---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,”…"
description: "\"“Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says. “Leaving means dying,” I say. “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.”\" — Adam ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg"
---

#  Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says…

![“Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says. “Leaving means dying,” I say. “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.” quote by Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg)

> ““Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says. “Leaving means dying,” I say. “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.””

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

## About This Quote

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

The dialogue frames departure as both an ending and a beginning, suggesting that leaving a place or state is a form of living fully before death.

**In simple terms:** Leaving is both ending and beginning.

Key Takeaway

Departure redefines life.

Themes

mortality transformation agency existentialism optimism

Mood

reflective hopeful defiant

Type

philosophical dialogue motivational

When to use this quote

- contemplating a career change
- ending a relationship
- moving to a new city
- finishing a project
- starting a new habit

Key Concepts

death life choice movement

Practical Applications

- motivational speaking
- personal coaching

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to truly live before you die?
- How does leaving shape your identity?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Leaving Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-means-390434/) [Leaving Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-say-390437/) [Life lesson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-lesson/) [Means Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-leaving-390435/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Says Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-leaving-390436/)

## Related quotes

> [I have been very clear for years - leaving the E.U. means leaving the single market, leaving the customs union, taking back control of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-leadsom/i-have-been-very-clear-for-years-leaving-the-e-u-means-leaving-the/)

[Andrea Leadsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-leadsom/)

> [“Leaving means living before you die”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/leaving-means-living-before-you-die/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [This guy right here, he means so much to me (friend way) I am bout to cry in the middle of class cause he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savannah-j/this-guy-right-here-he-means-so-much-to-me-friend-way-i-am-bout-to/)

[Savannah J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savannah-j/)

> [“I won't ever leave you," she says. "Even though you're always leaving me." "But I never want to leave you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-won-t-ever-leave-you-she-says-even-though-you-re-always-leaving-me/)

[Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/)

> [“when leaving say the nicest words”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodgers-mulenga/when-leaving-say-the-nicest-words/)

[Rodgers Mulenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodgers-mulenga/)

> [I'm not leaving until you say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-huizenga/i-m-not-leaving-until-you-say-yes/)

[Wayne Huizenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-huizenga/)

> [Leaving someone behind means you only the best for them, even if it means swallowing the sad reality that the best isn't just you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leaving-someone-behind-means-you-only-the-best-for-them-even-if-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Leaving someone behind means you only want the best for him, even if it means swallowing the sad reality that the best just isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leaving-someone-behind-means-you-only-want-the-best-for-him-even-if/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Sometimes leaving someone behind means that you only want the best for that person, even if it means swallowing the sad reality that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glory/sometimes-leaving-someone-behind-means-that-you-only-want-the-best/)

[GLORY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glory/)

> [Becoming an adult means leaving the world of your parents and starting to make your way toward the future that you will share with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/becoming-an-adult-means-leaving-the-world-of-your-parents-and/)

[Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/)

> [There's a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/there-s-a-trick-to-the-graceful-exit-it-begins-with-the-vision-to-2/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [If you say, "Are you going to change your strategic objective?", it means you're leaving before the mission is complete, and we're not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-say-are-you-going-to-change-your-strategic-objective-it-means/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [“I want to keep all of me, and I don't think you get to do that. I think becoming an adult means leaving part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kennedy/i-want-to-keep-all-of-me-and-i-don-t-think-you-get-to-do-that-i-think/)

[Katie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kennedy/)

> [There's a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/there-s-a-trick-to-the-graceful-exit-it-begins-with-the-vision-to/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [“To be free means always leaving...or returning to a place where leaves never fall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/to-be-free-means-always-leaving-or-returning-to-a-place-where-leaves/)

[Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/)

