Kenneth Tynan, in "Conference at Edinburgh" (1963), later published in Tynan Right and Left (1967), p. 146
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I attacked those Western playwrights who use their influence and affluence to preach to the world the nihilistic doctrine that life is pointless and irrationally destructive, and that there is nothing we can do about it. Until everyone is fed, clothed, housed and taught, until human beings have equal leisure to contemplate the overwhelming fact of mortality, we should not (I argued) indulge in the luxury of "privileged despair."
— Kenneth Tynan on Nihilism
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I attacked those Western playwrights who use their influence and affluence to preach to the world the nihilistic doctrine that life is pointless and irrationally destructive, and that there is nothing we can do about it. Until everyone is fed, clothed, housed and taught, until human beings have equal leisure to contemplate the overwhelming fact of mortality, we should not (I argued) indulge in the luxury of "privileged despair."" in the context of "Kenneth Tynan, in "Conference at Edinburgh" (1963), later published in Tynan Right and Left (1967), p. 146" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Nihilism" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was a British theatre critic, author and literary manager of London's National Theatre Conmpany for a decade from 1963.
About Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan (2 April 1927 – 26 July 1980) was a British theatre critic, author and literary manager of London's National Theatre Conmpany for a decade from 1963.
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