"A task becomes a duty from the moment you suspect it to be an essential part of that integrity which alone entitles a man to assume responsibility."

Loneliness

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on loneliness by Dag Hammarskjold resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in loneliness is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About Dag Hammarskjold

Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish economist and diplomat who served as the second Secretary-General of the United Nations from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. As of 2026, he remains the youngest person to have held the post, having been only 47 years old when he was elected. He was a son of Hjalmar Hammarskjöld, who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Dag Hammarskjold

More about Loneliness

"Whole communities are growing up without fathers or male role models. Bringing up a family in the best of circumstances is not easy. To try to do it by placing the entire burden on women - 91% of single-parent families in Britain are headed by the mother, according to census data - is practically absurd and morally indefensible."

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"He who inspires courage in a single soul has led a monumental campaign. In this truth lies the bedrock of all virtue — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"To the press alone, chequered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression."

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