---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most people live dejectedly in worldly…"
description: "\"Most people live dejectedly in worldly joys or sorrows. They sit on the sidelines and do not join the dance.\" — Soren Kierkegaard"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/soren-kierkegaard-578_dance_most-people-live-dejectedly-in-worldly-j_1204950.jpg"
---

#  Most people live dejectedly in worldly joys or sorrows…

![“Most people live dejectedly in worldly joys or sorrows. They sit on the sidelines and do not join the dance.” quote by Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/soren-kierkegaard-578_dance_most-people-live-dejectedly-in-worldly-j_1204950.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/soren-kierkegaard-578_dance_most-people-live-dejectedly-in-worldly-j_1204950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23e/soren-kierkegaard-578_dance_most-people-live-dejectedly-in-worldly-j_1204950.jpg)

> “Most people live dejectedly in worldly joys or sorrows. They sit on the sidelines and do not join the dance.”

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

## About This Quote

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

People often observe life from a distance, caught in pleasure or pain, missing active participation.

**In simple terms:** Many watch life without joining.

Key Takeaway

Engage actively instead of observing.

Themes

existentialism passivity authenticity

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- social gatherings
- personal projects
- community service
- creative pursuits

Key Concepts

subjectivity choice alienation

Questions to Reflect On

- What prevents you from joining the dance of life?
- How might active participation change your perspective?

A Different Perspective

Passive observation can lead to regret and unfulfilled potential.

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[Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Dejectedly Worldly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dejectedly-worldly-3628879/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joys Sorrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joys-sorrows-607718/) [Live Dejectedly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-dejectedly-3628880/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sidelines/) [Sit Sidelines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sit-sidelines-1183655/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Sorrows Sit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrows-sit-3628881/) [Worldly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldly/)

## Related quotes

> [Here I and sorrows sit; Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/here-i-and-sorrows-sit-here-is-my-throne-bid-kings-come-bow-to-it/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I ask myself, 'Do you want to sit on the sidelines of life or do you want to be on the field?' I suppose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-watson/i-ask-myself-do-you-want-to-sit-on-the-sidelines-of-life-or-do-you/)

[Don Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-watson/)

> [I always want to win because I never want to sit out on the sidelines outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-always-want-to-win-because-i-never-want-to-sit-out-on-the-sidelines/)

[Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/)

> [When any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-any-part-of-humanity-is-sidelined-the-rest-of-us-cannot-sit-on/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Just like so many other people out there, I don't want to sit on the sidelines, I want to do the most that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/just-like-so-many-other-people-out-there-i-don-t-want-to-sit-on-the/)

[Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/)

> [Some of us is keeping God on the sidelines an God has his hands out saying tag me in. See God just don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-j-cowell/some-of-us-is-keeping-god-on-the-sidelines-an-god-has-his-hands-out/)

[Larry J Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-j-cowell/)

> [I didn't come to Washington D.C. sit on the sidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-taylor-greene/i-didn-t-come-to-washington-d-c-sit-on-the-sidelines/)

[Marjorie Taylor Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-taylor-greene/)

> [While some sit on the sidelines and fail to offer any practical solutions to address high gas prices now, the House is once again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-reichert/while-some-sit-on-the-sidelines-and-fail-to-offer-any-practical/)

[Dave Reichert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-reichert/)

> [No one gets to the top, if they sit on the sidelines, or if they don't believe in themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/no-one-gets-to-the-top-if-they-sit-on-the-sidelines-or-if-they-don-t/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [It doesn't do any good to sit on the sidelines all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-anschutz/it-doesn-t-do-any-good-to-sit-on-the-sidelines-all-the-time/)

[Philip Anschutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-anschutz/)

> [You can't sit on the sidelines of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/you-can-t-sit-on-the-sidelines-of-life/)

[Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/)

> [You can't sit on the sidelines and read your iPhone and be on social media and expect everything to be cool. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/you-can-t-sit-on-the-sidelines-and-read-your-iphone-and-be-on-social/)

[Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/)

> [“We can’t always be the star player. We have to sit on the sidelines to replenish what we’ve lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlena-jackson/we-can-t-always-be-the-star-player-we-have-to-sit-on-the-sidelines-to/)

