---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole value of solitude depends upon…"
description: "\"The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png"
---

#  The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it…

![“The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it” quote by John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png)

> “The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it”

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Solitude's value is shaped by how we perceive and use it, either as a refuge or a confinement.

**In simple terms:** Solitude can be good or bad depending on our mindset.

Key Takeaway

Choose to make solitude a sanctuary.

Themes

self-awareness psychology loneliness

Mood

contemplative neutral

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- creative work
- mental health
- spiritual practice
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

existentialism personal responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you currently view your alone time?
- What steps can turn solitude into a supportive space?

A Different Perspective

Solitude can become oppressive if isolation is forced or unchosen.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Depends Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends-self-2243654/) [Sanctuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctuary/) [Self Sanctuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-sanctuary-5453376/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Solitude Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude-depends-3357167/) [Value Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-solitude-2263227/)

## Related quotes

> [“The whole value of solitude depends upon oneself; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon-oneself-it-may-be-a/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [“When your livelihood depends on self-imposed productivity, you either get good at it or you find yourself in mounds of debt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nacie-carson/when-your-livelihood-depends-on-self-imposed-productivity-you-either/)

[Nacie Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nacie-carson/)

> [Being happy depends on your self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-happy-depends-on-your-self/)

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

> [“Solitude is the measure through which you could concentrate on using your time. It is through solitude that you can convert your time into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/solitude-is-the-measure-through-which-you-could-concentrate-on-using-2/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [“The value of solitude—one of its values—is, of course, that there is nothing to cushion against attacks from within, just as there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/the-value-of-solitude-one-of-its-values-is-of-course-that-there-is-2/)

[May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/)

> [“When you are old and grey and full of sleep’, it is good to have someone to lean on from time to time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruskin-bond/when-you-are-old-and-grey-and-full-of-sleep-it-is-good-to-have/)

[Ruskin Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruskin-bond/)

> [The value of solitude - one of its values - is, of course, that there is nothing to cushion against attacks from within, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-sarton/the-value-of-solitude-one-of-its-values-is-of-course-that-there-is/)

[May Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/may-sarton/)

> [The undisturbed coastal plain is home to a wide variety of plants and animals and is the only wilderness sanctuary in North America that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/the-undisturbed-coastal-plain-is-home-to-a-wide-variety-of-plants-and/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [If I turned towards books, it was because they were the only sanctuary I knew, one I needed in order to survive, to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/if-i-turned-towards-books-it-was-because-they-were-the-only-sanctuary/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [Save a life this Thanksgiving, and join me in starting a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one through Farm Sanctuary's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/save-a-life-this-thanksgiving-and-join-me-in-starting-a-new-tradition/)

[Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/)

> [“It's a sanctuary where the darkest desires of the people are shared in the light of a Georgia moon; with a picture perfect town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/it-s-a-sanctuary-where-the-darkest-desires-of-the-people-are-shared/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [What I have most learned from my son is to respect him and to love him unconditionally. I believe that if parents respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/what-i-have-most-learned-from-my-son-is-to-respect-him-and-to-love/)

[Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/)

> [You build a thousand castles, a thousand sanctuaries, you are nothing; you build a library, you are everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-build-a-thousand-castles-a-thousand-sanctuaries-you-are-nothing/)

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

> [“Pape called Basil his sanctuary. In truth we all exist in our own sanctuaries-but I don't mean cathedrals or prisons. I'm talking about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/pape-called-basil-his-sanctuary-in-truth-we-all-exist-in-our-own/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [The United States can certainly defeat North Vietnam, but the United States cannot defeat a guerrilla war which is being raged from a sanctuary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-united-states-can-certainly-defeat-north-vietnam-but-the-united/)

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/)

## More by John Lubbock

> [Many of the greatest men have owed their success to industry rather than to cleverness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/many-of-the-greatest-men-have-owed-their-success-to-industry-rather/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Savages have often been likened to children, and the comparison is not only correct but also highly instructive. Many naturalists consider that the early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/savages-have-often-been-likened-to-children-and-the-comparison-is-not/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [There can be no merit in believing something which you can neither explain nor understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/there-can-be-no-merit-in-believing-something-which-you-can-neither/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Many savage nations worship trees, and I really think my first feeling would be one of delight and interest rather than of surprise, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/many-savage-nations-worship-trees-and-i-really-think-my-first-feeling/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Many a blessing has been recognized too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/many-a-blessing-has-been-recognized-too-late/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Art trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/art-trains-the-mind-through-the-eye-and-the-eye-through-the-mind-as/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [We may sit in our library and yet be in all quarters of the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/we-may-sit-in-our-library-and-yet-be-in-all-quarters-of-the-earth/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/in-truth-people-can-generally-make-time-for-what-they-choose-to-do-it/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [To render ourselves insensible to pain we must forfeit also the possibilities of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/to-render-ourselves-insensible-to-pain-we-must-forfeit-also-the/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [The idle man does not know what it is to enjoy rest, for he has not earned it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-idle-man-does-not-know-what-it-is-to-enjoy-rest-for-he-has-not/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [“Our great mistake in education is, as it seems to me, the worship of book-learning–the confusion of instruction and education. We strain the memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/our-great-mistake-in-education-is-as-it-seems-to-me-the-worship-of/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Be cautious, but not too cautious; do not be too much afraid of making a mistake; a man who never makes a mistake will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/be-cautious-but-not-too-cautious-do-not-be-too-much-afraid-of-making/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [This is a great way to become more conscious. Your intention and motives are fundamental to the results you will receive. Set high intentions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/this-is-a-great-way-to-become-more-conscious-your-intention-and/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Exercise of the muscles keeps the body in health, and exercise of the brain brings peace of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/exercise-of-the-muscles-keeps-the-body-in-health-and-exercise-of-the/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

