANKS JOE

  • Mindy McGregor

    Mindy McGregor

    Great peice Mary Ann, I just love this!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    THANKS MINDY

  • Joe Valcourt/MODERNUS ART STUDIO

    Joe Valcourt/M...

    excellent work

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks Joe:)

  • Elucidate

    Elucidate

    Great use of layers and texture.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks so much:)

  • chris Whitney

    chris Whitney

    Thought provoking words andimage Mary Ann. It is hard to break our patterns in life.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    yes, odd comfort at that. Thanks Chris.

  • A. L.

    A. L.

    wow, looks sweeet!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks:)

  • Laurie Search

    Laurie Search

    Wonderful!!! I love the gold tones.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Good to know. Thanks:)

  • linaji

    linaji

    Beauty Art Mary Ann

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks Lina: Honored to have work featured in the group:)

  • Stuart Thorpe

    Stuart Thorpe

    What a huge philosophical theme and wonderfully illustrated. Happiness for me is the feeling and awareness, consciousness, that I AM happy. The longing for repetition is a desire, a want that can or could make me happy (again) but can also bring sadness because I know that the repetition will never be the same as the original. Despite the human ‘lineality’, I guess I disagree with Kundera but then again…hehe, I loved the film and now want to read the book. Thank you for sharing this!!

  • Stuart Thorpe

    Stuart Thorpe

    I’m so fascinated by this theme, I will allow myself to ramble on….Happiness is feeling happy, whether at the the actual time of happiness or the recollection of it. Longing is not happiness. Longing is unfulfilled happiness, the want for happiness through repetition perhaps or through new experience, but maybe I am missing the point…I think of a situation when i was happy and the memory is sweet. I long to repeat it. The repetition can be sweet or sour dependent on many factors, but is the longing for it to be called happiness?

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    i think for the character speaking in the novel, it is the issue of time—the linearity of it that breaks the possibility of happiness. Fascinating commentary by you. Thanks:)

  • Cassidy JK (Ra Or Emraeh)

    Cassidy JK (Ra...

    Absolutely stunning. Congratulations on your feature.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks so much:)

  • KcranmerArt

    KcranmerArt

    This is such fantastic work…awesome editing, texture, storyline…”everything”!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks:)

  • titus

    titus

    THIS IS RELEVANT

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    honored to have the work featured. thank you:)

  • RonnieGinnever

    RonnieGinnever

    Beautiful image, congratulations on being featured. I believe happiness can only be in the “now”.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    i wonder if the now can only be in the now: is not memory possible? thanks.

  • hsien-ku

    hsien-ku

    wonderful image and words

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks

  • midzing

    midzing

    beautiful image,,, well done

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thank you

  • Ronald Rockman

    Ronald Rockman

    And therein lies the whole of man’s plight. Human time does not turn in a circle; it runs ahead in a straight line. That is why man cannot be happy: happiness is the longing for repetition.”
    Very prolific words, what a huge impact that movie had on me, seeing and feeling the tanks rolling in, the bleakness of the hospital, the amazing erotic woman
    with the black hats, the pig farmer and of course the most incredible performances by
    Julitte Binoche and Daniel Day-Lewis. I recall the book being a hard read though.
    Cheers
    Rock

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    i have never seen the film—just read the book. Like to see it now given the description. thanks.

  • Imber

    Imber

    Beautiful art!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks

  • 3XEternity

    3XEternity

    Please consider submiting this to The Dreaming Tree

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks will do:)

  • artisandelimage

    artisandelimage


    bravo !
    my best, francis.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thank you so much. Very honored to have work featured. This is a special work to me so I am ever more pleased.

  • Straysod

    Straysod

    Wonderful, lightness and darkness available to each other!
    Happiness and repetition – interesting, if everything to be repeated was happy of course… In many places there seems a constant resistance to change, yet it is the only thing of which we can be certain!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Yes, it is odd isn’t it, that the one thing we can be certain of (change) is the one thing we most resist. PErhaps happiness is closely tied to repetition.

  • strewth

    strewth

    I like…..............that’s all !

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    good enuf:)

  • Tibby Steedly

    Tibby Steedly

    This is pure magic!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks. a joy to make:)

  • Yvonne Less

    Yvonne Less

    Beautiful! I like the blend effect and the colors very much! Well done! :)

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks Yvonne. Appreciate you commenting.

  • Jayne Logan

    Jayne Logan

    Magnificent art Mary Ann ..

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thank you, Jayne:)

  • Helen Corr

    Helen Corr

    beautiful! i love the concept of an unbearable lightness …

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks Helen.

  • Ric Alexander

    Ric Alexander

    Stunning image, Really superb. I think i am opposite, to me repetition is boring, I like the straight line where you travel and not know what comes next.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    It helps I think to know the novel. It makes me wonder nonetheless about the certainty and happiness and how we might tie those together regardless of the cost. Thanks, Ric.

  • Jen Ryan

    Jen Ryan

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks so much. Honored to have work featured:+)

  • tori yule

    tori yule

    beautiful work. Congratulations on your features- they are well deserved.

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks

  • Isa Rodriguez

    Isa Rodriguez

    Congratulations this image is being featured in First Things

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Isa, thank you so much. honored to have work featured.

  • RavenSoul

    RavenSoul


    Textures Unlimited

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Thanks so much. Honored:)

  • Waleska Luker

    Waleska Luker

    Beautiful reflection, congrats on your features!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks:)

  • halina123

    halina123

    Well done

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    thanks:)

  • Sofia Solomennikova

    Sofia Solomenn...

    Superb creation!

  • Mary Ann Reilly replied

    Sofia, thanks so much

  • Becsnel

    Becsnel 5 days ago

    Thia is absolutely beautiful! Stunning work!!

  • nishagandhi

    nishagandhi 1 day ago

    amazing

  • valzart

    valzart 1 day ago

    w0w! brill sweetheART love it inst fave ;} happy hippy hugglez

Add your comment

You need to login or signup to add your comment to this work.