--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They did not strive to gain knowledge of…" description: "\"“They did not strive to gain knowledge of life as we strive to understand it, because their lives were full. But their knowledge was higher and deeper ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_life_they-did-not-strive-to-gain-knowledge-of_2073816.png" --- # They did not strive to gain knowledge of life as we strive… ![“They did not strive to gain knowledge of life as we strive to understand it, because their lives were full. But their knowledge was higher and deeper than the knowledge we derive from our science; for our science seeks to explain what life is and strives to understand it in order to teach others…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_life_they-did-not-strive-to-gain-knowledge-of_2073816.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_life_they-did-not-strive-to-gain-knowledge-of_2073816.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c25/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_life_they-did-not-strive-to-gain-knowledge-of_2073816.png) > ““They did not strive to gain knowledge of life as we strive to understand it, because their lives were full. But their knowledge was higher and deeper than the knowledge we derive from our science; for our science seeks to explain what life is and strives to understand it in order to teach others how to live, while they knew how to live without science... Oh, these people were not concerned whether I understood them or not; they loved me without it. But I knew too that they would never be able to understand me, and for that reason I hardly ever spoke to them of it. It remained somehow beyond the grasp of my reason, and yet it sank unconsciously deeper and deeper into my heart. I often told them that I had had a presentiment of it years ago and that all that joy and glory has been perceived by me while I was still back there as a nostalgic yearning, bordering at times on unendurably poignant sorrow; that I had had a presentiment of all of them and of their glory in the dreams of my heart and the reveries of my soul; and that I could often not look at the setting sun without tears. I was overpowered by the mere sensation of that dream and it alone survived in my sorely wounded heart.”” [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. Deep, lived experience can convey wisdom beyond intellectual knowledge, highlighting the limits of rational analysis. **In simple terms:** Living experience beats theory. Key Takeaway Value lived wisdom over abstract learning. Themes wisdom experience knowledge humanity Mood melancholic poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal relationships - teaching - mental health - creative inspiration - spiritual practice Key Concepts existential insight spiritual longing Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance scientific understanding with lived experience? - What role does emotion play in true comprehension? A Different Perspective Intellectualism may miss emotional truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Setting Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-sun/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Wounded heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounded-heart/) ## Related quotes > [I care about the human race, and I strive to understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-tanton/i-care-about-the-human-race-and-i-strive-to-understand-it/) [Janice Tanton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-tanton/) > [“We should always strive to understand what makes us feel bad... before we feel bad, if possible. 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But their knowledge was higher and deeper than the knowledge we derive from our science; for our science seeks to explain what life is and strives to understand it in order to teach others how to live, while they knew how to live without science... Oh, these people were not concerned whether I understood them or not; they loved me without it. But I knew too that they would never be able to understand me, and for that reason I hardly ever spoke to them of it. It remained somehow beyond the grasp of my reason, and yet it sank unconsciously deeper and deeper into my heart. I often told them that I had had a presentiment of it years ago and that all that joy and glory has been perceived by me while I was still back there as a nostalgic yearning, bordering at times on unendurably poignant sorrow; that I had had a presentiment of all of them and of their glory in the dreams of my heart and the reveries of my soul; and that I could often not look at the setting sun without tears. 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