--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is tormented by no greater anxiety…" description: "\"Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creatu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg" --- # Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find… ![“Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born.” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg) > “Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born.” [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. People fear losing freedom, so they seek to give it to others quickly, fearing the responsibility it brings. **In simple terms:** Freedom is both a gift and a burden. Key Takeaway Guard your freedom, don’t rush to give it away. Themes freedom anxiety responsibility human nature Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - personal relationships - political leadership - mentical dilemmas Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom truly mean to you? - How do you balance liberty with responsibility? A Different Perspective Giving freedom can create dependence or misuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [I tell Thee that man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find some one quickly to whom he can hand over that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-tell-thee-that-man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-than-to-find/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Cruel irony, the poor man tormented with hunger feeds those who plead his case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/cruel-irony-the-poor-man-tormented-with-hunger-feeds-those-who-plead/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Gentlemen, I am tormented by questions; answer them for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/gentlemen-i-am-tormented-by-questions-answer-them-for-me/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“I am not a creature that was born. I am a fire that was set.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-june-woods/i-am-not-a-creature-that-was-born-i-am-a-fire-that-was-set/) Sara June Woods > [The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-truly-creative-mind-in-any-field-is-no-more-than-this-a-human-4/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The creature born is the creature dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/the-creature-born-is-the-creature-dying/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [“The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanely sensitive. To them ... a touch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-truly-creative-mind-in-any-field-is-no-more-than-this-a-human-3/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/the-truly-creative-mind-in-any-field-is-no-more-than-this-a-human-2/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is the freedom to pursue their happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-k-nicholls/sometimes-the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-freedom-to/) S.K. Nicholls > [I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-don-t-have-to-tell-you-how-fragile-this-precious-gift-of-freedom-is/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“Every creature is born with a potential store of violence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-narayan/every-creature-is-born-with-a-potential-store-of-violence/) [R.K. Narayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-narayan/) > [If she took Po as her husband, she would be making promises about a future she couldn't yet see. For once she became his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/if-she-took-po-as-her-husband-she-would-be-making-promises-about-a/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [When you forgive, you're not doing God a favor, you are giving yourself the gift of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/when-you-forgive-you-re-not-doing-god-a-favor-you-are-giving-yourself/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [“She felt like a creature born to reside on the bottom of the ocean floor, dark and flat and half-blind, slowly rising through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jewell/she-felt-like-a-creature-born-to-reside-on-the-bottom-of-the-ocean/) [Lisa Jewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jewell/) > [“Never, even among animals, does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey. That is only seen among men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/never-even-among-animals-does-the-creature-born-to-be-a-dove-change/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## 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 Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) Nagisa Tatsumi > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“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/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift of freedom with which the ill-fated creature is born.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-than-to-find-someone-quickly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-than-to-find-someone-quickly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_anxiety_man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-t_526223.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man is tormented by no greater anxiety than to find someone quickly to whom he can hand over that great gift…” — 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": "Man is tormented by no greater...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-than-to-find-someone-quickly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/man-is-tormented-by-no-greater-anxiety-than-to-find-someone-quickly/#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 } } ] } ```