--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yet in another and still more definite…" description: "\"“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally understood, one..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg" --- # Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is… ![“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally understood, one dies of this sickness, or that this sickness ends with bodily death. On the contrary, the torment of despair is precisely this, not to be able to…” quote by Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg) > ““Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally understood, one dies of this sickness, or that this sickness ends with bodily death. On the contrary, the torment of despair is precisely this, not to be able to die So it has much in common with the situation of the moribund when he lies and struggles with death, and cannot die. So to be sick unto death is, not to be able to die -- yet not as though there were hope of life; no the hopelessness in this case is that even the last hope, death, is not available. When death is the greatest danger, one hopes for life; but when one becomes acquainted with an even more dreadful danger, one hopes for death. So when the danger is so great that death has become one’s hope, despair is the disconsolateness of not being able to die.”” [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair is a torment of being unable to die, a hopelessness where even death is unattainable, intensifying suffering. **In simple terms:** Despair is the pain of being stuck without hope. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront existential hopelessness. Themes philosophy existentialism despair Mood deep thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - philosophical study - creative writing Key Concepts psychology ethics theology Questions to Reflect On - What does “being unable to die” symbolize for you? - How can you find meaning amid despair? A Different Perspective May be too abstract for practical use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Hopelessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopelessness/) ## Related quotes > [“All who live are in despair.(?) And that is the sickness unto death.(?) It is that a man refuses to be what he is.(?)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bellow/all-who-live-are-in-despair-and-that-is-the-sickness-unto-death-it-is/) [Saul Bellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bellow/) > [So to be sick unto death is, not to be able to die-yet not as though there were hope of life; no, the hopelessness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-to-be-sick-unto-death-is-not-to-be-able-to-die-yet-not-as-though/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I sometimes wish I could spontaneously combust. Burn until nothing but ash is left, to be washed away by the wind and the rain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-shepherd/i-sometimes-wish-i-could-spontaneously-combust-burn-until-nothing-but/) [A.B. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-shepherd/) > [One of the best safeguards of our hopes, I have suggested, is to be able to mark off the areas of hopelessness and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-lynch/one-of-the-best-safeguards-of-our-hopes-i-have-suggested-is-to-be/) William F. Lynch > [“How can I be made so broken?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-brian-long/how-can-i-be-made-so-broken/) J Brian Long > [It's in despair that you find the sharpest pleasures, particularly when you are most acutely aware of the hopelessness of your position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/it-s-in-despair-that-you-find-the-sharpest-pleasures-particularly/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“You’ve had many ordeals in the past. During these ordeals, life seemed unbearable. You may have collapsed from the exhaustion of hopelessness and curled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-talmage-mathis/you-ve-had-many-ordeals-in-the-past-during-these-ordeals-life-seemed/) [John-Talmage Mathis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-talmage-mathis/) > [“Trees lose their leaves in blizzards like these.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/trees-lose-their-leaves-in-blizzards-like-these/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) > [There is the extreme of hopelessness and the inevitability of doom, a deep despair that comes from the sense that our industrial, consuming society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/there-is-the-extreme-of-hopelessness-and-the-inevitability-of-doom-a/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [What I learned at home was despair and hopelessness. What I learned at the pictures was don't give up the ship, we have only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/what-i-learned-at-home-was-despair-and-hopelessness-what-i-learned-at/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Even my Buddhist friends have been feeling despair and when they go bad, you know the end is nigh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/even-my-buddhist-friends-have-been-feeling-despair-and-when-they-go/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How rarely do our emotions meet the object they seem to deserve? How hopelessly we signal; how dark the sky; how big the waves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/how-rarely-do-our-emotions-meet-the-object-they-seem-to-deserve-how/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [Your spirit is the part of you that seeks meaning and purpose. It's the part drawn to hope, that will not give in to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/your-spirit-is-the-part-of-you-that-seeks-meaning-and-purpose-it-s/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) ## More by Søren Kierkegaard > [“At vove er at miste fodfæstet et kort øjeblik - ikke at vove er at miste sig selv.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/at-vove-er-at-miste-fodf-stet-et-kort-jeblik-ikke-at-vove-er-at-miste/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Who tricked me into this whole thing and leaves me standing here? Who am I? How did I get into the world? Why was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/who-tricked-me-into-this-whole-thing-and-leaves-me-standing-here-who/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“No woman in maternity confinement can have stranger and more impatient wishes than I have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/no-woman-in-maternity-confinement-can-have-stranger-and-more/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“If a man had a little button sewn on the inner pocket of his coat 'on principle' his otherwise unimportant and quite serviceable action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/if-a-man-had-a-little-button-sewn-on-the-inner-pocket-of-his-coat-on/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I stick my finger in existence — it smells of nothing. Where am I? Who am I? How came I here? What is this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-stick-my-finger-in-existence-it-smells-of-nothing-where-am-i-who-am/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“A human being is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/a-human-being-is-spirit-but-what-is-spirit-spirit-is-the-self-but/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“I am poor—you are my riches; dark—you are my light; I own nothing, need nothing. And how could I own anything? After all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/i-am-poor-you-are-my-riches-dark-you-are-my-light-i-own-nothing-need/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Intohimo ei merkitse sanoja.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/intohimo-ei-merkitse-sanoja/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“But there is a concerned guide, a knowing one, who attracts the attention of the wanderer, who calls out to him that he should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/but-there-is-a-concerned-guide-a-knowing-one-who-attracts-the/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“There is something frightful in the fact that the most dangerous thing of all, playing at Christianity, is never included in the list of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/there-is-something-frightful-in-the-fact-that-the-most-dangerous/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Sitting calmly on a ship in fair weather is not a metaphor for having faith; but when the ship has sprung a leak, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/sitting-calmly-on-a-ship-in-fair-weather-is-not-a-metaphor-for-having/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Not merely in the realm of commerce but in the world of ideas as well our age is organizing a regular clearance sale. Everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/not-merely-in-the-realm-of-commerce-but-in-the-world-of-ideas-as-well/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“In love with myself, that is what people say I am. It doesn’t surprise me, for how could they notice that I can love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/in-love-with-myself-that-is-what-people-say-i-am-it-doesn-t-surprise/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“Battle day and night against the guile of oblivion...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/battle-day-and-night-against-the-guile-of-oblivion/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [“The humorous self-sufficiency of genius is the unity of a modest resignation in the world and a proud elevation above the world: of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/the-humorous-self-sufficiency-of-genius-is-the-unity-of-a-modest/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) [Explore all 184 Søren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from being true that, literally understood, one dies of this sickness, or that this sickness ends with bodily death. On the contrary, the torment of despair is precisely this, not to be able to die So it has much in common with the situation of the moribund when he lies and struggles with death, and cannot die. So to be sick unto death is, not to be able to die -- yet not as though there were hope of life; no the hopelessness in this case is that even the last hope, death, is not available. When death is the greatest danger, one hopes for life; but when one becomes acquainted with an even more dreadful danger, one hopes for death. So when the danger is so great that death has become one’s hope, despair is the disconsolateness of not being able to die.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Søren Kierkegaard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e88/s-ren-kierkegaard-1686_death_yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-s_155911.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yet in another and still more definite sense despair is the sickness unto death. It is indeed very far from…” — Søren Kierkegaard", "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": "Søren Kierkegaard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Yet in another and still more...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/yet-in-another-and-still-more-definite-sense-despair-is-the-sickness/#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 } } ] } ```