--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man wants to live, but it is useless to…" description: "\"Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg" --- # Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this… ![“Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg) > “Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.” [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. Human desire for meaning is futile if we expect it to dictate all actions; hope alone cannot guide behavior. **In simple terms:** Hope alone cannot control all actions. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of hope in decision‑making. Themes existentialism human condition hope Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship choices - personal goals Key Concepts absurdism free will motivational Questions to Reflect On - What role does hope play in your life? - How do you balance desire with practicality? A Different Perspective Hope can still motivate positive change despite its limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Desire Dictate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-dictate-872990/) [Hope Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-desire-2419341/) [Live Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-useless-275060/) [Man Wants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-wants/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Useless Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless-hope-3992467/) ## Related quotes > [Desire is everything, not talent. It's the degree of one's desire that will dictate the extent of one's success, in any endeavour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-danby/desire-is-everything-not-talent-it-s-the-degree-of-one-s-desire-that/) [Ken Danby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-danby/) > [Lord JESUS , let me not live to be useless .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lord-jesus-let-me-not-live-to-be-useless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God grant that I may never live to be useless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/god-grant-that-i-may-never-live-to-be-useless/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“Hope and desire, All unfulfilled, Have more than rope And hangman killed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-smith/hope-and-desire-all-unfulfilled-have-more-than-rope-and-hangman-killed/) [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) > [It is better to live as a broken piece of jade, than to live as a useless clay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/it-is-better-to-live-as-a-broken-piece-of-jade-than-to-live-as-a/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“She had to live. It is useless to quarrel with one's bread and butter. And to expect a great deal out of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/she-had-to-live-it-is-useless-to-quarrel-with-one-s-bread-and-butter/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [You are mine And you should not Live without me As I can not live without you Its useless world If I am not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-mine-and-you-should-not-live-without-me-as-i-can-not-live/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire...I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-give-you-the-mausoleum-of-all-hope-and-desire-i-give-it-to-you-not-2/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Hope is desire and expectation rolled into one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hope-is-desire-and-expectation-rolled-into-one/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Oh Lord, let me not live to be useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/oh-lord-let-me-not-live-to-be-useless/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [I saw you, and I wanted to be close to you. I wanted you to let me in. I wanted to know you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-saw-you-and-i-wanted-to-be-close-to-you-i-wanted-you-to-let-me-in-i-2/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“Iam not scared of death because I don't want to live this useless life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raffid/iam-not-scared-of-death-because-i-don-t-want-to-live-this-useless-life/) [Raffid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raffid/) > [“Through darkness you have come to your hope, and have now all your desire. Use well the days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/through-darkness-you-have-come-to-your-hope-and-have-now-all-your/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [I hope that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hope-that-i-may-always-desire-more-than-i-can-accomplish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Did you know, the first time I saw you, I thought: I’ve never seen anything more captivating and beautiful?” “Why are you telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/did-you-know-the-first-time-i-saw-you-i-thought-i-ve-never-seen/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) ## 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 Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-hope-that-this-desire-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-hope-that-this-desire-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c55/albert-camus-47_desire_man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-h_459185.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man wants to live, but it is useless to hope that this desire will dictate all his actions.” — 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": "Man wants to live, but it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-hope-that-this-desire-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/man-wants-to-live-but-it-is-useless-to-hope-that-this-desire-will/#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 } } ] } ```