Death Quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky
““Where is it.. where is it I have 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, how true it is.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1880
Enduring an endless, confined existence is preferable to a brief, uncertain death; the desire to live outweighs fear of suffering.
In simple terms: Living forever is seen as better than dying soon.
Key Takeaway
Value life, even in hardship.
Themes
existence
mortality
resilience
Mood
somber
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
literary
existential
When to use this quote
- prison sentences
- loneliness
- terminal illness
- war captivity
Key Concepts
philosophical
existential
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to truly value life?
- When might choosing death be a rational act?
A Different Perspective
Endless life may become unbearable, and the desire for death can be a natural response to suffering.
