--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's precisely in despair that you find…" description: "\"“It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense pleasure, especially if you are already powerfully conscious of the hopelessness of your pred..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg" --- # It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense… ![“It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense pleasure, especially if you are already powerfully conscious of the hopelessness of your predicament.” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg) > ““It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense pleasure, especially if you are already powerfully conscious of the hopelessness of your predicament.”” [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair can intensify pleasure when one is acutely aware of hopelessness. **In simple terms:** Despair can heighten pleasure. Key Takeaway Explore feelings deeply. Themes despair pleasure consciousness Mood melancholic introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - art creation - philosophical reflection - catharsis Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why does suffering amplify joy? - Can awareness transform despair? A Different Perspective Pleasure may be fleeting and tied to suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Hopelessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopelessness/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) ## Related quotes > [“In despair there are the most intense enjoyments, especially when one is acutely conscious of the hopelessness of one's position.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/in-despair-there-are-the-most-intense-enjoyments-especially-when-one/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“But it's in despair that you discover the most intense pleasure, especially when you are acutely conscious of the hopelessness of your predicament.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/but-it-s-in-despair-that-you-discover-the-most-intense-pleasure/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“there are the most intense enjoyments, especially when one is very acutely conscious of the hopelessness of one's position.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/there-are-the-most-intense-enjoyments-especially-when-one-is-very/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...despair can hold the most intense sorts of pleasure when one is strongly conscious of the hopelessness of one's position...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/despair-can-hold-the-most-intense-sorts-of-pleasure-when-one-is/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“I am as suspicious and prone to take offence as a humpback or a dwarf. But upon my word I sometimes have had moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-as-suspicious-and-prone-to-take-offence-as-a-humpback-or-a-dwarf/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [It is precisely the despair of our times that convinces me that a renaissance is right around the corner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/it-is-precisely-the-despair-of-our-times-that-convinces-me-that-a/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [“Možda je tada samo po snazi svojih želja i ocijenio sebe kao čovjeka kome je dozvoljeno više nego drugima.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/mo-da-je-tada-samo-po-snazi-svojih-elja-i-ocijenio-sebe-kao-ovjeka/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The poor girl ws keeping that student's letter as a precious treasure, and had run to fetch it, her only treasure, because she did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-poor-girl-ws-keeping-that-student-s-letter-as-a-precious-treasure/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“You should pass us by and forgive us our happiness," said the prince in a low voice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/you-should-pass-us-by-and-forgive-us-our-happiness-said-the-prince-in/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“And who knows (one cannot vouch for it), perhaps the whole goal mankind strives for on earth consists just in this ceaselessness of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-who-knows-one-cannot-vouch-for-it-perhaps-the-whole-goal-mankind/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Your hand is cold, mine is as hot as fire. How blind you are, Nastenka! ... Oh, how unbearable is the happy person at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/your-hand-is-cold-mine-is-as-hot-as-fire-how-blind-you-are-nastenka/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“And it was not that he seemed to have forgotten or intentionally forgiven the affront, but simply that he did not regard it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-it-was-not-that-he-seemed-to-have-forgotten-or-intentionally/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Let me add, however, that in every idea of genius or in every new human idea, or, more simply still, in every serious human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/let-me-add-however-that-in-every-idea-of-genius-or-in-every-new-human/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“for man seeks not so much God as the miraculous”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-man-seeks-not-so-much-god-as-the-miraculous/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Moreover, in order to understand any man one must be deliberate and careful to avoid forming prejudices and mistaken ideas, which are very difficult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/moreover-in-order-to-understand-any-man-one-must-be-deliberate-and/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## More by Fyodor Dostoyevsky > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Listen! I know it's not right to talk. Better to set an example, better to just start - I have already started - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/listen-i-know-it-s-not-right-to-talk-better-to-set-an-example-better/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“And what if there are only spiders there, or something of that sort”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-what-if-there-are-only-spiders-there-or-something-of-that-sort/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The morning was so damp and misty”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-morning-was-so-damp-and-misty/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I repeat, I repeat with emphasis: all "direct" persons and men of action are active just because they are stupid and limited. How explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-repeat-i-repeat-with-emphasis-all-direct-persons-and-men-of-action/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“He is a man of intelligence, but to act sensibly, intelligence is not enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/he-is-a-man-of-intelligence-but-to-act-sensibly-intelligence-is-not/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [ “if \[God\] doesn't exist, man is the chief of the earth, of the universe. Magnificent! Only how is he going to be good without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/if-god-doesn-t-exist-man-is-the-chief-of-the-earth-of-the-universe/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“From an encounter in 1862... “Dickens told me,” Dostoyevsky recalled in a letter written years later, “that all the good, simple people in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/from-an-encounter-in-1862-dickens-told-me-dostoyevsky-recalled-in-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“It must be the top drawer," he reflected. "So she carries the keys in a pocket on the right. All in one bunch on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-must-be-the-top-drawer-he-reflected-so-she-carries-the-keys-in-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“- You take evil for good. It's a passing crisis. It's the result of your illness, perhaps. - You do despise me! It's simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/you-take-evil-for-good-it-s-a-passing-crisis-it-s-the-result-of-your/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Clouds overlaid the sky as with a shroud of mist, and everything looked sad, rainy, and threatening under a fine drizzle which was beating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/clouds-overlaid-the-sky-as-with-a-shroud-of-mist-and-everything/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“People who can speak well, speak briefly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/people-who-can-speak-well-speak-briefly/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I think I could stand anything, any suffering, only to be able to say and to repeat to myself every moment, 'I exist.' In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-think-i-could-stand-anything-any-suffering-only-to-be-able-to-say/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“There is no more ceaseless or tormenting care for man, as long as he remains free, than to find someone to bow down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/there-is-no-more-ceaseless-or-tormenting-care-for-man-as-long-as-he/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) [Explore all 1,078 Fyodor Dostoyevsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense pleasure, especially if you are already powerfully conscious of the hopelessness of your predicament.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fyodor Dostoyevsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find-the-most-intense-pleasure/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Desire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find-the-most-intense-pleasure/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e7/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_desire_it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find_2232788.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's precisely in despair that you find the most intense pleasure, especially if you are already powerfully…” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky", "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 Dostoyevsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It's precisely in despair that you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find-the-most-intense-pleasure/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/it-s-precisely-in-despair-that-you-find-the-most-intense-pleasure/#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 } } ] } ```