---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But should it matter what we do as long…"
description: "\"“But should it matter what we do as long as we use our strength courageously and lead a life without desperation to the end? Isn't it wrong to escape, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg"
---

#  But should it matter what we do as long as we use our…

![“But should it matter what we do as long as we use our strength courageously and lead a life without desperation to the end? Isn't it wrong to escape, make a detour and be lost, all of which have led me here to the farthest-flung edge of the world? Wouldn't I have had a good courageous life if only…” quote by Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg)

> ““But should it matter what we do as long as we use our strength courageously and lead a life without desperation to the end? Isn't it wrong to escape, make a detour and be lost, all of which have led me here to the farthest-flung edge of the world? Wouldn't I have had a good courageous life if only I had been able to resist sickness and fear? Will I be made to face the consequences just because I had nothing to counter a nameless and agonizing desperation?””

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote reflects existential anxiety about courage, desperation, and the desire to avoid a life defined by fear and illness.

**In simple terms:** Worried about living bravely despite fear and illness.

Key Takeaway

Embrace courage, confront fear, seek purpose.

Themes

existentialism courage desperation health purpose

Mood

anxious reflective

Type

philosophical existential

When to use this quote

- facing illness
- making life choices
- overcoming fear
- seeking purpose

Key Concepts

human condition resilience meaning existential angst

Questions to Reflect On

- What does courage mean when faced with illness?
- How can one find purpose amid desperation?

A Different Perspective

Life may still be marked by uncertainty despite courage.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) [Courageous Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous-life-3033665/) [Courageously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageously/) [Edge of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edge-of-the-world/) [Good Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-courageous-959775/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Strength Courageously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-courageously-3033664/)

## Related quotes

> [My whole thing is, I've got to be as good, as courageous as what's written on the page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/my-whole-thing-is-i-ve-got-to-be-as-good-as-courageous-as-what-s/)

[Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/)

> [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“Honesty, vulnerability and a good amount of courageous faith allows you to cry out in your bewilderment and not lose your belief in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bono/honesty-vulnerability-and-a-good-amount-of-courageous-faith-allows/)

[Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bono/)

> [Nothing seemed as scary as waking up at 40 and realizing that I had not lived a very courageous life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/nothing-seemed-as-scary-as-waking-up-at-40-and-realizing-that-i-had/)

[Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/)

> [“Dare to courageous in life. You have nothing to lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/dare-to-courageous-in-life-you-have-nothing-to-lose/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Happy are those who dare courageously to defend what they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/happy-are-those-who-dare-courageously-to-defend-what-they-love/)

[Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/)

> [For those who are so courageously battling these terrible diseases, the least we can do is not stand in their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/for-those-who-are-so-courageously-battling-these-terrible-diseases/)

[Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/)

> ['SpongeBob SquarePants' is a great show, and it centers on a character that is courageously nice. Why is SpongeBob interesting? It's because he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/spongebob-squarepants-is-a-great-show-and-it-centers-on-a-character/)

[Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/)

> [She had looked her duty courageously in the face and found it a friend - as duty ever is when we meet it frankly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-had-looked-her-duty-courageously-in-the-face-and-found-it-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Michelle Obama is a powerful example of someone who has learned how to align her actions with her values, manage boundaries across domains of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-d-friedman/michelle-obama-is-a-powerful-example-of-someone-who-has-learned-how/)

[Stewart D. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-d-friedman/)

> [“Spiritual assets allow us to see more clearly, love more deeply, and act more courageously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-maurer/spiritual-assets-allow-us-to-see-more-clearly-love-more-deeply-and/)

[Daniel D. Maurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-maurer/)

> [“Often misconstrued, authenticity is not about being an open book, revealing every detail of yourself without rhyme or reason. It is simply the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-edmund-miller/often-misconstrued-authenticity-is-not-about-being-an-open-book/)

[Scott Edmund Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-edmund-miller/)

