--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How vast was a human being's capacity for…" description: "\"How vast was a human being's capacity for suffering. The only thing you could do was stand in awe of it. It wasn't a question of survival at all. It wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/janet-fitch-717_awe_how-vast-was-a-human-being-s-capacity-fo_1115475.png" --- # How vast was a human being's capacity for suffering. The… ![“How vast was a human being's capacity for suffering. The only thing you could do was stand in awe of it. It wasn't a question of survival at all. It was the fullness of it, how much could you hold, how much could you care.” quote by Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/janet-fitch-717_awe_how-vast-was-a-human-being-s-capacity-fo_1115475.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/janet-fitch-717_awe_how-vast-was-a-human-being-s-capacity-fo_1115475.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c5/janet-fitch-717_awe_how-vast-was-a-human-being-s-capacity-fo_1115475.png) > “How vast was a human being's capacity for suffering. The only thing you could do was stand in awe of it. It wasn't a question of survival at all. It was the fullness of it, how much could you hold, how much could you care.” [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on the immense capacity for suffering and the awe it inspires, suggesting that deep empathy transcends mere survival. **In simple terms:** Human suffering can be vast and awe‑inspiring. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor deep empathy. Themes empathy existential suffering humanity Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - volunteering - support groups - caregiving - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology philosophy compassion Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance awe with self‑care? - What limits does endless empathy place on you? A Different Perspective It may romanticize suffering, overlooking the need for healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capacity/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Fullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fullness/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Question Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-survival-2993083/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Fullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-fullness-2993081/) [Vast Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vast-human-2993082/) ## Related quotes > [“We find ourselves constantly in battle in the vast human theaters of conflict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/we-find-ourselves-constantly-in-battle-in-the-vast-human-theaters-of/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [Access to natural resources can become a question of survival for many states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/access-to-natural-resources-can-become-a-question-of-survival-for/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [“Out of curiosity, why would you have tried to destroy the world?” “Ever attempted to hunt down a parking space at Christmas? Buy a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/out-of-curiosity-why-would-you-have-tried-to-destroy-the-world-ever/) [sherrilyn kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [ For me, writing \[was\] a question of survival...I could not trust anyone, even my family. The atmosphere was so poisoned. People even in your… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/for-me-writing-was-a-question-of-survival-i-could-not-trust-anyone/) [Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Natural ability and educational advantages do not figure as factors in this matter of prayer; but a capacity for faith, the power of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/natural-ability-and-educational-advantages-do-not-figure-as-factors/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [What does it mean to grow rich? 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Desire is the need to add something to yourself in order to be yourself more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-s-lives-are-run-by-desire-and-fear-desire-is-the-need-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Everyone suffers; life is pain; and death is the final punctuation at the end of that sentence, so deal with it. I really think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/everyone-suffers-life-is-pain-and-death-is-the-final-punctuation-at/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-soubirous/what-will-be-the-crown-of-those-who-humble-within-and-humiliated/) [Bernadette Soubirous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-soubirous/) > [We all carry it within us: supreme strength, the fullness of wisdom, unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted, and cannot be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/we-all-carry-it-within-us-supreme-strength-the-fullness-of-wisdom/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) [Christy Nockels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christy-nockels/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) ## More by Janet Fitch > [How could anybody confuse truth with beauty, I thought as I looked at him. Truth came with sunken eyes, bony or scarred, decayed. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/how-could-anybody-confuse-truth-with-beauty-i-thought-as-i-looked-at/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [I love Derrick Brown for the surprise of one word waking up next to another. 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But Michael saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/when-most-people-looked-at-josie-tyrell-they-only-saw-a-certain/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“They can't touch us. We're the Vikings. We go into battle without armor for the flush and the blood of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/they-can-t-touch-us-we-re-the-vikings-we-go-into-battle-without-armor/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“But I knew one more thing. That people who denied who they were or where they had been were in the greatest danger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/but-i-knew-one-more-thing-that-people-who-denied-who-they-were-or/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“To dare to see is to steal fire from the Gods. This is mankind's destiny, the engine which fuels us as a race. Three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/to-dare-to-see-is-to-steal-fire-from-the-gods-this-is-mankind-s/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [This is what happens when you fall in love. You're looking at a natural disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/this-is-what-happens-when-you-fall-in-love-you-re-looking-at-a/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“If I were a poet, that’s what I’d write about. People who worked in the middle of the night. Men who loaded trains, emergency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/if-i-were-a-poet-that-s-what-i-d-write-about-people-who-worked-in-the/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“what was the point in creating something that was so futile and so precious? everything beautiful was like that. a little bit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/what-was-the-point-in-creating-something-that-was-so-futile-and-so/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [“We received our coloring from Norsemen. Hairy savages who hacked their gods to pieces and hung the flesh from trees. We are the ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/we-received-our-coloring-from-norsemen-hairy-savages-who-hacked-their/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [¨Loneliness is the human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you allows your soul room to grow. Never expect to outgrow loneliness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/loneliness-is-the-human-condition-cultivate-it-the-way-it-tunnels/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [I was tired of men. Hanging in doorways, standing too close, men who made you love them then changed their minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/i-was-tired-of-men-hanging-in-doorways-standing-too-close-men-who/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) [Explore all 388 Janet Fitch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. 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