We are always in the place of beginning; there is no advance in infinity

We are always in the place of beginning; there is no advance in infinity

Northrop Frye, a renowned literary critic and theorist, often explored the concept of beginnings and the cyclical nature of human existence in his works. One of his famous quotes, “We are always in the place of beginning; there is no advance in infinity,” encapsulates his belief in the eternal return and the idea that human life is a continuous cycle of birth, growth, decay, and rebirth.

Frye’s statement suggests that no matter how much progress we make in our lives, we are always returning to the starting point, the place of beginning. This idea is reminiscent of the concept of the eternal return, a philosophical theory that posits that time is cyclical rather than linear. In this view, everything that has happened will happen again in an endless loop of repetition.