---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is in ourselves and not in the…"
description: "\"Life is in ourselves and not in the external.\" — Fyodor Dostoevsky"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png"
---

#  Life is in ourselves and not in the external.

![“Life is in ourselves and not in the external.” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png)

> “Life is in ourselves and not in the external.”

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True existence is found within oneself, not in external circumstances or possessions.

**In simple terms:** Life lives inside us.

Key Takeaway

Look inward for meaning.

Themes

existence inner life philosophy

Mood

contemplative serene

Type

philosophical introspective

When to use this quote

- meditation
- artistic creation
- loneliness

Key Concepts

self‑realization spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

- What inner resources sustain you?
- How do external events affect your inner self?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Deep thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

## Related quotes

> [“Life everywhere is life, life is in ourselves and not in the external. There will be people near me, and to be a human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/life-everywhere-is-life-life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-external/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“The only way to get to where you want to go is to ruthlessly evaluate your where you are now. The key here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-hankel/the-only-way-to-get-to-where-you-want-to-go-is-to-ruthlessly-evaluate/)

[Isaiah Hankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-hankel/)

> [“You've the lion share to determine how far you can go in life more than any other external factor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/you-ve-the-lion-share-to-determine-how-far-you-can-go-in-life-more/)

[Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/)

> [Brother, I’m not depressed and haven’t lost spirit. Life everywhere is life, life is in ourselves and not in the external. There will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/brother-i-m-not-depressed-and-haven-t-lost-spirit-life-everywhere-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you're getting your guidance about who you are and what to do with your life only from the external world, then by definition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/if-you-re-getting-your-guidance-about-who-you-are-and-what-to-do-with/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

> [My life has been full of external tragedies and if they have not left any visible effect on me, I owe it to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/my-life-has-been-full-of-external-tragedies-and-if-they-have-not-left/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Our internal life and external actions are steered by biological coctails to which we have neither immediate access nor direct acquaintance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/our-internal-life-and-external-actions-are-steered-by-biological/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [ “The meaning of worldly life is external problems \[upadhi, problems arising out of external situations\]. There is nothing in it which belongs to us.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/the-meaning-of-worldly-life-is-external-problems-upadhi-problems/)

[Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/)

> [“The spiritual director should not reduce his attention to the internal life because of external occupations, nor should he relinquish his care for external…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-gregory-i/the-spiritual-director-should-not-reduce-his-attention-to-the/)

[Pope Gregory I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-gregory-i/)

> [All human beings seek the happy life, but many confuse the means - for example, wealth and status - with that life itself. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-human-beings-seek-the-happy-life-but-many-confuse-the-means-for/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Life is the external text, the burning bush by the edge of the path from which God speaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/life-is-the-external-text-the-burning-bush-by-the-edge-of-the-path/)

[Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/)

> [The biggest (and hardest) lesson I've learned in life is that the external world is just a reflection of the world within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hsieh/the-biggest-and-hardest-lesson-i-ve-learned-in-life-is-that-the/)

[Tony Hsieh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hsieh/)

> [Are you going to be just kind of a walking monument to a job, or are you going to have some kind of really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/are-you-going-to-be-just-kind-of-a-walking-monument-to-a-job-or-are/)

[Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/)

> [Money is the currency of life because it is the external measurement system that all of us have as to how we judge where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/money-is-the-currency-of-life-because-it-is-the-external-measurement/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Beauty would save the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/beauty-would-save-the-world/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