> [“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/you-were-put-on-this-earth-to-achieve-your-greatest-self-to-live-out/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [“You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taite-adams/you-will-find-peace-not-by-trying-to-escape-your-problems-but-by/)

[Taite Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taite-adams/)

> [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/)

[Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/)

## More by Annemarie Schwarzenbach

> [“If you wish to know the state of a people, turn to its youth: here, nothing is disfigured yet, they express themselves in ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/if-you-wish-to-know-the-state-of-a-people-turn-to-its-youth-here/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“What does it help me now to think back on the reeling despair that seized me and declare it a mistake! Should I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/what-does-it-help-me-now-to-think-back-on-the-reeling-despair-that/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“This book will bring little joy to the reader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/this-book-will-bring-little-joy-to-the-reader/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“Our life is like a journey…’ – and so the journey seems to me less an adventure and a foray into unusual realms than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/our-life-is-like-a-journey-and-so-the-journey-seems-to-me-less-an/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“Fear? Back then, I didn't even realize what that new feeling was. Later, when it overwhelmed me and almost pulled me under, I understood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/fear-back-then-i-didn-t-even-realize-what-that-new-feeling-was-later/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“Do I often think of Sibylle? I'd say that I don't know. I don't think about her but I haven't forgotten her for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/do-i-often-think-of-sibylle-i-d-say-that-i-don-t-know-i-don-t-think/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“In the end, one can only die for Sibylle. To love for her, my friends say, is degrading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/in-the-end-one-can-only-die-for-sibylle-to-love-for-her-my-friends/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“One sometimes clings tightly to pain, to bitter home-sickness and bitter regret, but one forgets one's guilt; in vain, you might think back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/one-sometimes-clings-tightly-to-pain-to-bitter-home-sickness-and/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“The simultaneity of near and far confused me; I thought it possible to find the past, the present and the future united in one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/the-simultaneity-of-near-and-far-confused-me-i-thought-it-possible-to/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“It seemed just as clear to me that I would never pick up a pen again, fill a page with writing. The profession seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/it-seemed-just-as-clear-to-me-that-i-would-never-pick-up-a-pen-again/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“Perhaps my sense of reality is not very highly developed, perhaps I lack a sound and reassuring instinct for the solid facts of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/perhaps-my-sense-of-reality-is-not-very-highly-developed-perhaps-i/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

> [“On a journey the face of reality changes with the mountains and rivers, with the architecture of the buildings, the layout of the gardens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/on-a-journey-the-face-of-reality-changes-with-the-mountains-and/)

[Annemarie Schwarzenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

[Explore all 13 Annemarie Schwarzenbach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/)

## More Courage quotes

> [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/)

[Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/)

> [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/)

[Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/)

> [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/)

[Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/)

> [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/)

[James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/)

[Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/)

> [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/)

[Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/)

> [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/)

[Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/)

> [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/)

[Kristen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-armstrong/)

> [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/)

[Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/)

> [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/)

[Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/)

> [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/)

[Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/)

[Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“But should it matter what we do as long as we use our strength courageously and lead a life without desperation to the end? Isn't it wrong to escape, make a detour and be lost, all of which have led me here to the farthest-flung edge of the world? Wouldn't I have had a good courageous life if only I had been able to resist sickness and fear? Will I be made to face the consequences just because I had nothing to counter a nameless and agonizing desperation?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Annemarie Schwarzenbach"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long-as-we-use-our-strength/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Courage"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long-as-we-use-our-strength/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/669/annemarie-schwarzenbach-32829_courage_but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long_1932614.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But should it matter what we do as long as we use our strength courageously and lead a life without…” — Annemarie Schwarzenbach",
                "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": "Annemarie Schwarzenbach",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annemarie-schwarzenbach/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“But should it matter what we...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long-as-we-use-our-strength/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annemarie-schwarzenbach/but-should-it-matter-what-we-do-as-long-as-we-use-our-strength/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
