Not only to live, but to have something to live for.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor)
Ибо тайна бытия человеческого не в том, чтобы только жить, а в том, для чего жить.
Not only to live, but to have something to live for.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor)
What it means
The Grand Inquisitor admits that bread alone does not satisfy people. Without a reason to live, comfort is not enough. Find your why.
The source
"Not only to live, but to have something to live for." Fyodor Dostoevsky said it in The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor). Translated by Constance Garnett, 1912.
"For the secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for."Constance Garnett, 1912, The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor). Text read at gutenberg.org.
Who said it
Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881). Russian novelist who survived a mock execution and Siberian prison camp. He wrote Crime and Punishment, The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov.
Questions
- What does "Not only to live, but to have something to live for." mean?
- The Grand Inquisitor admits that bread alone does not satisfy people. Without a reason to live, comfort is not enough. Find your why.
- Who said "Not only to live, but to have something to live for."?
- Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881). Source: The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor).
- What is the original wording?
- For the secret of man’s being is not only to live but to have something to live for (Constance Garnett, 1912). Translated by Constance Garnett, 1912.
- Is "Not only to live, but to have something to live for." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"Not only to live, but to have something to live for." (Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 5 (The Grand Inquisitor), trans. Constance Garnett, 1912). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/not-only-to-live-but-to-have-something
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More from Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Above all, don't lie to yourself.The Brothers Karamazov, Book 2, ch. 2
- Love life more than the meaning of it.The Brothers Karamazov, Book 5, ch. 3
- Love every grain of sand, every leaf, every ray of light.The Brothers Karamazov, Book 6, ch. 3
- Hell is the suffering of being unable to love.The Brothers Karamazov, Book 6, ch. 3
- Each of us is responsible for all, and for everything.The Brothers Karamazov, Book 4, ch. 1
- A new step, a word of your own: that is what people fear most.Crime and Punishment, Part 1, ch. 1