## More by Fyodor Dostoevsky

> [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [... you are a man still young, so to say, in your first youth and so put intellect above everything ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-are-a-man-still-young-so-to-say-in-your-first-youth-and-so-put/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“There is only one salvation for you: take yourself up, and make yourself responsible for all the sins of men. For indeed it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-only-one-salvation-for-you-take-yourself-up-and-make/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“It is true I am a complete stranger to these people, but they are not strangers to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-is-true-i-am-a-complete-stranger-to-these-people-but-they-are-not/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [Everything seems stupid when it fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/everything-seems-stupid-when-it-fails/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [Love to throw yourself on the earth and kiss it. Kiss the earth and love it with an unceasing, consuming love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-to-throw-yourself-on-the-earth-and-kiss-it-kiss-the-earth-and/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [They have this social justification for every nasty thing they do!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/they-have-this-social-justification-for-every-nasty-thing-they-do/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [Be the sun and all will see you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/be-the-sun-and-all-will-see-you/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/if-you-are-penitent-you-love-and-if-you-love-you-are-of-god-all/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“To kill for murder is a punishment incomparably worse than the crime itself. Murder by legal sentence is immeasurably more terrible than murder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/to-kill-for-murder-is-a-punishment-incomparably-worse-than-the-crime/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“You magnify your failure to a crime, Vasya.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/you-magnify-your-failure-to-a-crime-vasya/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [The death of a child is the greatest reason to doubt the existence of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-death-of-a-child-is-the-greatest-reason-to-doubt-the-existence-of/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [In a way there's only a fine shade of difference between the healthy and the deranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/in-a-way-there-s-only-a-fine-shade-of-difference-between-the-healthy/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“Now answer me, sincerely, honestly, who lives past forty? I'll tell you who does: fools and scoundrels.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/now-answer-me-sincerely-honestly-who-lives-past-forty-i-ll-tell-you/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“There are crimes that are truly uncomely. With crimes, whatever they may be, the more blood, the more horror there is, the more imposing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-are-crimes-that-are-truly-uncomely-with-crimes-whatever-they/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

[Explore all 642 Fyodor Dostoevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

## More Deep thought quotes

> [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I had always assumed that the right way to do it was to these engineers, put them in offices by themselves with doors that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/i-had-always-assumed-that-the-right-way-to-do-it-was-to-these/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [The amount you give isn't important. What matters is what that amount represents in terms of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/the-amount-you-give-isn-t-important-what-matters-is-what-that-amount/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-light-changed-from-red-to-green-to-yellow-and-back-to-red/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never knew an early-rising, hard-working, prudent man, careful of his earnings, and strictly honest who complained of bad luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/i-never-knew-an-early-rising-hard-working-prudent-man-careful-of-his/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [The biggest battle in life is with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-biggest-battle-in-life-is-with-yourself/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [Be bold in your caring, and be bold in your dreaming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/be-bold-in-your-caring-and-be-bold-in-your-dreaming/)

[George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/)

> [Sometimes I wonder if I'm patriotic enough. Yes, I want to kill people, but on both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-i-wonder-if-i-m-patriotic-enough-yes-i-want-to-kill-people/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I don't understand people who say life is a mystery, because what is it they want to know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-don-t-understand-people-who-say-life-is-a-mystery-because-what-is/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I guess I kinda lost control, because in the middle of the play I ran up and lit the evil puppet villain on fire.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-guess-i-kinda-lost-control-because-in-the-middle-of-the-play-i-ran/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's probably not a good idea to be chewing on a toothpick if you're talking to the president, because what if he tells a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-probably-not-a-good-idea-to-be-chewing-on-a-toothpick-if-you-re/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I release all criticism. I only give out that which I wish to receive in return. My love and acceptance of others is mirrored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/i-release-all-criticism-i-only-give-out-that-which-i-wish-to-receive/)

[Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/)

> [Probably to a shark, about the funniest thing there is is a wounded seal, trying to swim to shore, because WHERE DOES HE THINK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/probably-to-a-shark-about-the-funniest-thing-there-is-is-a-wounded/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

> [I wish I lived back in the Old West days, because I'd save up my money for about twenty years so I could buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/i-wish-i-lived-back-in-the-old-west-days-because-i-d-save-up-my-money/)

[Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/)

[Browse all 683 Deep thought quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-thought/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Life is in ourselves and not in the external.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-external/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Deep thought"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-external/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/378/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_deep-thought_life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-exte_936915.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life is in ourselves and not in the external.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky",
                "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": "Fyodor Dostoevsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Life is in ourselves and not...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-external/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/life-is-in-ourselves-and-not-in-the-external/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
