--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For it would be better to die once and…" description: "\"For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.\" — Aeschylus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png" --- # For it would be better to die once and for all than to… ![“For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.” quote by Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png) > “For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.” [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing death over endless suffering is preferable, highlighting the value of a finite, dignified end over perpetual pain. **In simple terms:** Death is better than endless suffering. Key Takeaway Seek to end suffering when possible. Themes mortality ethics pain dignity Mood somber serious Type ethical dramatic When to use this quote - palliative care - terminal illness - war trauma - chronic disease Key Concepts philosophy medicine psychology Questions to Reflect On - When is it ethical to end suffering? - What alternatives exist to prolonged pain? A Different Perspective Ending life raises moral and societal dilemmas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [To become a man was something, but to become a man of sorrows was far more; to bleed, and die, and suffer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/to-become-a-man-was-something-but-to-become-a-man-of-sorrows-was-far/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [“Death sucks, and premature death sucks worse. But it’s part of the package deal of getting to be alive. It happens because you, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-christina/death-sucks-and-premature-death-sucks-worse-but-it-s-part-of-the/) [Greta Christina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-christina/) > [If we live, we live; if we die, we die; if we suffer, we suffer; if we are terrified, we are terrified. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-we-live-we-live-if-we-die-we-die-if-we-suffer-we-suffer-if-we-are/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [No matter how dry and tame and nice we live, we will die. We will also suffer along the way. Living wild is it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sark/no-matter-how-dry-and-tame-and-nice-we-live-we-will-die-we-will-also/) [Sark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sark/) > [Whatever things a man gives up, By those he cannot suffer pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiruvalluvar/whatever-things-a-man-gives-up-by-those-he-cannot-suffer-pain/) [Thiruvalluvar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiruvalluvar/) > [Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/better-to-die-on-your-feet-than-live-on-your-knees/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [You can suffer the pain of change or suffer remaining the way you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/you-can-suffer-the-pain-of-change-or-suffer-remaining-the-way-you-are/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [Sometimes we suffer so much that the pain kills us.. but we should scarifies our happiness just to hold others happiness..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bina-lamichhane/sometimes-we-suffer-so-much-that-the-pain-kills-us-but-we-should/) [Bina Lamichhane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bina-lamichhane/) > [We like to say we would never want anyone we care about to suffer. But is it because it's we who cannot see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/we-like-to-say-we-would-never-want-anyone-we-care-about-to-suffer-but/) [Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/) > [When someone says Let's just be friends? It's because they don't want to suffer the pain of losing you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-someone-says-let-s-just-be-friends-it-s-because-they-don-t-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I w0nt darE t0 asK g0d why I suffer pain.. because I never question him when I experienced HAPPINESS. =)+](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megz/i-w0nt-dare-t0-ask-g0d-why-i-suffer-pain-because-i-never-question-him/) Megz > [The best revenge is moving on and getting over to your past. Don't ever give someone the priority to hurt you and watching you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/the-best-revenge-is-moving-on-and-getting-over-to-your-past-don-t/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“for you, I am even willing to suffer. Whatever pain happens to us in the future, I accept it already, just for the pleasure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/for-you-i-am-even-willing-to-suffer-whatever-pain-happens-to-us-in/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [ To be a value investor, you have to be willing \[and able\] to suffer pain. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marie-eveillard/to-be-a-value-investor-you-have-to-be-willing-and-able-to-suffer-pain/) Jean-Marie Eveillard > [I wish no living thing to suffer pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/i-wish-no-living-thing-to-suffer-pain/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) ## More by Aeschylus > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [May dawn, as the proverb goes, bring happy tidings coming from her mother night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/may-dawn-as-the-proverb-goes-bring-happy-tidings-coming-from-her/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [In visions of the night, like dropping rain, Descend the many memories of pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/in-visions-of-the-night-like-dropping-rain-descend-the-many-memories/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [The cure is in the house, not brought by other hands from distant places, but by its own, in agony and blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-cure-is-in-the-house-not-brought-by-other-hands-from-distant/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [The tongue of slander is too prompt with wanton malice to wound the stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-tongue-of-slander-is-too-prompt-with-wanton-malice-to-wound-the/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [The holy heaven yearns to wound the earth, and yearning layeth hold on the earth to join in wedlock; the rain, fallen from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/the-holy-heaven-yearns-to-wound-the-earth-and-yearning-layeth-hold-on/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [God loves to help him who strives to help himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/god-loves-to-help-him-who-strives-to-help-himself/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Good fortune is a god among men, and more than a god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/good-fortune-is-a-god-among-men-and-more-than-a-god/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Zeus, first cause, prime mover; for what thing without Zeus is done among mortals?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/zeus-first-cause-prime-mover-for-what-thing-without-zeus-is-done/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [God planteth in mortal men the cause of sin whensoever he wills utterly to destroy a house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/god-planteth-in-mortal-men-the-cause-of-sin-whensoever-he-wills/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Human prosperity never rests but always craves more, till blown up with pride it totters and falls. From the opulent mansions pointed at by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/human-prosperity-never-rests-but-always-craves-more-till-blown-up/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [To be free from evil thoughts is God's best gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/to-be-free-from-evil-thoughts-is-god-s-best-gift/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [Hungry wailing standeth not aloof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hungry-wailing-standeth-not-aloof/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [“If libations were proper to pour above the slain, this man deserved, more than deserved, such sacrament. He filled our cup with evil things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/if-libations-were-proper-to-pour-above-the-slain-this-man-deserved/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [For there is no defense for a man who, in the excess of his wealth, has kicked the great altar of Justice out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-there-is-no-defense-for-a-man-who-in-the-excess-of-his-wealth-has/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) [Explore all 382 Aeschylus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) ## More Pain quotes > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [“If I let myself think of it the pain and anger were still fresh, adrenalin racing down my limbs to pool, hot and itchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-ladd/if-i-let-myself-think-of-it-the-pain-and-anger-were-still-fresh/) [Kylie Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-ladd/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [It hurts wanting the best for someone you love, even if they feel the best isn't you. That's real love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-hurts-wanting-the-best-for-someone-you-love-even-if-they-feel-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tryna hide this pain with these pain killers, she said the storms only will last a little while but shit it got me feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myself/tryna-hide-this-pain-with-these-pain-killers-she-said-the-storms-only/) Myself > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“What is there, in the mention of Time To Come, that is so quick to wrench at the heart, to inflict a pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-llewellyn/what-is-there-in-the-mention-of-time-to-come-that-is-so-quick-to/) [Richard Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-llewellyn/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Stop trying to give me hope ... I have no room left for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-f/stop-trying-to-give-me-hope-i-have-no-room-left-for-it/) [Jenn F](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-f/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) [Browse all 17,919 Pain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Aeschylus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-for-all-than-to-suffer-pain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-for-all-than-to-suffer-pain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcb/aeschylus-749_pain_for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-f_724695.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For it would be better to die once and for all than to suffer pain for all one's life.” — Aeschylus", "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": "Aeschylus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For it would be better to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-for-all-than-to-suffer-pain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/for-it-would-be-better-to-die-once-and-for-all-than-to-suffer-pain/#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 } } ] } ```