--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the whole world there is no deeper, no…" description: "\"“In the whole world there is no deeper, no mightier literary work. This is, so far, the last and greatest expression of human thought... And if the wor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/dostoyevsky-31387_human-thought_in-the-whole-world-there-is-no-deeper-no_2767288.jpg" --- # In the whole world there is no deeper, no mightier… ![“In the whole world there is no deeper, no mightier literary work. This is, so far, the last and greatest expression of human thought... And if the world were to come to an end, and people were asked there, somewhere: “Did you understand your life on earth, and what conclusions have you drawn from…” quote by Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/dostoyevsky-31387_human-thought_in-the-whole-world-there-is-no-deeper-no_2767288.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/dostoyevsky-31387_human-thought_in-the-whole-world-there-is-no-deeper-no_2767288.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a41/dostoyevsky-31387_human-thought_in-the-whole-world-there-is-no-deeper-no_2767288.jpg) > ““In the whole world there is no deeper, no mightier literary work. This is, so far, the last and greatest expression of human thought... And if the world were to come to an end, and people were asked there, somewhere: “Did you understand your life on earth, and what conclusions have you drawn from it?”—man could silently hand over Don Quijote. (The Diary of a Writer, cited in Gilman, 76)”” [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage elevates "Don Quixote" as the pinnacle of literary achievement, suggesting it encapsulates humanity's deepest insights and would be the ultimate legacy. **In simple terms:** Don Quixote is seen as humanity's greatest literary work. Key Takeaway Consider the lasting impact of great literature. Themes literature legacy humanity meaning existential philosophy Mood reflective admiring introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - education - literary criticism - personal contemplation - public discourse Key Concepts Canon formation cultural memory existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - Why is Don Quixote deemed supreme? - What makes a work timeless? A Different Perspective Other works may also claim profound insight, challenging singular claims. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conclusions Drawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conclusions-drawn-2501677/) [Don Quijote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-quijote-222822/) [Greatest Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-expression-3215937/) [Human thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-thought/) [Literary criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-criticism/) [Literary work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-work/) [Quixote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quixote/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) [World Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-deeper-1338130/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) ## Related quotes > [Because you make a world that didn't exist before, and you can go into that world deeper and deeper. It's unbounded out there. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/because-you-make-a-world-that-didn-t-exist-before-and-you-can-go-into/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [Creativity is the greatest expression of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/creativity-is-the-greatest-expression-of-liberty/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [The greatest expression of rebellion is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/the-greatest-expression-of-rebellion-is-joy/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“Ésa es natural condición de mujeres -dijo don Quijote-: desdeñar a quien las quiere y amar a quien las aborrece. Pasa adelante, Sancho.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/sa-es-natural-condici-n-de-mujeres-dijo-don-quijote-desde-ar-a-quien/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [“Ésa es natural condición de mujeres —dijo don Quijote—: desdeñar a quien las quiere y amar a quien las aborrece.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/esa-es-natural-condicion-de-mujeres-dijo-don-quijote-desdenar-a-quien/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Destiny guides our fortunes more favorably than we could have expected. Look there, Sancho Panza, my friend, and see those thirty or so wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/destiny-guides-our-fortunes-more-favorably-than-we-could-have/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“...aunque pusieron silencio a las lenguas, no le pudieron poner a las plumas, las cuales, con más libertad que las lenguas, suelen dar a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/aunque-pusieron-silencio-a-las-lenguas-no-le-pudieron-poner-a-las/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [“Una golondrina no hace verano" de Don Quijote de la Mancha”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/una-golondrina-no-hace-verano-de-don-quijote-de-la-mancha/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [If the prior distribution, at which I am frankly guessing, has little or no effect on the result, then why bother; and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hamming/if-the-prior-distribution-at-which-i-am-frankly-guessing-has-little/) [Richard Hamming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hamming/) > [Words can be meaningless. If they are used in such a way that no sharp conclusions can be drawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-p-feynman/words-can-be-meaningless-if-they-are-used-in-such-a-way-that-no-sharp/) [Richard P. Feynman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-p-feynman/) > [While many conclusions are drawn... the process of asking questions is more important than the answers... an ongoing process of discovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-caponigro/while-many-conclusions-are-drawn-the-process-of-asking-questions-is/) [John Paul Caponigro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paul-caponigro/) > [Nothing before had ever made me thoroughly realise, though I had read various scientific books, that science consists in grouping facts so that general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/nothing-before-had-ever-made-me-thoroughly-realise-though-i-had-read/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [On the whole, however, the conclusions I have drawn from the proofs quoted may, I believe, safely be relied on. Assuredly they will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/on-the-whole-however-the-conclusions-i-have-drawn-from-the-proofs/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [These are not vague inferences . . . but they are solid conclusions drawn from the natural and necessary progress of human affairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/these-are-not-vague-inferences-but-they-are-solid-conclusions-drawn/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [“Drawing Conclusions I do not know the way to act like something that I'm not (this haiku's off two beats now -it's much harder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-yeh/drawing-conclusions-i-do-not-know-the-way-to-act-like-something-that/) [Kat Yeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-yeh/) ## More by Dostoyevsky > [“You have become her sadness and live in a different state of mind”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/you-have-become-her-sadness-and-live-in-a-different-state-of-mind/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Oh, those grumblers! They all take principles as motives and dare not follow their desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/oh-those-grumblers-they-all-take-principles-as-motives-and-dare-not/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“In place of dialectics, life had arrived.