--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I must do something or I shall wear my…" description: "\"I must do something or I shall wear my heart away...\" — Charles Dickens" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg" --- # I must do something or I shall wear my heart away... ![“I must do something or I shall wear my heart away...” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg) > “I must do something or I shall wear my heart away...” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He feels compelled to act, fearing his heart will wear away without action. **In simple terms:** Need to act or lose emotional vitality. Key Takeaway Take decisive action to preserve passion. Themes action heart urgency self-care purpose Mood urgent determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - creative projects - relationship commitments - health initiatives - volunteer work Key Concepts existentialism personal agency emotional health Questions to Reflect On - What actions align with your core values? - How can you balance urgency with patience? A Different Perspective Action without reflection may lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ## Related quotes > [When I am old, I shall wear purple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-joseph/when-i-am-old-i-shall-wear-purple/) [Jenny Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-joseph/) > [I stole her heart away and put ice in its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-stole-her-heart-away-and-put-ice-in-its-place/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I certainly wear my heart on my sleeve, and I think that comes out in the characters that I play. There's a yearning, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/i-certainly-wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve-and-i-think-that-comes-out-in/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [I wear my heart on my sleeve and tell you how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/i-wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve-and-tell-you-how-it-is/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [I shall wear what I feel good in and frankly that's my choice and nobody else's business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-shall-wear-what-i-feel-good-in-and-frankly-that-s-my-choice-and/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [ “The day on which he \[Épernon\] arrives, and so long as he remains, I shall dress myself in garments which I shall never wear… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-goldstone/the-day-on-which-he-pernon-arrives-and-so-long-as-he-remains-i-shall/) [Nancy Goldstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-goldstone/) > [When I am old I shall wear midnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-i-am-old-i-shall-wear-midnight/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-joseph/when-i-am-an-old-woman-i-shall-wear-purple-with-a-red-hat-which-doesn-3/) [Jenny Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-joseph/) > [Shall I part my hair behind Do I dare to eat a peach I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/shall-i-part-my-hair-behind-do-i-dare-to-eat-a-peach-i-shall-wear/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-2/i-shall-wear-white-flannel-trousers-and-walk-upon-the-beach/) [T.S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-2/) > [Everyone seems to want more form me. I am a thoroughly disappointing girl around. I shall wear a scarlet 'D' upon my bosom for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/everyone-seems-to-want-more-form-me-i-am-a-thoroughly-disappointing/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [But shall we wear these glories for a day? Or shall they last, and we rejoice in them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-shall-we-wear-these-glories-for-a-day-or-shall-they-last-and-we/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“I grow old … I grow old … I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot-4/i-grow-old-i-grow-old-i-shall-wear-the-bottoms-of-my-trousers-rolled/) [T.S Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot-4/) > [“When I am an old woman I shall wear purple with a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-joseph/when-i-am-an-old-woman-i-shall-wear-purple-with-a-red-hat-which-doesn/) [Jenny Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-joseph/) > [Cersei Lannister: I shall wear this as a badge of honor. Robert Barathon: Wear it in silence or I'll honor you again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cersei-lannister-i-shall-wear-this-as-a-badge-of-honor-robert/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I must do something or I shall wear my heart away...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-heart-away/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-heart-away/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc5/charles-dickens-34_heart_i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-h_1780257.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I must do something or I shall wear my heart away...” — Charles Dickens", "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": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I must do something or I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-heart-away/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-must-do-something-or-i-shall-wear-my-heart-away/#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 } } ] } ```