Do you know the meaning behind “nevermore”? I mean the true meaning? Not only its definition but what it feels like?
People tend to say “I’ll never do xy again.” or “I’ll never see xy again.” without even thinking about it. They say it as if it is just a phrase and as if it would mean nothing. And I guess most of the time it really is just a phrase. But what if it’s not? What does “never again” mean and feel like?
To understand what “nevermore” feels like, we need to understand what it means.
By its definition, “nevermore” means “at no future time”. Sounds simple, right? But let’s take a closer look.
At no future time not only means that something won’t happen in the future, it also means that this something happened in the past and/or in the present. So, it is something that we experienced at least once but will experience never again. And never really is a very long time.
Now that we know what it means, what does “nevermore” feel like?
And honestly, there’s no simple answer to that. Because as hard as it is to grasp the concept of “never”, so difficult it is to describe how “never again” feels like.
But if I had to try to describe it, then it would be with words such as: lonely, empty, lost, broken, incomplete, joy, happiness, freedom, relief.
As you see, the feelings can vary from one spectrum to the other. Mostly, we associate a bad feeling with “nevermore” because it comes with experiences like losing a friend or not being able to do something you really enjoyed. But there are also moments in life when “nevermore” is a blessing because it means that you don’t have to suffer anymore or that you’re finally free to do what you always wanted to do, for example.
So, you see … “nevermore” is not just a word, “nevermore” can take something from you, but it also can give you a lot.
It is not only a word, because its meaning is so much more.
So, the next time you’re about to say “never again”, think about it first - do you really mean it?