--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A martyr is a man who cares so much for…" description: "\"“A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside him, that he forgets his own personal life. A suicide is a man who cares so little for anyth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/g-k-chesterton-224_martyr_a-martyr-is-a-man-who-cares-so-much-for_2997710.jpg" --- # A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside… ![“A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside him, that he forgets his own personal life. A suicide is a man who cares so little for anything outside him, that he wants to see the last of everything. One wants something to begin: the other wants everything to end.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/g-k-chesterton-224_martyr_a-martyr-is-a-man-who-cares-so-much-for_2997710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/g-k-chesterton-224_martyr_a-martyr-is-a-man-who-cares-so-much-for_2997710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/g-k-chesterton-224_martyr_a-martyr-is-a-man-who-cares-so-much-for_2997710.jpg) > ““A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside him, that he forgets his own personal life. A suicide is a man who cares so little for anything outside him, that he wants to see the last of everything. One wants something to begin: the other wants everything to end.”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑sacrifice and nihilism are extremes; balance lies between caring for causes and preserving personal life. **In simple terms:** Balance care for causes with self‑care. Key Takeaway Seek purpose without self‑destruction. Themes purpose balance self‑care nihilism Mood thought‑provoking serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - activism - personal health Key Concepts philosophy psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal well‑being while pursuing goals? - What limits should you set on self‑sacrifice? A Different Perspective Extreme self‑neglect can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-suicide-440957/) [Man Cares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-cares-992299/) [Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr/) [Martyr Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr-man-4743512/) [Personal life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-life/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) [Suicide Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide-man-648386/) ## Related quotes > [Feast of Stephen, Deacon, First Martyr, the man who will not act until he knows all will never act at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-elliot/feast-of-stephen-deacon-first-martyr-the-man-who-will-not-act-until/) [Jim Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-elliot/) > [Through suicide, Man will completely triumph over Death, over everything that alienates him from himself and that once used Death as pretence, because nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/through-suicide-man-will-completely-triumph-over-death-over/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [“Suicide is a man's way of telling God, you can't fire me, I quit." -Bill Maher”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-roquet/suicide-is-a-man-s-way-of-telling-god-you-can-t-fire-me-i-quit-bill/) [Angela Roquet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-roquet/) > [Suicide is man's way of telling God, 'You can't fire me - I quit.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/suicide-is-man-s-way-of-telling-god-you-can-t-fire-me-i-quit/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I look upon indolence as a sort of suicide; for the man is effectually destroyed, though the appetites of the brute may survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-look-upon-indolence-as-a-sort-of-suicide-for-the-man-is-effectually/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I think the man who designed this should have committed suicide. A man who can conceive a thing as beautiful as this should never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/i-think-the-man-who-designed-this-should-have-committed-suicide-a-man/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [There is no lonelier man in death, except the suicide, than that man who has lived many years with a good wife and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-no-lonelier-man-in-death-except-the-suicide-than-that-man/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“Death is a beautiful and natural fact of life. Suicide cheats that beauty, leaving pain and questions to a unanswerable problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-koukol/death-is-a-beautiful-and-natural-fact-of-life-suicide-cheats-that/) [Zachary Koukol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-koukol/) > [Death is the bride of Life and Suicide is the brother of Death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/death-is-the-bride-of-life-and-suicide-is-the-brother-of-death/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Life is a suicide course, Miro. Check it out- basic philosophy course. You spend your life running out of fuel and when you're finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/life-is-a-suicide-course-miro-check-it-out-basic-philosophy-course/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Suicide feels like One Authentic Thing. Suicide feels like Meaning of Life. Suicide feels like having the Last Word. Suicide feels like stopping Time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-ozeki/suicide-feels-like-one-authentic-thing-suicide-feels-like-meaning-of/) [Ruth Ozeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-ozeki/) > [However great a man's fear of life, suicide remains the courageous act, the clear-headed act of a mathematician. The suicide has judged by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/however-great-a-man-s-fear-of-life-suicide-remains-the-courageous-act/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [They say that love is the only thing that makes life worth living. But if a person with no love trie's taking their life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-alan-reczko-bud/they-say-that-love-is-the-only-thing-that-makes-life-worth-living-but/) [Danny Alan Reczko- BUD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-alan-reczko-bud/) > [“When I started everything, and by everything, I mean life , suicide was a joke. If I have to ride in that car with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/when-i-started-everything-and-by-everything-i-mean-life-suicide-was-a/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“For everyone now strives most of all to seperate his person, wishing to experience the fullness of life within himself, and yet what comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-everyone-now-strives-most-of-all-to-seperate-his-person-wishing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) ## More by G.K. Chesterton > [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“ask yourself how many people you have met who grumbled at a thing as incurable, and how many who attacked it as curable? How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/ask-yourself-how-many-people-you-have-met-who-grumbled-at-a-thing-as/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-human-race-to-which-so-many-of-my-readers-belong-has-been-playing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Internationalism is in any case hostile to democracy….The only purely popular government is local, and founded on local knowledge. The citizens can rule the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/internationalism-is-in-any-case-hostile-to-democracy-the-only-purely/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There was a short railway official travelling up to the terminus, three fairly short market-gardeners picked up two stations afterwards, one very short widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-was-a-short-railway-official-travelling-up-to-the-terminus/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/humility-is-the-mother-of-giants-one-sees-great-things-from-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-badly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-exists-in-such-a-case-a-certain-institution-or-law-let-us-say/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-by-a-blind-instinct-knew-that-if-once-things-were-wildly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“But in order that life should be a story or romance to us, it is necessary that a great part of it, at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/but-in-order-that-life-should-be-a-story-or-romance-to-us-it-is/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Buddhism seeks after God with the largest conception it can find, the all-producing and all-absorbing One; Christianity seeks after God with the most elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/buddhism-seeks-after-god-with-the-largest-conception-it-can-find-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man is more himself, more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing and grief superficial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-is-more-himself-more-manlike-when-joy-is-the-fundamental-thing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More Martyr quotes > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The oppressed martyrs of our culture have shed blood that nourish the red tulips of our nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahmud-tarzi/the-oppressed-martyrs-of-our-culture-have-shed-blood-that-nourish-the/) [Mahmud Tarzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahmud-tarzi/) > [Strange, (is it not?) that battles, martyrs, blood, even assassination should so condense - perhaps only really lastingly condense - a Nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/strange-is-it-not-that-battles-martyrs-blood-even-assassination/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Martyrdom has always been a proof of the intensity, never of the correctness of a belief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schnitzler/martyrdom-has-always-been-a-proof-of-the-intensity-never-of-the/) [Arthur Schnitzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schnitzler/) > [What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-taymiyyah/what-can-my-enemies-do-to-me-my-paradise-is-in-my-heart-it-is-with-me/) [Ibn Taymiyyah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-taymiyyah/) > [It is not a process of bargaining or give-and-take. The peace process is not about giving concessions. We will not allow any step which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/recep-tayyip-erdogan/it-is-not-a-process-of-bargaining-or-give-and-take-the-peace-process/) [Recep Tayyip Erdogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/recep-tayyip-erdogan/) > [Acquiring a repertoire in these days, when the vocal literature is so immense, so overwhelming, that the student with sense will devote all his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-gluck/acquiring-a-repertoire-in-these-days-when-the-vocal-literature-is-so/) [Alma Gluck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-gluck/) > [“The first that dies is a martyr, and dies for his religion; and of such it may more truly be said than of soldiers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-henry/the-first-that-dies-is-a-martyr-and-dies-for-his-religion-and-of-such/) [Matthew Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-henry/) > [Martyrs do not underrate the body, they allow it to be elevated on the cross. In this they are at one with their antagonists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/martyrs-do-not-underrate-the-body-they-allow-it-to-be-elevated-on-the/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/all-of-us-have-a-secret-desire-to-be-seen-as-saints-heroes-martyrs-we/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Russian people, like their Chinese comrades, are well aware of what is going on. And there are tens of millions of their martyrs who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-vltchek/russian-people-like-their-chinese-comrades-are-well-aware-of-what-is/) [Andre Vltchek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-vltchek/) > [For me getting paid for art is a class issue. I don't have the luxury not to care. It's great if your parents buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-georges/for-me-getting-paid-for-art-is-a-class-issue-i-don-t-have-the-luxury/) [Nicole Georges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-georges/) > [I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion - I have shudder'd at it. I shudder no more. I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/i-have-been-astonished-that-men-could-die-martyrs-for-their-religion/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [The king has been very good to me. He promoted me from a simple maid to be a marchioness. Then he raised me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-boleyn/the-king-has-been-very-good-to-me-he-promoted-me-from-a-simple-maid/) [Anne Boleyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-boleyn/) > [In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/in-the-long-fierce-struggle-for-freedom-of-opinion-the-press-like-the/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) [Browse all 469 Martyr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A martyr is a man who cares so much for something outside him, that he forgets his own personal life. A suicide is a man who cares so little for anything outside him, that he wants to see the last of everything. 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