Darkness Quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky
“Where is it I've read that someone condemned to death says or thinks, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that he'd only room to stand, and the ocean, everlasting darkness, everlasting solitude, everlasting tempest around him, if he had to remain standing on a square yard of space all his life, a thousand years, eternity, it were better to live so than to die at once. Only to live, to live and live! Life, whatever it may be!”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Brothers Karamazov, 1880
Facing eternity alone feels preferable to a brief, ordinary life; endless existence can be more appealing than a fleeting death.
In simple terms: Living forever may seem better than dying quickly.
Key Takeaway
Consider the value of life’s brevity versus imagined eternity.
Themes
existence
mortality
philosophy
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
existential
literary
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- spiritual contemplation
- ethical decision‑making
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
eternal life
meaning of suffering
Questions to Reflect On
- Would endless solitude be tolerable?
- How does fear of death shape our choices?
A Different Perspective
Eternal life may not bring true fulfillment.
![“At the time of death, one says, ‘Dear Lord, extend my life for two more hours, so that a Gnani Purush [the enlightened one] comes and I can do his darshan.’ He complains in this way. Do not complain now. Why are you pleading now? When you had the control, you didn’t do anything and now that you no…” quote by Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8c9/dada-bhagwan-31_dear-lord_at-the-time-of-death-one-says-dear-lord_2185143.jpg)
