---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whoever has been poor and lonely himself…"
description: "\"“Whoever has been poor and lonely himself understands other poor and lonely people all the better. At least we should learn to understand our fellow be..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/robert-walser-6307_good-evening_whoever-has-been-poor-and-lonely-himself_1553800.jpg"
---

#  Whoever has been poor and lonely himself understands other…

![“Whoever has been poor and lonely himself understands other poor and lonely people all the better. At least we should learn to understand our fellow beings, for we are powerless to stop their misery, their ignominy, their suffering, their weakness, and their death. One day Frau Wilke whispered, as…” quote by Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/robert-walser-6307_good-evening_whoever-has-been-poor-and-lonely-himself_1553800.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/robert-walser-6307_good-evening_whoever-has-been-poor-and-lonely-himself_1553800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56e/robert-walser-6307_good-evening_whoever-has-been-poor-and-lonely-himself_1553800.jpg)

> ““Whoever has been poor and lonely himself understands other poor and lonely people all the better. At least we should learn to understand our fellow beings, for we are powerless to stop their misery, their ignominy, their suffering, their weakness, and their death. One day Frau Wilke whispered, as she stretched out her hand and arm to me: "Hold my hand. It's like ice." I took her poor, old, thin hand in mine. It was cold as ice. Frau Wilke crept about her home now like a ghost. Nobody visited her. For days she sat alone in her unheated room. To be alone: icy, iron terror, foretaste of the grave, forerunner of unpitying death. Oh, whoever has been himself alone can never find another's loneliness strange. I began to realize that Frau Wilke had nothing to eat. The lady who owned the house, and later took Frau Wilke's rooms, allowing me to stay in mine, brought, of course in pity for her forsaken state, every midday and evening a cup of broth, but not for long, and so Frau Wilke faded away. She lay there, no longer moving: and soon she was taken to the city hospital, where, after three days, she died. One afternoon soon after her death, I entered her empty room, into which the good evening sun was shining, gladdening it with rose-bright, gay and soft colors. There I saw on the bed the things which the poor lady had till recently worn… The strange sight of them made me unspeakably sad, and my peculiar state of mind made it seem to me almost that I had died myself, and life in all its fullness, which had often appeared so huge and beautiful, was thin and poor to the point of breaking. All things past, all things vanishing away, were more close to me than ever. For a long time I looked at Frau Wilke's possessions, which now had lost their mistress and lost all purpose, and at the golden room, gloried by the smile of the evening sun, while I stood there motionless, not understanding anything anymore.””

[Robert Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-walser/)

## About This Quote

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

Empathy arises from shared hardship; witnessing another's suffering deepens our understanding of loneliness and mortality.

**In simple terms:** Shared pain creates deep empathy.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and respond to others' suffering.

Themes

empathy loneliness poverty mortality compassion

Mood

sad reflective somber

Type

narrative reflective

When to use this quote

- caregiving
- volunteering
- social work
- community support

Key Concepts

existential reflection social isolation human dignity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we turn empathy into concrete help?
- What barriers prevent us from aiding the lonely?

A Different Perspective

Empathy may be limited by personal bias or inability to act.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Frau Wilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frau-wilke-5814281/) [Good evening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-evening/) [Hold my hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hold-my-hand/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Lonely people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-people/) [Lonely Understands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lonely-understands-5055297/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Poor Lonely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-lonely-4054373/) [Realize Frau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realize-frau-5814283/) [State of mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-of-mind/) [Took Frau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/took-frau-5814282/)

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