What does this quote mean?

[Rosali]

What does the quote "God created man and, finding him not sufficiently alone, gave him a companion to make him feel his solitude more keenly."--Paul Val�ry, 1871-1945 mean?

[winebuyer]

You can only understand the feeling of loneliness if you have experienced companionship, otherwise you have no frame of reference.

At least, that's what I think it means.

[echokilo]

I agree with both and would add a lyric from the 1990's track Sit Down by James ..... which might bring the meaning to life:

"if I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor...."

Does that help?

EK

[Enlightened]

Well , although I can agree at some point with the previous answers , I�m sure that was not what Paul Val�ry was trying to say with this quote! I think that what he was tryiing to say was God gave men a companion to make him even more alone than he was before , because that�s what happen to people , surrounded by others but unable to communicate with them , and that�s when they feel their solitude even more keenly . That�s why he says : " finding him not sufficiently alone..." and not ...- finding him terribly alone .

[fiyona10]

i agree with enlightened. i think the concept of not appreciating the sun if you've never known the rain is very true but not what Valery was writing about... there is nothing more isolating than been with someone you can't communicate with... men take note :-\

[NiceCupOfTea]

One does wonder what the poor auld companion felt about all of this. In Valery's view, did they just nag a lot?