--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And he knew, also, what the old man was…" description: "\"“And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg" --- # And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his… ![“And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and…” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg) > ““And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.”” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In a bleak world, people crave love and warmth, seeking comfort beyond duty and suffering. **In simple terms:** People need love amid hardship. Key Takeaway Seek connection in difficult times. Themes existentialism humanism loneliness love Mood somber hopeful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - war - pandemic - personal loss - spiritual crisis Key Concepts meaning of suffering human connection Questions to Reflect On - What gives you hope in hardship? - How can love counteract despair? A Different Perspective Love may not resolve systemic suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devotion to duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotion-to-duty/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Loving Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loving-heart/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) ## Related quotes > [A loveless world is a dead world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-loveless-world-is-a-dead-world/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I stood there in the shadowed doorway thinking with my tears. Yes, tears can be thoughts, why not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/i-stood-there-in-the-shadowed-doorway-thinking-with-my-tears-yes/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [Always there comes an hour when one is weary of one's work and devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/always-there-comes-an-hour-when-one-is-weary-of-one-s-work-and/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Rieux knew what the old man was thinking at that moment as he wept, and he thought the same: that this world without love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/rieux-knew-what-the-old-man-was-thinking-at-that-moment-as-he-wept/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“At certain periods it becomes the dearest ambition of a man to keep a faithful record of his performances in a book; and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/at-certain-periods-it-becomes-the-dearest-ambition-of-a-man-to-keep-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [We will accept nothing less than full Victory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-will-accept-nothing-less-than-full-victory/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Tony Bennett is still giving concerts, still singing. It's keeping him alive. He's in his late 80s now and he keeps going and going.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr-2/tony-bennett-is-still-giving-concerts-still-singing-it-s-keeping-him/) [Frank Sinatra, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr-2/) > [“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-are-about-to-embark-upon-the-great-crusade-toward-which-we-have/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Bravery and devotion to duty hath no greater reward than to see the cat get into trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-erickson/bravery-and-devotion-to-duty-hath-no-greater-reward-than-to-see-the/) [John R. Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-erickson/) > [“From the senior officer down to the lowest and newest pantry boy, each crewman reflected the Scandinavian concept of rigid devotion to duty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-moscow/from-the-senior-officer-down-to-the-lowest-and-newest-pantry-boy-each/) Alvin Moscow > [Keep yourself simple, good, pure, serious, and unassuming; the friend of justice and godliness; kindly, affectionate, and resolute in your devotion to duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/keep-yourself-simple-good-pure-serious-and-unassuming-the-friend-of/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [May the spirit of devotion to duty which inspires us always dominate this Committee's conferences!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-krupp/may-the-spirit-of-devotion-to-duty-which-inspires-us-always-dominate/) Gustav Krupp > [Devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/devotion-to-duty-is-the-highest-form-of-worship-of-god/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty, for it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/you-will-have-to-make-up-for-the-smallness-of-your-size-by-your/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [The people are as severe toward the clergy as toward women; they want to see absolute devotion to duty from both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/the-people-are-as-severe-toward-the-clergy-as-toward-women-they-want/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) [Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More Devotion to duty quotes > [Always there comes an hour when one is weary of one's work and devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/always-there-comes-an-hour-when-one-is-weary-of-one-s-work-and/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Bravery and devotion to duty hath no greater reward than to see the cat get into trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-erickson/bravery-and-devotion-to-duty-hath-no-greater-reward-than-to-see-the/) [John R. Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-erickson/) > [“At certain periods it becomes the dearest ambition of a man to keep a faithful record of his performances in a book; and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/at-certain-periods-it-becomes-the-dearest-ambition-of-a-man-to-keep-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [You will have to make up for the smallness of your size by your courage and selfless devotion to duty, for it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/you-will-have-to-make-up-for-the-smallness-of-your-size-by-your/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [Devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/devotion-to-duty-is-the-highest-form-of-worship-of-god/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [May the spirit of devotion to duty which inspires us always dominate this Committee's conferences!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-krupp/may-the-spirit-of-devotion-to-duty-which-inspires-us-always-dominate/) Gustav Krupp > [The people are as severe toward the clergy as toward women; they want to see absolute devotion to duty from both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madame-de-stael/the-people-are-as-severe-toward-the-clergy-as-toward-women-they-want/) [Madame de Stael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madame-de-stael/) > [Keep yourself simple, good, pure, serious, and unassuming; the friend of justice and godliness; kindly, affectionate, and resolute in your devotion to duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/keep-yourself-simple-good-pure-serious-and-unassuming-the-friend-of/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [“From the senior officer down to the lowest and newest pantry boy, each crewman reflected the Scandinavian concept of rigid devotion to duty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-moscow/from-the-senior-officer-down-to-the-lowest-and-newest-pantry-boy-each/) Alvin Moscow > [“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-are-about-to-embark-upon-the-great-crusade-toward-which-we-have/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Tony Bennett is still giving concerts, still singing. It's keeping him alive. He's in his late 80s now and he keeps going and going.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sinatra-jr-2/tony-bennett-is-still-giving-concerts-still-singing-it-s-keeping-him/) [Frank Sinatra, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sinatra-jr-2/) > [We will accept nothing less than full Victory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/we-will-accept-nothing-less-than-full-victory/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Through the skill and devotion to duty of their armed forces of all branches in the Midway area our citizens can now rejoice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-w-nimitz/through-the-skill-and-devotion-to-duty-of-their-armed-forces-of-all/) [Chester W. Nimitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-w-nimitz/) > [I was there. I saw your sons and your husbands, your brothers and your sweethearts. I saw how they worked, played, fought, and lived.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/i-was-there-i-saw-your-sons-and-your-husbands-your-brothers-and-your/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/i-have-full-confidence-in-your-courage-and-devotion-to-duty-and-skill/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) [Browse all 18 Devotion to duty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotion-to-duty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-thinking-as-his-tears-flowed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devotion to duty" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-thinking-as-his-tears-flowed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f4/albert-camus-47_devotion-to-duty_and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-th_3122848.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And he knew, also, what the old man was thinking as his tears flowed, and he, Rieux, thought it too: that a…” — Albert Camus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Camus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And he knew, also, what the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-thinking-as-his-tears-flowed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/and-he-knew-also-what-the-old-man-was-thinking-as-his-tears-flowed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```