## More by Adam Silvera

> [“I’m more happy than not. Don’t forget me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-m-more-happy-than-not-don-t-forget-me/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I always wanted to stumble into someone like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-always-wanted-to-stumble-into-someone-like-you/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [Whereas Books of Wonder excels with children's literature, McNally Jackson is where I go for my adult new releases, and no, it has nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/whereas-books-of-wonder-excels-with-children-s-literature-mcnally/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I only care about the people who wanna be in my life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-only-care-about-the-people-who-wanna-be-in-my-life/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I call Theo and it goes to voice mail. “Hey, Theo, it’s Griff. I sort of need to talk to you about something big.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-call-theo-and-it-goes-to-voice-mail-hey-theo-it-s-griff-i-sort-of/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [All my books center around death in some way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/all-my-books-center-around-death-in-some-way/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“Leaving means living before you die”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/leaving-means-living-before-you-die/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“Someone knowing me is supposed to be a beautiful thing and not something that prevents him from being open, right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/someone-knowing-me-is-supposed-to-be-a-beautiful-thing-and-not/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. —John A. Shedd”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/a-ship-in-harbor-is-safe-but-that-is-not-what-ships-are-built-for/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I kiss the guy who brought me to life on the day we’re going to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-kiss-the-guy-who-brought-me-to-life-on-the-day-we-re-going-to-die/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“Love shouldn’t only count when there’s victory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/love-shouldn-t-only-count-when-there-s-victory/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I’ve spent a lot of the past year waiting—mostly for you. Here’s hoping Jackson actually shows up. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-ve-spent-a-lot-of-the-past-year-waiting-mostly-for-you-here-s/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I’m happy for you, but mad jealous, too. And if that isn’t enough to get you out, I need you. I need a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-m-happy-for-you-but-mad-jealous-too-and-if-that-isn-t-enough-to-get/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“He doesn’t know that I know all of this. You taught him something personal to me. You taught him a routine I had with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/he-doesn-t-know-that-i-know-all-of-this-you-taught-him-something/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [“I want us to have history, something longer than the small window of time we're actually sharing...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-want-us-to-have-history-something-longer-than-the-small-window-of/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

[Explore all 174 Adam Silvera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

## More Friendship quotes

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I never believed in trying to do anything. Whatever I set out to do I found I had already accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/i-never-believed-in-trying-to-do-anything-whatever-i-set-out-to-do-i/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/)

[Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/)

[Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/)

> [Friends are like stars you can't always see them, but you know they're there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknwon/friends-are-like-stars-you-can-t-always-see-them-but-you-know-they-re/)

[Unknwon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknwon/)

> [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/)

[Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/)

> [If you love some one for who they are not for there body or how many friend so when you say I love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unknow/if-you-love-some-one-for-who-they-are-not-for-there-body-or-how-many/)

[Unknow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unknow/)

> [“But my best friend from college was silent for a long time. She, of all of my friends, had seen the parade of sad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-groff/but-my-best-friend-from-college-was-silent-for-a-long-time-she-of-all/)

[Lauren Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-groff/)

> [You smile upon your friend to-day, To-day his ills are over; You hearken to the lover's say, And happy is the lover. 'Tis late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-smile-upon-your-friend-to-day-to-day-his-ills-are-over-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“way. A true friend isn't the one that agrees with everything you say or do. A true friend is someone that has your back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shameek-speight/way-a-true-friend-isn-t-the-one-that-agrees-with-everything-you-say/)

[Shameek Speight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shameek-speight/)

> [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/)

[Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/)

> [“Kings don’t move mountains as a favor to a friend,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/kings-don-t-move-mountains-as-a-favor-to-a-friend/)

[Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/)

> [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [“The real purpose of friendship was to discover and exploit weakness in others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-thompson/the-real-purpose-of-friendship-was-to-discover-and-exploit-weakness/)

[Brian Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-thompson/)

[Browse all 45,469 Friendship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says. “Leaving means dying,” I say. “Nah. Leaving means living before you die. Let’s bounce.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Adam Silvera"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufus-says-leaving-means-dying-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Friendship"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufus-says-leaving-means-dying-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4dd/adam-silvera-2264_friendship_getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufu_18761.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Getting up means leaving,” I say. “Yeah,” Rufus says. “Leaving means dying,” I say. “Nah. Leaving means…” — Adam Silvera",
                "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": "Adam Silvera",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Getting up means leaving,” I say....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufus-says-leaving-means-dying-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/getting-up-means-leaving-i-say-yeah-rufus-says-leaving-means-dying-i/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
