--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world concerns me only in so far as I…" description: "\"The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain debt and duty to it, because I have lived in it for thirty years and owe to it to leave behind..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg" --- # The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain… ![“The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain debt and duty to it, because I have lived in it for thirty years and owe to it to leave behind some souvenir in the shape of drawings and paintings – not done to please any particular movement, but within which a genuine human sentiment is…” quote by Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg) > “The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain debt and duty to it, because I have lived in it for thirty years and owe to it to leave behind some souvenir in the shape of drawings and paintings – not done to please any particular movement, but within which a genuine human sentiment is expressed.” [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An artist feels a moral duty to leave a personal, heartfelt legacy through art, beyond trends or movements. **In simple terms:** Artists must leave genuine, personal works. Key Takeaway Create art that reflects your true self. Themes art legacy personal duty authenticity expression Mood introspective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - exhibitions - personal journals - public commissions - teaching Key Concepts existentialism creative responsibility humanism Questions to Reflect On - What personal story will you embed in your work? - How do you balance authenticity with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Market pressures may tempt compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drawing and painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawing-and-painting/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Souvenir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souvenir/) [Souvenirs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/souvenirs/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I do not intend to spare myself, not to avoid emotions or difficulties. I don't care much whether I live a longer or shorter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-do-not-intend-to-spare-myself-not-to-avoid-emotions-or-difficulties-2/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I have walked the earth for thirty years and, out of gratitude, want to leave some souvenir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-have-walked-the-earth-for-thirty-years-and-out-of-gratitude-want-to/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The way I see it, love is an amusement park, and food its souvenir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-klein/the-way-i-see-it-love-is-an-amusement-park-and-food-its-souvenir/) [Stephanie Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-klein/) > [A photograph is a souvenir of life!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-smith/a-photograph-is-a-souvenir-of-life/) [Deborah Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-smith/) > [A book is a souvenir of an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/a-book-is-a-souvenir-of-an-idea/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Par toi tout le bonheur que m'offre l'avenir Est dans mon souvenir. Through you, all the happiness that the future offers Is in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marceline-desbordes-valmore/par-toi-tout-le-bonheur-que-m-offre-l-avenir-est-dans-mon-souvenir/) [Marceline Desbordes-Valmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marceline-desbordes-valmore/) > [My earliest memory is seeing Michael Jackson in Melbourne with my sister when I was about ten. I still have this souvenir stick with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-de-ravin/my-earliest-memory-is-seeing-michael-jackson-in-melbourne-with-my/) [Emilie de Ravin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-de-ravin/) > [I pick things up in different cities, so my wardrobe is kind of a souvenir chest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-hahn/i-pick-things-up-in-different-cities-so-my-wardrobe-is-kind-of-a/) [Hilary Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-hahn/) > [I'd like to take a walk far back in the flinty hills and search for a souvenir, an old double-bitted ax stuck deep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-rawls/i-d-like-to-take-a-walk-far-back-in-the-flinty-hills-and-search-for-a/) [Wilson Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-rawls/) > [A brand is a voice and a product is a souvenir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gansky/a-brand-is-a-voice-and-a-product-is-a-souvenir/) [Lisa Gansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gansky/) > [New York is great though. If you?re here and want a one of a kind souvenir be sure to take home the police sketch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/new-york-is-great-though-if-you-re-here-and-want-a-one-of-a-kind/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [Every last souvenir of the love we had, the prizes & the debris of this relationship, like the glitter in the gutter when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/every-last-souvenir-of-the-love-we-had-the-prizes-the-debris-of-this/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [Great drama is the souvenir of the adventure of a master among the pieces of his own soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/great-drama-is-the-souvenir-of-the-adventure-of-a-master-among-the/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [“What was the rationale for all this pillaging? Souvenirs. These people needed something to remember themselves by. An odd thing, souvenir-hunting: now becomes then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/what-was-the-rationale-for-all-this-pillaging-souvenirs-these-people/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Love is a promise; love is a souvenir.