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/in-place-of-dialectics-life-had-arrived/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“One of the characters in our story, Gavril Ardalionovitch Ivolgin, belonged to the other category; he belonged to the category of "much cleverer" people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/one-of-the-characters-in-our-story-gavril-ardalionovitch-ivolgin/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Ja na sve pristajem, samo nek je meni dobro.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/ja-na-sve-pristajem-samo-nek-je-meni-dobro/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“We degrade God too much, ascribing to him our ideas, in vexation at being unable to understand Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/we-degrade-god-too-much-ascribing-to-him-our-ideas-in-vexation-at/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“An elder was one who took your soul, your will, into his soul and his will. When you choose an elder, you renounce your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/an-elder-was-one-who-took-your-soul-your-will-into-his-soul-and-his/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Consciousness is man's greatest misfortune, still I know that man loves it and will not exchange it for any satisfactions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/consciousness-is-man-s-greatest-misfortune-still-i-know-that-man/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“There is, indeed, nothing more vexing than to be, for example, rich, of good family, of decent appearance, fairly well educated, not stupid, rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/there-is-indeed-nothing-more-vexing-than-to-be-for-example-rich-of/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Glupan koji je postao svestan da je glupan nije vise glupan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/glupan-koji-je-postao-svestan-da-je-glupan-nije-vise-glupan/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“When I am upstairs in my little garret I have only to remember and imagine the rustle of your dress, and I am ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/when-i-am-upstairs-in-my-little-garret-i-have-only-to-remember-and/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Tyranny is a habit; it may develop, and it does develop at last, into a disease. I maintain that the very best of men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/tyranny-is-a-habit-it-may-develop-and-it-does-develop-at-last-into-a/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“...Imagine that you yourself are building the edifice of human destiny with the object of making people happy in the finale, of giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/imagine-that-you-yourself-are-building-the-edifice-of-human-destiny/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Here we have bookish dreams, a heart unhinged by theories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/here-we-have-bookish-dreams-a-heart-unhinged-by-theories/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) > [“Tajna covecjeg zivota nije u tome da samo zivi, vec u tome zasto zivi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoyevsky/tajna-covecjeg-zivota-nije-u-tome-da-samo-zivi-vec-u-tome-zasto-zivi/) [Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) [Explore all 16 Dostoyevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoyevsky/) ## More Human thought quotes > [The everlasting universe of things Flows through the mind, and rolls its rapid waves, Now dark--now glittering--now reflecting gloom-- Now lending splendour, where from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/the-everlasting-universe-of-things-flows-through-the-mind-and-rolls/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [The velocity of light occupies an extraordinary place in modern physics. It is lèse-majesté to make any criticism of the velocity of light. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-standen/the-velocity-of-light-occupies-an-extraordinary-place-in-modern/) [Anthony Standen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-standen/) > [Spirit of BEAUTY, that dost consecrate With thine own hues all thou dost shine upon Of human thought or form, where art thou gone?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/spirit-of-beauty-that-dost-consecrate-with-thine-own-hues-all-thou/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Never yet has a God been defined in terms which were not palpably self-contradictory and absurd; never yet has a God been described so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-besant/never-yet-has-a-god-been-defined-in-terms-which-were-not-palpably/) [Annie Besant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-besant/) > [ \[One task of intellectuals is\] to break down the stereotypes and reductive categories that are . . . limiting to human thought and communication. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/one-task-of-intellectuals-is-to-break-down-the-stereotypes-and/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Just as a pool of water cannot reflect the sky overhead when it is restless and disturbed, so we can never get a perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hegan-rice/just-as-a-pool-of-water-cannot-reflect-the-sky-overhead-when-it-is/) [Alice Hegan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hegan-rice/) > [Today, when you combine the web with the iPad, you have the most advanced medium for human thought and communication ever created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccue/today-when-you-combine-the-web-with-the-ipad-you-have-the-most/) [Mike McCue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccue/) > [The publication in 1859 of the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin made a marked epoch in my own mental development, as it did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-galton/the-publication-in-1859-of-the-origin-of-species-by-charles-darwin/) [Francis Galton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-galton/) > [There are no hierarchies in nature other than those imposed by hierarchical modes of human thought, but rather differences merely in function between and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/there-are-no-hierarchies-in-nature-other-than-those-imposed-by/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [Mind is the great lever of all things; human thought is the process by which human ends are ultimately answered; and the diffusion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster/mind-is-the-great-lever-of-all-things-human-thought-is-the-process-by/) [Daniel Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster/) > [Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another--physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/along-with-the-idea-of-romantic-love-she-was-introduced-to-another/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [As soon as the printing press started flooding Europe with books, people were complaining that there were too many books and that it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gleick/as-soon-as-the-printing-press-started-flooding-europe-with-books/) [James Gleick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gleick/) > [“Human thought elaborates itself with the progress of intelligence. Speech is the harvest of thought,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grenville-kleiser/human-thought-elaborates-itself-with-the-progress-of-intelligence/) [Grenville Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grenville-kleiser/) > [ Far from being the crown of human thought and religion as its supporters have claimed for several bloody millennia, \[monotheism\] is in fact a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bonewits/far-from-being-the-crown-of-human-thought-and-religion-as-its/) [Isaac Bonewits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bonewits/) [Browse all 162 Human thought quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-thought/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the whole world there is no deeper, no mightier literary work. This is, so far, the last and greatest expression of human thought... 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