--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wherever in life it may be, whether…" description: "\"“Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough, coarsely poor, and untidily moldering mean ranks, or its monotonously cold and boringly tidy up..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg" --- # Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough… ![“Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough, coarsely poor, and untidily moldering mean ranks, or its monotonously cold and boringly tidy upper classes, a man will at least once meet with a phenomenon which is unlike anything he has happened to see before, which for once at least awakens…” quote by Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg) > ““Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough, coarsely poor, and untidily moldering mean ranks, or its monotonously cold and boringly tidy upper classes, a man will at least once meet with a phenomenon which is unlike anything he has happened to see before, which for once at least awakens in him a feeling unlike those he is fated to feel all his life. Wherever, across whatever sorrow sour life is woven of, a resplendent joy will gaily race by, just as a splendid carriage with golden harness, picture-book horses, and a shining brilliance of glass sometimes suddenly and unexpectedly goes speeding by some poor, forsaken hamlet that has never seen anything but a country cart, and for a long time the muzhiks stand gaping open-mouthed, not putting their hats back on, though the wondrous carriage has long since sped away and vanished from sight.”” [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. An unexpected, extraordinary experience can briefly lift people out of their ordinary hardships, revealing a fleeting, dazzling joy that contrasts sharply with daily struggles. **In simple terms:** A rare, wonderful moment can bring sudden joy amidst hardship. Key Takeaway Seek and cherish rare moments of wonder. Themes hope joy contrast human experience unexpected beauty Mood awe inspired reflective Type literary philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - poverty - celebration - cultural festivals - unexpected events Key Concepts Epiphany transcendence social disparity Questions to Reflect On - What rare experience has shifted your perspective? - How can we create more moments of joy for those in hardship? A Different Perspective Such moments are fleeting and may not change underlying conditions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feel Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-life/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Phenomenon Unlike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon-unlike-5955395/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Splendid Carriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/splendid-carriage-5955394/) [Wondrous Carriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wondrous-carriage-5955393/) ## Related quotes > [As I feel this life growing and moving inside of me, all of a sudden everything else is not as important. There's a level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-reyes/as-i-feel-this-life-growing-and-moving-inside-of-me-all-of-a-sudden/) [Judy Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-reyes/) > [I feel life I've started a new chapter in my life, and I need to live the past behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-capriati/i-feel-life-i-ve-started-a-new-chapter-in-my-life-and-i-need-to-live/) [Jennifer Capriati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-capriati/) > [No reason to get excited,' the thief, he kindly spoke, There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/no-reason-to-get-excited-the-thief-he-kindly-spoke-there-are-many/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [“Here You always belonged here. You were theirs, certain as a rock. I’m the one who worries if I fit in with the furniture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-kenyon/here-you-always-belonged-here-you-were-theirs-certain-as-a-rock-i-m/) [Jane Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-kenyon/) > [All I want to be is very young always and very irresponsible and to feel that my life is my own-to live and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/all-i-want-to-be-is-very-young-always-and-very-irresponsible-and-to/) [Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/) > [Sometimes I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark - spattered wheels and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/sometimes-i-feel-that-life-is-passing-me-by-not-slowly-either-but/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [It's always there, it's in your bones, every single piece of grief or loss or happiness or sadness you feel in your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-elordi/it-s-always-there-it-s-in-your-bones-every-single-piece-of-grief-or/) [Jacob Elordi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-elordi/) > [I always feel that life can teach you how to act. I'm always looking at life through other people's eyes. By feeling empathy. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-delevingne/i-always-feel-that-life-can-teach-you-how-to-act-i-m-always-looking/) [Cara Delevingne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-delevingne/) > [There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke. But you and I, we've been through that, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/there-are-many-here-among-us-who-feel-that-life-is-but-a-joke-but-you/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You gotta be happy when you wake up in the morning and look at what's next to ya. You wanna just hop on it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dice-clay/you-gotta-be-happy-when-you-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-look-at-what-s/) [Andrew Dice Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dice-clay/) > [To feel that life is meaningless unless “I” can be permanent is like having fallen desperately in love with an inch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/to-feel-that-life-is-meaningless-unless-i-can-be-permanent-is-like/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Now I feel life is really short and I have to take care of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/now-i-feel-life-is-really-short-and-i-have-to-take-care-of-things/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [Rather than feeling lost and unimportant and meaningless, set against galaxies which go beyond the reach of the furthest telescopes, I feel that my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/rather-than-feeling-lost-and-unimportant-and-meaningless-set-against/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [“To feel someone’s life drain from their body by your hands . . . bad, bad people who need to be plucked from this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/to-feel-someone-s-life-drain-from-their-body-by-your-hands-bad-bad/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [Sometimes, as we practice jnana yoga, we feel that life has no meaning, no purpose. We feel that there is no reason to try,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/sometimes-as-we-practice-jnana-yoga-we-feel-that-life-has-no-meaning/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Nikolai Gogol > [it's not my job to preach a sermon. Art is anyhow a homily. My job is to speak in living images, not in arguments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/it-s-not-my-job-to-preach-a-sermon-art-is-anyhow-a-homily-my-job-is/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“What