--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An island can be dreadful for someone…" description: "\"An island can be dreadful for someone from outside. Everything is complete, and everyone has his obstinate, sure and self-sufficient place. Within thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/tove-jansson-1846_function_an-island-can-be-dreadful-for-someone-fr_2874266.jpg" --- # An island can be dreadful for someone from outside… ![“An island can be dreadful for someone from outside. Everything is complete, and everyone has his obstinate, sure and self-sufficient place. Within their shores, everything functions according to rituals that are as hard as rock from repetition, and at the same time they amble through their days as…” quote by Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/tove-jansson-1846_function_an-island-can-be-dreadful-for-someone-fr_2874266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/tove-jansson-1846_function_an-island-can-be-dreadful-for-someone-fr_2874266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea8/tove-jansson-1846_function_an-island-can-be-dreadful-for-someone-fr_2874266.jpg) > “An island can be dreadful for someone from outside. Everything is complete, and everyone has his obstinate, sure and self-sufficient place. Within their shores, everything functions according to rituals that are as hard as rock from repetition, and at the same time they amble through their days as whimsically and casually as if the world ended at the horizon.” [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Island life feels restrictive to outsiders, yet its rigid rituals coexist with a carefree, timeless rhythm. **In simple terms:** Island life is both strict and relaxed. Key Takeaway Balance structure with spontaneity. Themes culture isolation rituals Mood thoughtful observational Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - travel planning - community building - creative retreats - cultural integration Key Concepts anthropology existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do rituals shape community identity? - When can spontaneity improve daily life? A Different Perspective Isolation can limit perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [According Rituals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/according-rituals-3949366/) [Function](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/function/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) [Island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/island/) [Island Dreadful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/island-dreadful-3949365/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Obstinate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstinate/) [Outside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside/) [Repetition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repetition/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Rituals Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rituals-hard-3949364/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self sufficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-sufficient/) [Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shore/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Obstinate people can be divided into the opinionated, the ignorant, and the boorish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/obstinate-people-can-be-divided-into-the-opinionated-the-ignorant-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Hence my obstinate emphasis on stylistic continuity from work to work rather than specific sibling relationships between the individual work and other members of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-ferneyhough/hence-my-obstinate-emphasis-on-stylistic-continuity-from-work-to-work/) [Brian Ferneyhough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-ferneyhough/) > [I've been called 'hardheaded,' 'obstinate,' 'unreasonable,' etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benigno-aquino-iii/i-ve-been-called-hardheaded-obstinate-unreasonable-etc/) [Benigno Aquino III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benigno-aquino-iii/) > [It's only by being obstinate that anything is got, or done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumer-godden/it-s-only-by-being-obstinate-that-anything-is-got-or-done/) [Rumer Godden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumer-godden/) > [Narrowness of mind is often the cause of obstinacy; we do not easily believe beyond what we see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/narrowness-of-mind-is-often-the-cause-of-obstinacy-we-do-not-easily/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The pastoral labours of the archbishop of Constantinople provoked and gradually united against him two sorts of enemies; the aspiring clergy, who envied his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-pastoral-labours-of-the-archbishop-of-constantinople-provoked-and/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [A powerful portfolio of physiological and behavioural evidence now exists to support the case that fish feel pain and that this feeling matters. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-webster/a-powerful-portfolio-of-physiological-and-behavioural-evidence-now/) [John Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-webster/) > [Avarice, the spur of industry, is so obstinate a passion, and works its way through so many real dangers and difficulties, that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/avarice-the-spur-of-industry-is-so-obstinate-a-passion-and-works-its/) [David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/) > [Few men are so obstinate in their atheism, that a pressing danger will not compel them to acknowledgment of a divine power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/few-men-are-so-obstinate-in-their-atheism-that-a-pressing-danger-will/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Those obstinate questionings Of sense and outward things, Fallings from us, vanishings; Blank misgivings of a Creature Moving about in worlds not realised, High…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/those-obstinate-questionings-of-sense-and-outward-things-fallings/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [Presumption will be easily corrected; but timidity is a disease of the