--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But there is nothing enduring in the…" description: "\"But there is nothing enduring in the world, and therefore even joy in the second minute is already not as acute as in the first; in the third minute it..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/nikolai-gogol-2690_circles_but-there-is-nothing-enduring-in-the-wor_3003624.jpg" --- # But there is nothing enduring in the world, and therefore… ![“But there is nothing enduring in the world, and therefore even joy in the second minute is already not as acute as in the first; in the third minute it becomes still weaker and finally merges unnoticeably with the usual condition of the soul, as a circle on the water, caused by the fall of a…” quote by Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/nikolai-gogol-2690_circles_but-there-is-nothing-enduring-in-the-wor_3003624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/nikolai-gogol-2690_circles_but-there-is-nothing-enduring-in-the-wor_3003624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/nikolai-gogol-2690_circles_but-there-is-nothing-enduring-in-the-wor_3003624.jpg) > “But there is nothing enduring in the world, and therefore even joy in the second minute is already not as acute as in the first; in the third minute it becomes still weaker and finally merges unnoticeably with the usual condition of the soul, as a circle on the water, caused by the fall of a pebble, finally merges with the smooth surface.” [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Joy fades quickly; each moment’s intensity diminishes, merging into ordinary life like ripples smoothing on water. **In simple terms:** Joy is fleeting, soon becomes ordinary. Key Takeaway Appreciate moments before they fade. Themes impermanence joy reflection Mood melancholic reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily life - celebrations - personal milestones - grief processing Key Concepts temporal experience psychology of happiness Questions to Reflect On - How do you savor fleeting joy? - What practices keep happiness alive? A Different Perspective Attempting to hold joy can cause disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [ The first sip \[of tea\] is joy, the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/the-first-sip-of-tea-is-joy-the-second-is-gladness-the-third-is/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [“I want to sleep for half a second, a second, a minute, a century, but I want everyone to know that I'm still alive...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-garc-a-lorca/i-want-to-sleep-for-half-a-second-a-second-a-minute-a-century-but-i/) [Federico García Lorca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-garc-a-lorca/) > [“Every second, minute you refuse to invest is a second farther away from your greatness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/every-second-minute-you-refuse-to-invest-is-a-second-farther-away/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Everything, in the end, comes down to timing. One second, one minute, one hour, could make all the difference. So much hanging on just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/everything-in-the-end-comes-down-to-timing-one-second-one-minute-one-2/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Be happy every fuckin' second , minute or hour !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-aveyro/be-happy-every-fuckin-second-minute-or-hour/) [Nathaniel Aveyro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-aveyro/) > [Time is really for those who really need it. I mean, I deal with it. 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