a strange creature man is! He does not believe in God, but he does believe that if the bridge of is nose itches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/what-a-strange-creature-man-is-he-does-not-believe-in-god-but-he-does/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“Our century is so shallow, its desires scattered so widely, our knowledge so encyclopedic, that we are absolutely unable to focus our designs on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/our-century-is-so-shallow-its-desires-scattered-so-widely-our/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [I ask everyone in Russia to pray for me, beginning with the bishops, whose whole life is a single prayer. I ask prayers also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/i-ask-everyone-in-russia-to-pray-for-me-beginning-with-the-bishops/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [Go along, go along quickly, and set all you have on the table for us. We don't want doughnuts, honey buns, poppy cakes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/go-along-go-along-quickly-and-set-all-you-have-on-the-table-for-us-we/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [Like all of us sinners, General Betrishchev was endowed with many virtues and many defects. Both the one and the other were scattered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/like-all-of-us-sinners-general-betrishchev-was-endowed-with-many/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“It seemed that both had lately had a touch of that pain under the waistband which comes of a sedentary life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/it-seemed-that-both-had-lately-had-a-touch-of-that-pain-under-the/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [...how much savage coarseness is concealed in refined, cultivated manners...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/how-much-savage-coarseness-is-concealed-in-refined-cultivated-manners/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [Russia! Russia... Everything in you is open, desolate and level; your squat towns barely protrude in the midst of the plains like dots, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/russia-russia-everything-in-you-is-open-desolate-and-level-your-squat/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [We have the marvelous gift of making everything insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/we-have-the-marvelous-gift-of-making-everything-insignificant/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“The fair-haired man was one of those people in whose character there is at first sight a certain obstinacy. Before you can open your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/the-fair-haired-man-was-one-of-those-people-in-whose-character-there/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“Well, so that's the prosecutor! He lived and lived, and then died! And they will say in the papers that he died to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/well-so-that-s-the-prosecutor-he-lived-and-lived-and-then-died-and/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [For public opinion does not admit that lofty rapturous laughter is worthy to stand beside lofty lyrical emotion and that there isall the difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/for-public-opinion-does-not-admit-that-lofty-rapturous-laughter-is/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [“in his mind, nothing could be more delightful than to live in solitude, and enjoy the spectacle of nature, and sometimes read some book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/in-his-mind-nothing-could-be-more-delightful-than-to-live-in-solitude/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) > [It is no use to blame the looking glass if your face is awry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/it-is-no-use-to-blame-the-looking-glass-if-your-face-is-awry/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) [Explore all 125 Nikolai Gogol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) ## More Joy quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“When you finally realize your gifts and talents, joy and satisfaction come as you walk in your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-richards-ross/when-you-finally-realize-your-gifts-and-talents-joy-and-satisfaction/) [Sanya Richards-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-richards-ross/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [Safin, in his way, is very talented. It is a joy to watch them play; it is tennis of a very high quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/safin-in-his-way-is-very-talented-it-is-a-joy-to-watch-them-play-it/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [“Start the daily practice of joyful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/start-the-daily-practice-of-joyful-living/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have touched with a sense of art some people-they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-have-touched-with-a-sense-of-art-some-people-they-felt-the-love-and/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [“Reverend Veronica Goines sums this up as, “Peace is joy at rest, and joy is peace on its feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/reverend-veronica-goines-sums-this-up-as-peace-is-joy-at-rest-and-joy/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. Be thankful for the storms as well as the smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/be-in-a-state-of-gratitude-for-everything-that-shows-up-in-your-life/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) [Browse all 15,003 Joy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough, coarsely poor, and untidily moldering mean ranks, or its monotonously cold and boringly tidy upper classes, a man will at least once meet with a phenomenon which is unlike anything he has happened to see before, which for once at least awakens in him a feeling unlike those he is fated to feel all his life. Wherever, across whatever sorrow sour life is woven of, a resplendent joy will gaily race by, just as a splendid carriage with golden harness, picture-book horses, and a shining brilliance of glass sometimes suddenly and unexpectedly goes speeding by some poor, forsaken hamlet that has never seen anything but a country cart, and for a long time the muzhiks stand gaping open-mouthed, not putting their hats back on, though the wondrous carriage has long since sped away and vanished from sight.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nikolai Gogol" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-amongst-its-tough-coarsely-poor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Joy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-amongst-its-tough-coarsely-poor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a59/nikolai-gogol-2690_joy_wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-among_770349.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Wherever in life it may be, whether amongst its tough, coarsely poor, and untidily moldering mean ranks, or…” — Nikolai Gogol", "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": "Nikolai Gogol", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Wherever in life it may be,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-amongst-its-tough-coarsely-poor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/wherever-in-life-it-may-be-whether-amongst-its-tough-coarsely-poor/#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 } } ] } ```