--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why were a few, or a single one, made at…" description: "\"Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to exist in order to be made eternally miserable, which is infinitely worse than non-existence?\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg" --- # Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to… ![“Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to exist in order to be made eternally miserable, which is infinitely worse than non-existence?” quote by Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg) > “Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to exist in order to be made eternally miserable, which is infinitely worse than non-existence?” [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemplates the paradox of existence versus non‑existence, suggesting eternal misery is worse than nothing. **In simple terms:** Existence can be more painful than not existing. Key Takeaway Consider the value of existence. Themes existentialism philosophy pain meaning Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - personal crisis - mental health - spiritual reflection Key Concepts metaphysics ethics suffering Questions to Reflect On - Is suffering inevitable? - Can meaning outweigh misery? A Different Perspective Existence may be preferable despite suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eternally Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternally-miserable-700994/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Infinitely Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinitely-worse-261758/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [Miserable Infinitely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable-infinitely-700992/) [Non existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-existence/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) ## Related quotes > [To generalize onàwomenàis dangerous. To specialize on them is infinitely worse'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher-mazher50/to-generalize-on-women-is-dangerous-to-specialize-on-them-is-2/) [Mazher (@mazher50](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher-mazher50/) > [False conclusions which have been reasoned out are infinitely worse than blind impulse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/false-conclusions-which-have-been-reasoned-out-are-infinitely-worse/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [“The endless tasks of surviving had become infinitely worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-oppenlander/the-endless-tasks-of-surviving-had-become-infinitely-worse/) [Annette Oppenlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-oppenlander/) > [To generalize on women is dangerous. To specialize in them is infinitely worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-valentino/to-generalize-on-women-is-dangerous-to-specialize-in-them-is/) [Rudolph Valentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-valentino/) > [A State infinitely worse than that which the most inflamed Zealot, the most violent Republican or Enthusiast even pretended to dread before the Rebellion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-inglis/a-state-infinitely-worse-than-that-which-the-most-inflamed-zealot-the/) [Charles Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-inglis/) > [It is bad to believe you in error. It would be infinitely worse to have known you a hypocrite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/it-is-bad-to-believe-you-in-error-it-would-be-infinitely-worse-to/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [Worldly pleasures, such as flow from greatness, riches, honours, and sensual gratifications, are infinitely worse than none](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brainerd/worldly-pleasures-such-as-flow-from-greatness-riches-honours-and/) [David Brainerd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brainerd/) > [In the long run, not doing what's necessary to do the thing you're afraid will hurt you, hurts infinitely worse than doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-murray/in-the-long-run-not-doing-what-s-necessary-to-do-the-thing-you-re/) [Nick Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-murray/) > [It may be infinitely worse to refuse to forgive than to murder, because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/it-may-be-infinitely-worse-to-refuse-to-forgive-than-to-murder-because/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [That which is produced with intention has passed over from non-existence to existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/that-which-is-produced-with-intention-has-passed-over-from-non/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [According to the teaching of our Lord, what is wrong with the world is precisely that it does not believe in God. Yet it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-baillie/according-to-the-teaching-of-our-lord-what-is-wrong-with-the-world-is/) [John Baillie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-baillie/) > [And so it is that we do not exist until we do; and then it is that we play with our world of existent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaclypse-the-younger/and-so-it-is-that-we-do-not-exist-until-we-do-and-then-it-is-that-we/) [Malaclypse the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaclypse-the-younger/) > [The so-called evils are evils only in relation to a certain thing, and that which is evil in relation to a certain existing thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maimonides/the-so-called-evils-are-evils-only-in-relation-to-a-certain-thing-and/) [Maimonides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maimonides/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [There's no such thing as non-existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/there-s-no-such-thing-as-non-existence/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) ## More by Immanuel Kant > [Even if a civil society were to be dissolved by the consent of all its members (e.g., if a people inhabiting an island decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/even-if-a-civil-society-were-to-be-dissolved-by-the-consent-of-all/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [How then is perfection to be sought? Wherein lies our hope? In education, and in nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/how-then-is-perfection-to-be-sought-wherein-lies-our-hope-in/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Heaven has given human beings three things to balance the odds of life: hope, sleep, and laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/heaven-has-given-human-beings-three-things-to-balance-the-odds-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Beauty presents an indeterminate concept of Understanding, the sublime an indeterminate concept of Reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/beauty-presents-an-indeterminate-concept-of-understanding-the-sublime/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Philosophical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from concepts ; mathematical knowledge is the knowledge gained by reason from the construction of concepts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/philosophical-knowledge-is-the-knowledge-gained-by-reason-from/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A categorical imperative would be one which represented an action as objectively necessary in itself, without reference to any other purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-categorical-imperative-would-be-one-which-represented-an-action-as/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [When I could have used a wife, I could not support one; and when I could support one, I no longer needed any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/when-i-could-have-used-a-wife-i-could-not-support-one-and-when-i/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Enlightenment is the liberation of man from his self-caused state of minority... Supere aude! Dare to use your own understanding!is thus the motto of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/enlightenment-is-the-liberation-of-man-from-his-self-caused-state-of/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [The ideal of the supreme being is nothing but a regulative principle of reason which directs us to look upon all connection in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/the-ideal-of-the-supreme-being-is-nothing-but-a-regulative-principle/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [“Jeg skal alltid handle slik at den regelen jeg handler etter kunne gjelde som allmenn lov.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/jeg-skal-alltid-handle-slik-at-den-regelen-jeg-handler-etter-kunne/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [Deaths, births, and marriages, considering how much they are separately dependent on the freedom of the human will, should seem to be subject to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/deaths-births-and-marriages-considering-how-much-they-are-separately/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [It is precisely in knowing its limits that philosophy consists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/it-is-precisely-in-knowing-its-limits-that-philosophy-consists/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [A society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/a-society-that-is-not-willing-to-demand-a-life-of-somebody-who-has/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [. . . as to moral feeling, this supposed special sense, the appeal to it is indeed superficial when those who cannot think believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/as-to-moral-feeling-this-supposed-special-sense-the-appeal-to-it-is/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Explore all 476 Immanuel Kant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) ## More Existence quotes > [Getting on the cover of TIME guarantees the existence of opposition in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/getting-on-the-cover-of-time-guarantees-the-existence-of-opposition/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/) [Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/) > [Quantum physics fluctuates all the time. But now the fluctuations are not just particles coming into and out of existence, which happens all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/quantum-physics-fluctuates-all-the-time-but-now-the-fluctuations-are/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/we-have-a-fear-of-facing-ourselves-that-is-the-obstacle-experiencing/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [May God bless each of us in our calls to serve. May our faith strengthen as we serve in righteousness, faithfully keeping the commandments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-tom-perry/may-god-bless-each-of-us-in-our-calls-to-serve-may-our-faith/) [L. Tom Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-tom-perry/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Universities are the cathedrals of the modern age. They shouldn't have to justify their existence by utilitarian criteria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lodge/universities-are-the-cathedrals-of-the-modern-age-they-shouldn-t-have/) [David Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lodge/) > [Just as everybody has the vote including women, I think children should, because as a child is conscious of itself then it has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/just-as-everybody-has-the-vote-including-women-i-think-children/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) [Browse all 7,646 Existence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to exist in order to be made eternally miserable, which is infinitely worse than non-existence?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Immanuel Kant" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-all-if-only-to-exist-in-order/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-all-if-only-to-exist-in-order/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4c/immanuel-kant-532_existence_why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-a_846366.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why were a few, or a single one, made at all, if only to exist in order to be made eternally miserable…” — Immanuel Kant", "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": "Immanuel Kant", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why were a few, or a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-all-if-only-to-exist-in-order/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/why-were-a-few-or-a-single-one-made-at-all-if-only-to-exist-in-order/#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 } } ] } ```