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/love-is-a-promise-love-is-a-souvenir/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) ## More by Vincent Van Gogh > [What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-am-i-in-most-people-s-eyes-a-nonentity-or-an-eccentric-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-heart-of-man-is-very-much-like-the-sea-it-has-its-storms-it-has/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“I take great care of myself by carefully shutting myself away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-take-great-care-of-myself-by-carefully-shutting-myself-away/) [Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [There certainly is an affinity between a person and his work, but it is not easy to define what this affinity is, and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/there-certainly-is-an-affinity-between-a-person-and-his-work-but-it/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I confess I do not know why, but looking at the stars always makes me dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/i-confess-i-do-not-know-why-but-looking-at-the-stars-always-makes-me/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Ah, Manet has come very, very close to it and Courbet - the marrying of form and colour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/ah-manet-has-come-very-very-close-to-it-and-courbet-the-marrying-of/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [We must not judge God from this world. It's just a study that didn't come off. It's only a master who could make such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/we-must-not-judge-god-from-this-world-it-s-just-a-study-that-didn-t/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/our-goals-can-only-be-reached-through-a-vehicle-of-a-plan-in-which-we/) [Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [One can never study nature too much and too hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/one-can-never-study-nature-too-much-and-too-hard/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [But by fighting the difficulties in which one finds oneself, an inner strength develops from within our heart, which improves in life's fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/but-by-fighting-the-difficulties-in-which-one-finds-oneself-an-inner/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Ah! My dear friend painting is to us what the music of Berlioz and Wagner was before us - a consolatory art for sore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/ah-my-dear-friend-painting-is-to-us-what-the-music-of-berlioz-and/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Painting demands an intelligent model.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/painting-demands-an-intelligent-model/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [That this awareness of my own fallibility will prevent me from making many mistakes doesn't alter the fact that I'm bound to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/that-this-awareness-of-my-own-fallibility-will-prevent-me-from-making/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [What is drawing? It is working oneself through an invisible iron wall that seems to stand between what one feels and what one can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/what-is-drawing-it-is-working-oneself-through-an-invisible-iron-wall/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [You will say that everyone has seen landscapes and figures from childhood on. The question is: Has everybody also been reflexive as a child?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/you-will-say-that-everyone-has-seen-landscapes-and-figures-from/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) [Explore all 508 Vincent Van Gogh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) ## More Behinds quotes > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [God hides Himself behind causes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rollin/god-hides-himself-behind-causes/) [Charles Rollin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rollin/) > [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Behind every word flows energy. If you use your words to gossip or babble about what you are going to do before you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/behind-every-word-flows-energy-if-you-use-your-words-to-gossip-or/) [Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/) > [With the realization of God comes all power. If the little wave knew that behind it is the great ocean, it could say, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/with-the-realization-of-god-comes-all-power-if-the-little-wave-knew/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard-working ancestry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-worthwhile-for-anyone-to-have-behind-him-a-few-generations-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm really thankful to God, man. Like now, I'm really making a real comeback with my group. With or without a record, with or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/i-m-really-thankful-to-god-man-like-now-i-m-really-making-a-real/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain debt and duty to it, because I have lived in it for thirty years and owe to it to leave behind some souvenir in the shape of drawings and paintings – not done to please any particular movement, but within which a genuine human sentiment is expressed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vincent Van Gogh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as-i-have-a-certain-debt-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as-i-have-a-certain-debt-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/651/vincent-van-gogh-486_behinds_the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as_584181.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world concerns me only in so far as I have a certain debt and duty to it, because I have lived in it for…” — Vincent Van Gogh", "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": "Vincent Van Gogh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The world concerns me only in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as-i-have-a-certain-debt-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-world-concerns-me-only-in-so-far-as-i-have-a-certain-debt-and/#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 } } ] } ```