[Charlena Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlena-jackson/)

> [Life gives us choices. You either grab on with both hands and just go for it, or you sit on the sidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/life-gives-us-choices-you-either-grab-on-with-both-hands-and-just-go/)

[Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/)

> [I was a college football fanatic, and I wanted to play, not sit on the sidelines. It's tough when you know you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-pennington/i-was-a-college-football-fanatic-and-i-wanted-to-play-not-sit-on-the/)

[Chad Pennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-pennington/)

## More by Soren Kierkegaard

> [Christianity does not oppose debauchery and uncontrollable passions and the like as much as it opposes... flat mediocrity, this nauseating atmosphere, this homey, civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christianity-does-not-oppose-debauchery-and-uncontrollable-passions/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [Christians remind me of schoolboys who want to look up the answers to their math problems in the back of the book rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/christians-remind-me-of-schoolboys-who-want-to-look-up-the-answers-to/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [People commonly travel the world over to see rivers and mountains, new stars, garish birds, freak fish, grotesque breeds of human; they fall into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-commonly-travel-the-world-over-to-see-rivers-and-mountains-new/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [“A strange thing happened to me in my dream. I was rapt into the Seventh Heaven. There sat all the gods assembled. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-strange-thing-happened-to-me-in-my-dream-i-was-rapt-into-the/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [That which is truly human no generation learns from the one before it. No generation learns from another how to love. No generation has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/that-which-is-truly-human-no-generation-learns-from-the-one-before-it/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [A man may perform astonishing feats and comprehend a vast amount of knowledge, and yet have no understanding of himself. But suffering directs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-man-may-perform-astonishing-feats-and-comprehend-a-vast-amount-of/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [Be that self which one truly is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/be-that-self-which-one-truly-is/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [I go fishing for a thousand monsters in the depths of my own self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-go-fishing-for-a-thousand-monsters-in-the-depths-of-my-own-self/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant… My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known —…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/in-addition-to-my-other-numerous-acquaintances-i-have-one-more/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [The greatest danger to Christianity is, I contend, not heresies, not heterodoxies, not atheists, not profane secularism - no, but the kind of orthodoxy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/the-greatest-danger-to-christianity-is-i-contend-not-heresies-not/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [Future is everything that past has forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/future-is-everything-that-past-has-forgotten/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [Without risk, faith is an impossibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/without-risk-faith-is-an-impossibility/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [I have only one confidant, and that is the silence of night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-have-only-one-confidant-and-that-is-the-silence-of-night/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [A road well begun is the battle half won. The important thing is to make a beginning and get under way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/a-road-well-begun-is-the-battle-half-won-the-important-thing-is-to/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

> [I have, I believe, the courage to doubt everything; I have, I believe, the courage to fight against everything; but I do not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/i-have-i-believe-the-courage-to-doubt-everything-i-have-i-believe-the/)

[Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

[Explore all 462 Soren Kierkegaard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/)

## More Dance quotes

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

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> [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/)

[Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/)

> [I like Sam Smith and Taylor Swift. I love pop music, but I also like Sam Smith's slow songs. That would be more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddie-ziegler/i-like-sam-smith-and-taylor-swift-i-love-pop-music-but-i-also-like/)

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> [I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-think-it-s-useful-to-experience-other-types-of-dance-and-other/)

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> [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/)

[Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/)

> [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/)

[Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/)

> [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/)

[Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/)

> [My body was so instrumental to how I took pictures: it was practically a dance. I used to use my legs a lot; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-body-was-so-instrumental-to-how-i-took-pictures-it-was-practically/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/)

[e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/)

> [If you dance, you dance because you have to. Every dancer hurts, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunham/if-you-dance-you-dance-because-you-have-to-every-dancer-hurts-you-know/)

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> [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/)

[Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/)

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[Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/)

> [I'm a horrible dancer, but I wanted to record songs that made me want to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lane/i-m-a-horrible-dancer-but-i-wanted-to-record-songs-that-made-me-want/)

[Chris Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lane/)

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