Anticipatory dread of loss can coexist with intense present happiness

Evidence

What most reminded him of his exaltation at Les Falizes, where he seemed to breathe as never before, was the beginning of summer vacations in his childhood—the fever seizing him as soon as he could look out the train windows, still miles away from the coast, and see the trees gradually shrink, stunted by the salt wind—the anxiety suddenly filling his throat at the mere thought that his room in the hotel might not overlook the sea. — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 268

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 268
• XREF: connects to: A person can simultaneously feel mortal fear and detached, buoyant calm — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 436; Extreme fear can shrink a person’s presence to something almost weightless — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 427; Extreme bodily shock can produce relief resembling closure rather than terror — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 482 (+17 more)

Broader Connections

• Living under looming war requires adapting psychologically to permanent low-grade dread #exemplifies (0.75) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 138
• Wartime disorientation can dissolve into a feeling of self-sufficient freedom rather than fear #exemplifies (0.74) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 423
• Extreme near-total silence can trigger panic, disorientation, and physical illness #contradicts (0.73) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 474
• Passive drift toward disaster can feel seductive rather than frightening #exemplifies (0.72) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 293
• Total sensory absence can feel generative rather than merely frightening #exemplifies (0.71) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 496
• Extreme physical silence can produce deep restfulness rather than only distress #exemplifies (0.68) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 496
• Total sensory emptiness can feel worse than the danger of battle itself #contradicts (0.65) — Julien Gracq, Balcony in the Forest, 442