mind more obstinate and fatal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/presumption-will-be-easily-corrected-but-timidity-is-a-disease-of-the/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I remain convinced that obstinate addiction to ordinary language in our private thoughts is one of the main obstacles to progress in philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/i-remain-convinced-that-obstinate-addiction-to-ordinary-language-in/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Charlotte slammed the paper down onto her desk with an exclamation of rage. “Aloysius Starkweather is the most stubborn, hypocritical, obstinate, degenerate—” She broke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/charlotte-slammed-the-paper-down-onto-her-desk-with-an-exclamation-of/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Many are obstinate with regard to the pathway once they have set upon it, few with regard to the goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/many-are-obstinate-with-regard-to-the-pathway-once-they-have-set-upon/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [He repeated until his dying day that there was no one with more common sense, no stonecutter more obstinate, no manager more lucid or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-repeated-until-his-dying-day-that-there-was-no-one-with-more/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More by Tove Jansson > [I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-m-not-sure-i-would-have-ever-started-to-draw-let-alone-write-if-my/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“The star we're looking for isn't so very friendly," said Moomintroll. "Quite the contrary, in fact." "What did you say?" said Sniff. Moomintroll went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/the-star-we-re-looking-for-isn-t-so-very-friendly-said-moomintroll/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It looks rather ordinary," said the Snork. "Unless you consider that a top hat is always somewhat extraordinary, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-looks-rather-ordinary-said-the-snork-unless-you-consider-that-a/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“But Moominpappa wasn't listening, because just at that moment he had got the right grip on a big round boulder, and with a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/but-moominpappa-wasn-t-listening-because-just-at-that-moment-he-had/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Everyone must imagine his own snakes because no one else's snakes can ever be as awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/everyone-must-imagine-his-own-snakes-because-no-one-else-s-snakes-can/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [All men have parties and are pals who never let each other down. A pal can say terrible things which are forgotten the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/all-men-have-parties-and-are-pals-who-never-let-each-other-down-a-pal/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Someone who eats pancakes and jam can't be so awfully dangerous. You can talk to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/someone-who-eats-pancakes-and-jam-can-t-be-so-awfully-dangerous-you/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It's risky to talk about one's most secret dreams a bit too early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-s-risky-to-talk-about-one-s-most-secret-dreams-a-bit-too-early/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“I cannot stress enough the perils of your friends marrying or becoming court inventors. One day you are all a society of outlaws, adventurous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-cannot-stress-enough-the-perils-of-your-friends-marrying-or/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“Sophia," she said, "this is really not something to argue about. You can see for yourself that life is hard enough without being punished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/sophia-she-said-this-is-really-not-something-to-argue-about-you-can/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [Before we left, Grandmother talked a lot about the arctic night we would fly through. 'Isn't it a mystical word, "arctic"? Pure and quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/before-we-left-grandmother-talked-a-lot-about-the-arctic-night-we/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [It is still summer, but the summer is no longer alive. It has come to a standstill; nothing withers, and fall is not ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-is-still-summer-but-the-summer-is-no-longer-alive-it-has-come-to-a/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“It'd be awful if the world exploded, it's so wonderfully splendid”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/it-d-be-awful-if-the-world-exploded-it-s-so-wonderfully-splendid/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [“Grandmother walked up over the bare granite and thought about birds in general. It seemed to her no other creature had the same dramatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/grandmother-walked-up-over-the-bare-granite-and-thought-about-birds/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) > [But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/but-he-thought-all-the-strange-words-were-beautiful-and-he-had-never/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) [Explore all 159 Tove Jansson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) ## More Function quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [If I don't have pressure, I don't function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferran-adria/if-i-don-t-have-pressure-i-don-t-function/) [Ferran Adria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferran-adria/) > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [ \[Islam\] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abul-a-la-maududi/islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislation-in-an-islamic-state-because/) [Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abul-a-la-maududi/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Some writers say they cannot write in front of a window; many say they cannot function without almost perfect quiet. 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