--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Existence would be intolerable if we were…" description: "\"Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream\" — Anatole France" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg" --- # Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream ![“Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream” quote by Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg) > “Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream” [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dreaming provides meaning and hope, making existence bearable despite hardships. **In simple terms:** Dreams give life purpose. Key Takeaway Cultivate and cherish your dreams. Themes hope meaning existential Mood philosophical inspirational Type existential hopeful When to use this quote - coping with loss - creative pursuits - goal setting Key Concepts psychology of dreaming human motivation Questions to Reflect On - What dream sustains you? - How do you balance dreaming and practicality? A Different Perspective Dreams may be unrealistic and cause disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Existence Intolerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence-intolerable-2885574/) [Intolerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerable/) [Intolerable Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intolerable-dream-2885575/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [May even the concept of unreached peoples be totally intolerable to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/may-even-the-concept-of-unreached-peoples-be-totally-intolerable-to-us/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [People ask me if I ever thought of writing a children's book. I say, 'If I had a serious brain injury I might well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/people-ask-me-if-i-ever-thought-of-writing-a-children-s-book-i-say-if/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [Those wearing Tolerance for a label call other views intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-mcginley/those-wearing-tolerance-for-a-label-call-other-views-intolerable/) [Phyllis McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-mcginley/) > [“Government at its best is a necessary evil; at its worst, an intolerable one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-befumo/government-at-its-best-is-a-necessary-evil-at-its-worst-an/) [Joseph Befumo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-befumo/) > [Without a little negligence, life would be intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/without-a-little-negligence-life-would-be-intolerable/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [“Anger is like sex urge, once gratified, the inner voice calls you a stinking fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/anger-is-like-sex-urge-once-gratified-the-inner-voice-calls-you-a/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-de-menil/we-lose-dignity-if-we-tolerate-the-intolerable/) [Dominique de Menil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-de-menil/) > [A judge found it constitutionally intolerable that Louisiana should interject 'religious beliefs and moral judgments into teaching.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-murchison/a-judge-found-it-constitutionally-intolerable-that-louisiana-should/) [William Murchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-murchison/) > [The gods' service is tolerable, man's intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-gods-service-is-tolerable-man-s-intolerable/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Without the Blessed Sacrament a position like mine would be intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/father-damien/without-the-blessed-sacrament-a-position-like-mine-would-be/) [Father Damien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/father-damien/) > [I remain in intolerable non-knowledge, which has no other way out than ecstasy itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/i-remain-in-intolerable-non-knowledge-which-has-no-other-way-out-than/) [Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/) > [During the period of house arrest, I had an electronic manacle around my leg for 24 hours a day, and for someone who has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/during-the-period-of-house-arrest-i-had-an-electronic-manacle-around/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [The want of a thing is perplexing enough, but the possession of it, is intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vanbrugh/the-want-of-a-thing-is-perplexing-enough-but-the-possession-of-it-is/) [John Vanbrugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vanbrugh/) > [The public figure of the writer, the writer-character, the 'personality-cult' of the author, are all becoming for me more and more intolerable in others,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italo-calvino/the-public-figure-of-the-writer-the-writer-character-the-personality/) [Italo Calvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italo-calvino/) > [My threshold for mean gossip is nearly intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-radziwill/my-threshold-for-mean-gossip-is-nearly-intolerable/) [Carole Radziwill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-radziwill/) ## More by Anatole France > [“No, let us not conquer the heavens. It is enough to have the power to do so. War engenders war, and victory defeat. God,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/no-let-us-not-conquer-the-heavens-it-is-enough-to-have-the-power-to/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [We have drugs to make women speak, but none to keep them silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/we-have-drugs-to-make-women-speak-but-none-to-keep-them-silent/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [The law ... allows rich as well as poor to sleep under bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-law-allows-rich-as-well-as-poor-to-sleep-under-bridges/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“...the adventure of the soul among the masterpieces.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-adventure-of-the-soul-among-the-masterpieces/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/if-fifty-million-people-say-a-foolish-thing-it-is-still-a-foolish/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [The future is a convenient place for dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-future-is-a-convenient-place-for-dreams/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [The truth is that life is delicious, horrible, charming, frightful, sweet, bitter, and that is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-truth-is-that-life-is-delicious-horrible-charming-frightful-sweet/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“And what, above all, I blame in you is that you have not married in compliance with the law and given children to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/and-what-above-all-i-blame-in-you-is-that-you-have-not-married-in/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [An old philosopher said to Monsieur Coignard, a Reverend Father: 'You are a pig!' To which Abad Coignard answered: 'You flatter me, sir. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/an-old-philosopher-said-to-monsieur-coignard-a-reverend-father-you/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [A people living under the perpetual menace of war and invasion is very easy to govern. It demands no social reform. It does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/a-people-living-under-the-perpetual-menace-of-war-and-invasion-is/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/until-one-has-loved-an-animal-a-part-of-one-s-soul-remains-unawakened/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [The faculty of doubting is rare among men. A few choice spirits carry the germs of it in them, but these do not develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/the-faculty-of-doubting-is-rare-among-men-a-few-choice-spirits-carry/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [When a thing has been said and well said, have no scruple; take it and copy it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/when-a-thing-has-been-said-and-well-said-have-no-scruple-take-it-and/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [Without the utopians of other times, men would still live in caves, miserable and naked;...utopia is the principle of all progress, adn the essay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/without-the-utopians-of-other-times-men-would-still-live-in-caves/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) [Explore all 228 Anatole France quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anatole France" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-were-never-to-dream/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-were-never-to-dream/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2eb/anatole-france-1443_dream_existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-wer_302236.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Existence would be intolerable if we were never to dream” — Anatole France", "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": "Anatole France", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Existence would be intolerable if we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-were-never-to-dream/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/existence-would-be-intolerable-if-we-were-never-to-dream/#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 } } ] } ```