---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have…"
description: "\"“Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.”\" — Fyodor Dostoyevsky"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg"
---

#  Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.

![“Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.” quote by Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg)

> ““Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.””

[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.

The speaker wishes the man to be less expansive in mind or behavior, preferring restraint over excess.

**In simple terms:** Desire for someone to be less excessive.

Key Takeaway

Embrace moderation.

Themes

self‑control discipline personal growth

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- relationships
- leadership
- personal development

Key Concepts

philosophy psychology literature

Questions to Reflect On

- Is all breadth harmful?
- When is restraint preferable?

A Different Perspective

Excess can be valuable in creativity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad/) [Broad Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad-broad-4595960/) [Broad Narrower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad-narrower-4595959/) [Man Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-broad-2518612/) [Narrower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrower-1524311/)

## Related quotes

> [“Yes, man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/yes-man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-him-narrower/)

[Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/)

> [Nothing makes a man broad-minded like adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/nothing-makes-a-man-broad-minded-like-adversity/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [“A man of broad principles. Of liberal sentiments. Even a generous man...Yet one might say that his way through the world was so broad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/a-man-of-broad-principles-of-liberal-sentiments-even-a-generous-man/)

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

> [“The narrower their lives, the wider their hips.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/the-narrower-their-lives-the-wider-their-hips/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [Whispering makes a narrow place narrower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whispering-makes-a-narrow-place-narrower/)

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

> [There's still a narrower band of acceptable behavior for women than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-e-peterson/there-s-still-a-narrower-band-of-acceptable-behavior-for-women-than/)

[Sandra E. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-e-peterson/)

> [Humor, however broad and genial, takes a narrower view than enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/humor-however-broad-and-genial-takes-a-narrower-view-than-enthusiasm/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [ The more closely \[the German army\] converged on \[Stalingrad\], the narrower became their scope for tactical manoeuvre as a lever in loosening resistance. By… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart/the-more-closely-the-german-army-converged-on-stalingrad-the-narrower/)

[B. H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart/)

> [Walking on someone's shoes isn't easy. Sometimes it's narrower, sometimes it's bigger. Then we understand how it feels of being them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhikachu/walking-on-someone-s-shoes-isn-t-easy-sometimes-it-s-narrower/)

[Dhikachu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhikachu/)

> [The road you travel might horribly get narrower; do not panic! Keep your spirits high; the road will get wider!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-road-you-travel-might-horribly-get-narrower-do-not-panic-keep/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [If you're going to be a true Christian, I'll tell you one thing amongst others: it'll be a lonely life. It's a narrow way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/if-you-re-going-to-be-a-true-christian-i-ll-tell-you-one-thing/)

[Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/)

> [I have come to terms with the fact that it's called pop music - that's what I play, and that is what I write.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-have-come-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-it-s-called-pop-music-that-s/)

[Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/)

> [Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. I'm in that category. I think, broadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/using-a-broad-brushstroke-i-think-libertarian-most-of-america-are/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [The remedy is get your hustle on. Fuck a broad unless you love a broad well in that case, brother, then love her on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/the-remedy-is-get-your-hustle-on-fuck-a-broad-unless-you-love-a-broad/)

[Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/)

> [There is a broad range of reaction to the work, as there is a broad range of work I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hodges/there-is-a-broad-range-of-reaction-to-the-work-as-there-is-a-broad/)

[Jim Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hodges/)

## 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 Broad quotes

> [There is a broad range of reaction to the work, as there is a broad range of work I make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-hodges/there-is-a-broad-range-of-reaction-to-the-work-as-there-is-a-broad/)

[Jim Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-hodges/)

> [The remedy is get your hustle on. Fuck a broad unless you love a broad well in that case, brother, then love her on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/the-remedy-is-get-your-hustle-on-fuck-a-broad-unless-you-love-a-broad/)

[Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/)

> [Using a broad brushstroke, I think Libertarian - most of America are socially accepting and fiscally responsible. I'm in that category. I think, broadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/using-a-broad-brushstroke-i-think-libertarian-most-of-america-are/)

[Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/)

> [I have come to terms with the fact that it's called pop music - that's what I play, and that is what I write.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-have-come-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-it-s-called-pop-music-that-s/)

[Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/)

> [When you are producing for ABC, you are producing for a big tent network. So when you are thinking about your story lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sweeney/when-you-are-producing-for-abc-you-are-producing-for-a-big-tent/)

[Anne Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sweeney/)

> [I have quite a broad taste in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-styrke/i-have-quite-a-broad-taste-in-music/)

[Tove Styrke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-styrke/)

> [Senator Douglas was very small, not over four and a half feet height, and there was a noticeable disproportion between the long trunk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-villard/senator-douglas-was-very-small-not-over-four-and-a-half-feet-height/)

[Henry Villard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-villard/)

> [I think the combination of graduate education in a field like Computer Science and the opportunity to apply this in a work environment like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satya-nadella/i-think-the-combination-of-graduate-education-in-a-field-like/)

[Satya Nadella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satya-nadella/)

> [I didn't expect to feel pathos for the villains in our show. I feel quite moved in several of our episodes; I never realized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-didn-t-expect-to-feel-pathos-for-the-villains-in-our-show-i-feel/)

[Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/)

> [I love comedies, both broad and subtle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-watkins/i-love-comedies-both-broad-and-subtle/)

[Michaela Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-watkins/)

> ['Honour'-based violence is a form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a broad category.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeyah-khan/honour-based-violence-is-a-form-of-domestic-violence-domestic/)

[Deeyah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeyah-khan/)

> [However, when the privilege depends solely on the broad, undifferentiated claim of public interest in the confidentiality of such conversations, a confrontation with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/however-when-the-privilege-depends-solely-on-the-broad/)

[Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/)

> [I have implicit faith in Sun Yat-sen, not because I am his blind follower, but because he really arouses the deepest respect in everybody.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/i-have-implicit-faith-in-sun-yat-sen-not-because-i-am-his-blind/)

[Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/)

> [We have a broad range of snackers - moms, kids and healthy active people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-belling/we-have-a-broad-range-of-snackers-moms-kids-and-healthy-active-people/)

[Keith Belling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-belling/)

> [You can choose to listen to one end of the spectrum or the other on Twitter, just like you can on television. But hopefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-costolo/you-can-choose-to-listen-to-one-end-of-the-spectrum-or-the-other-on/)

[Dick Costolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-costolo/)

[Browse all 227 Broad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broad/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Fyodor Dostoyevsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-him-narrower/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Broad"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-him-narrower/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1a/fyodor-dostoyevsky-94_quote_man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-h_1447040.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Man is broad, too broad, indeed. I'd have him narrower.” — 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": "“Man is broad, too broad, indeed....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-him-narrower/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/man-is-broad-too-broad-indeed-i-d-have-him-narrower/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
