--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Such a great misfortune, not to be able…" description: "\"Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png" --- # Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone. ![“Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png) > “Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being alone is a misfortune because humans need connection; solitude can be painful if it lacks purpose. **In simple terms:** Alone time can feel unlucky without meaning. Key Takeaway Seek purposeful companionship. Themes loneliness misfortune human connection purpose Mood thoughtful contemplative somber Type philosophical maxim When to use this quote - friendship building - mental health support - retirement planning Key Concepts philosophy social psychology Questions to Reflect On - Do you value solitude or company more? - What purpose can you find in alone moments? A Different Perspective Alone time can also foster creativity and self‑knowledge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great Misfortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-misfortune-259098/) [Misfortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortune/) [Misfortune Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortune-able-486904/) [Misfortunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misfortunes/) ## Related quotes > [Great good nature without prudence is a great misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/great-good-nature-without-prudence-is-a-great-misfortune/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have had a great misfortune; my dear old dog is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-russell-mitford/i-have-had-a-great-misfortune-my-dear-old-dog-is-dead/) [Mary Russell Mitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-russell-mitford/) > [Love feels like a great misfortune, a monstrous parasite, a permanent state of emergency that ruins all small pleasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/love-feels-like-a-great-misfortune-a-monstrous-parasite-a-permanent/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [It is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody; scarcely less to be of use to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/it-is-a-great-misfortune-to-be-of-use-to-nobody-scarcely-less-to-be/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [It is my great misfortune that I have to measure your love by the money gifts you give for Daridranarayana.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/it-is-my-great-misfortune-that-i-have-to-measure-your-love-by-the/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [For an enemy so relentless in the war for our subjugation, we could not be expected to mourn; yet, in view of its political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-davis/for-an-enemy-so-relentless-in-the-war-for-our-subjugation-we-could/) [Jefferson Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-davis/) > [What passes out of one's mouth passes into a hundred ears. It is a great misfortune not to have sense enough to speak well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desiderius-erasmus/what-passes-out-of-one-s-mouth-passes-into-a-hundred-ears-it-is-a/) [Desiderius Erasmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desiderius-erasmus/) > [It is a great misfortune not to possess sufficient wit to speak well, nor sufficient judgment to keep silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/it-is-a-great-misfortune-not-to-possess-sufficient-wit-to-speak-well/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [It is a great misfortune neither to have enough wit to talk well nor enough judgment to be silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/it-is-a-great-misfortune-neither-to-have-enough-wit-to-talk-well-nor/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [This great misfortune, to be incapable of solitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/this-great-misfortune-to-be-incapable-of-solitude/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The greatest misfortune of all is not to be able to bear misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bias-of-priene/the-greatest-misfortune-of-all-is-not-to-be-able-to-bear-misfortune/) [Bias of Priene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bias-of-priene/) > [Man's great misfortune is that he has no organ, no kind of eyelid or brake, to mask or block a thought, or all thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/man-s-great-misfortune-is-that-he-has-no-organ-no-kind-of-eyelid-or/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Men cling to life even at the cost of enduring great misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/men-cling-to-life-even-at-the-cost-of-enduring-great-misfortune/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“And even though we may be involved with the most important affairs, achieve distinction or fall into some great misfortune- all the same, let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-even-though-we-may-be-involved-with-the-most-important-affairs/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The door could not be heard slamming; they had probably left it open, as is the custom in homes where a great misfortune has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/the-door-could-not-be-heard-slamming-they-had-probably-left-it-open/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [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/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-to-be-alone/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-to-be-alone/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-t_3135221.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Such a great misfortune, not to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-to-be-alone/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/such-a-great-misfortune-not-to-be-able-to-be-alone/#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 } } ] } ```