--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where is it.. where is it I have read…" description: "\"“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 ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png" --- # Where is it.. where is it I have read that someone… ![“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…” quote by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png) > ““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.”” [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. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Eternity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternity/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-life/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) ## Related quotes > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-i-ve-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death-says-or-thinks/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Where was it that I read about a man condemned to death saying or thinking, an hour before his death, that if he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/where-was-it-that-i-read-about-a-man-condemned-to-death-saying-or/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [...a condemned man who, at the hour of death, says or thinks that if the alternative were offered him of existing somewhere, on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-condemned-man-who-at-the-hour-of-death-says-or-thinks-that-if-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not going to be that hard to be in Heaven, or the Heavenly City or the Millennium, but you're going to have something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/it-s-not-going-to-be-that-hard-to-be-in-heaven-or-the-heavenly-city/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [We get 80 years, maybe at the most 100. Trillions of years in eternity. This life is preparation for the next. This is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/we-get-80-years-maybe-at-the-most-100-trillions-of-years-in-eternity/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [“What must it be, then, to bear the manifold tortures of hell forever? Forever! For all eternity! Not for a year or an age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/what-must-it-be-then-to-bear-the-manifold-tortures-of-hell-forever/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [Now is the best time to start becoming the person we eventually want to be—not only 20 years from now but also for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/now-is-the-best-time-to-start-becoming-the-person-we-eventually-want/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [People accuse me of going overboard preparing for my first ten million years in eternity; in my opinion, people go overboard in worrying about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/people-accuse-me-of-going-overboard-preparing-for-my-first-ten/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“Last and crowning torture of all the tortures of that awful place is the eternity of hell. Eternity! O, dread and dire word. Eternity!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/last-and-crowning-torture-of-all-the-tortures-of-that-awful-place-is/) [James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/) > [A billion years or so into eternity, how many toys we accumulated during this life will not seem too terribly important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-a-carson/a-billion-years-or-so-into-eternity-how-many-toys-we-accumulated/) [D. A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [“That’s What the Dead Do That’s what the dead do. The ones who’ve died, who’ve given up their lives, who’ve died for us so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dara-wier/that-s-what-the-dead-do-that-s-what-the-dead-do-the-ones-who-ve-died/) [Dara Wier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dara-wier/) > [“A famous artist is approached by a student. "You don't remember me," the student says correctly, "but years ago you said something that changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hempel/a-famous-artist-is-approached-by-a-student-you-don-t-remember-me-the/) [Amy Hempel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-hempel/) > [Being scared to death when someone says "Oh! I heard something about you!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-scared-to-death-when-someone-says-oh-i-heard-something-about-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My liveliness is based on an incredible fear of death. In order to keep death at bay, I do a lot of "Yah! Yah!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/my-liveliness-is-based-on-an-incredible-fear-of-death-in-order-to/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) ## 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 Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f07/fyodor-dostoevsky-342_death_where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that_1144922.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Where is it.. where is it I have read that someone condemned to death says or thinks, an hour before his…” — 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": "“Where is it.. where is it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/where-is-it-where-is-it-i-have-read-that-someone-condemned-to-death/#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 } } ] } ```