--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is required of every man,\" the ghost…" description: "\"It is required of every man,\" the ghost returned, \"that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/charles-dickens-34_after-death_it-is-required-of-every-man-the-ghost-re_1220646.jpg" --- # It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that… ![“It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/charles-dickens-34_after-death_it-is-required-of-every-man-the-ghost-re_1220646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/charles-dickens-34_after-death_it-is-required-of-every-man-the-ghost-re_1220646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e83/charles-dickens-34_after-death_it-is-required-of-every-man-the-ghost-re_1220646.jpg) > “It is required of every man," the ghost returned, "that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.” [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. A person must act in the world and help others while alive; otherwise, they are doomed to continue the same inaction after death. **In simple terms:** Live and act now, not later. Key Takeaway Act now, help others. Themes responsibility action legacy Mood reflective determined Type moral inspirational When to use this quote - community service - career leadership - volunteering - daily kindness Key Concepts existentialism social duty Questions to Reflect On - What actions will you take today? - How do you balance personal goals with helping others? A Different Perspective If one cannot act in life, the afterlife may repeat the same stagnation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [After death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after-death/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fellow man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fellow-man/) [Ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [There are some upon this earth of yours,' returned the Spirit, 'who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-are-some-upon-this-earth-of-yours-returned-the-spirit-who-lay/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The deterioration of symbols is natural. 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I'd rather not think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/i-m-always-curious-about-what-happens-when-we-die-and-i-d-like-to/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [“The blast blew a hole in the smack middle of the strange Utopia vision before him and shook the dust out of the plywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-fisher/the-blast-blew-a-hole-in-the-smack-middle-of-the-strange-utopia/) [Casey Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-fisher/) > [In transition I think the spirit goes somewhere, but I don't think it leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-simpson/in-transition-i-think-the-spirit-goes-somewhere-but-i-don-t-think-it/) [Valerie Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-simpson/) > [“Truly I have looked into the very heart of darkness, and refused to yield to its paralyzing influence, but in spirit I am one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/truly-i-have-looked-into-the-very-heart-of-darkness-and-refused-to/) [helen keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“I am awake to the spirit within and walk with faith and grace beside me. Within this vibrant space, I am free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-livon/i-am-awake-to-the-spirit-within-and-walk-with-faith-and-grace-beside/) [Jodi Livon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-livon/) > [“There’s a sweet promise to giving up, but realizing that demands a journey. One of spirit. 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Men who look on nature,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/such-is-the-influence-which-the-condition-of-our-own-thoughts/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [For days after death hair and fingernails continue to grow, but phone calls taper off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/for-days-after-death-hair-and-fingernails-continue-to-grow-but-phone/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [After death there is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/after-death-there-is-nothing/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The world of imagination is the world of eternity. It is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after death of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-world-of-imagination-is-the-world-of-eternity-it-is-the-divine/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## 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. 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