> [Though it is a great mistake to make friends of the wicked and foolish, it is unwise to make enemies of them, for they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/though-it-is-a-great-mistake-to-make-friends-of-the-wicked-and/)

[John Lubbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

[Explore all 84 John Lubbock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/)

## More Sanctuary quotes

> [The United States can certainly defeat North Vietnam, but the United States cannot defeat a guerrilla war which is being raged from a sanctuary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-united-states-can-certainly-defeat-north-vietnam-but-the-united/)

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/)

> [“Pape called Basil his sanctuary. In truth we all exist in our own sanctuaries-but I don't mean cathedrals or prisons. I'm talking about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/pape-called-basil-his-sanctuary-in-truth-we-all-exist-in-our-own/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

> [You build a thousand castles, a thousand sanctuaries, you are nothing; you build a library, you are everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-build-a-thousand-castles-a-thousand-sanctuaries-you-are-nothing/)

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

> [What I have most learned from my son is to respect him and to love him unconditionally. I believe that if parents respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/what-i-have-most-learned-from-my-son-is-to-respect-him-and-to-love/)

[Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/)

> [“It's a sanctuary where the darkest desires of the people are shared in the light of a Georgia moon; with a picture perfect town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/it-s-a-sanctuary-where-the-darkest-desires-of-the-people-are-shared/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [Save a life this Thanksgiving, and join me in starting a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one through Farm Sanctuary's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/save-a-life-this-thanksgiving-and-join-me-in-starting-a-new-tradition/)

[Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/)

> [If I turned towards books, it was because they were the only sanctuary I knew, one I needed in order to survive, to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/if-i-turned-towards-books-it-was-because-they-were-the-only-sanctuary/)

[Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/)

> [The undisturbed coastal plain is home to a wide variety of plants and animals and is the only wilderness sanctuary in North America that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/the-undisturbed-coastal-plain-is-home-to-a-wide-variety-of-plants-and/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [“He was safe here; this was the place he loved - sanctuary, the paradise of his despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-lowry/he-was-safe-here-this-was-the-place-he-loved-sanctuary-the-paradise/)

[Malcolm Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-lowry/)

> [Preserve, within a wild sanctuary, an inaccessible valley of reverie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/preserve-within-a-wild-sanctuary-an-inaccessible-valley-of-reverie/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [The war is not going well and it is time to say why. It has been fought with half-measures. It has been fought with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-war-is-not-going-well-and-it-is-time-to-say-why-it-has-been/)

[Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/)

> [Our Animal Sanctuary initiative has many layers. We are aiming to create a place where abandoned and bullied creatures come together with bullied youth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/our-animal-sanctuary-initiative-has-many-layers-we-are-aiming-to/)

[Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/)

> [Home is your sanctuary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daria-werbowy/home-is-your-sanctuary/)

[Daria Werbowy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daria-werbowy/)

> [Speaking of the murder of the younger Hanan, and other eminent nobles and hierarchs, Josephus says, "I cannot but think that it was because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-farrar/speaking-of-the-murder-of-the-younger-hanan-and-other-eminent-nobles/)

[Frederic Farrar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-farrar/)

> [What would killing the Elders result in?" "Panic? Fear? Three empty parking spaces in the Sanctuary?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/what-would-killing-the-elders-result-in-panic-fear-three-empty/)

[Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/)

[Browse all 397 Sanctuary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctuary/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Lubbock"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon-one-s-self-it-may-be-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Sanctuary"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon-one-s-self-it-may-be-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/john-lubbock-8094_sanctuary_the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon_3115609.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or…” — John Lubbock",
                "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": "John Lubbock",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lubbock/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The whole value of solitude depends...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon-one-s-self-it-may-be-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lubbock/the-whole-value-of-solitude-depends-upon-one-s-self-it-may-be-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
