--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is a long life such a good thing if it is…" description: "\"“Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily dread of death or in constant search for satisfaction in a tomorrow which never comes?”\" — Al..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg" --- # Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily… ![“Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily dread of death or in constant search for satisfaction in a tomorrow which never comes?” quote by Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg) > ““Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily dread of death or in constant search for satisfaction in a tomorrow which never comes?”” [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contemplating whether a long lifespan is worthwhile if it is filled with fear and endless yearning for an unattainable future. **In simple terms:** Long life can be burdensome if lived in dread and endless longing. Key Takeaway Seek meaning now, not endless future promises. Themes mortality meaning existential dread Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - healthcare decisions - aging - personal development - mindfulness practice Key Concepts philosophy psychology temporal perspective Questions to Reflect On - How do you find purpose today? - What does a fulfilling life look like for you? A Different Perspective Longevity alone does not guarantee happiness; quality of experience matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Long life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-life/) [Taoism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taoism/) ## Related quotes > [“Death was a constant fact of life. The reaper struck with fire and drowning; typhus, malaria, yellow fever, and a host of other diseases;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-weisberg/death-was-a-constant-fact-of-life-the-reaper-struck-with-fire-and/) Barbara Weisberg > [“I love that boy to death, but he’s a constant challenge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-wait/i-love-that-boy-to-death-but-he-s-a-constant-challenge/) Lea Wait > [The Sad Reality Of Life, Is That Death Is The Only Constant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mzati-zapita/the-sad-reality-of-life-is-that-death-is-the-only-constant/) [Mzati Zapita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mzati-zapita/) > [“Danger is what makes life precious. Death is the constant danger of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/danger-is-what-makes-life-precious-death-is-the-constant-danger-of/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [“Death was constant, unprejudiced to age, race, or creed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fortunato/death-was-constant-unprejudiced-to-age-race-or-creed/) [Jessica Fortunato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-fortunato/) > [Death is our constant companion, and it is death that gives each person's life its true meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/death-is-our-constant-companion-and-it-is-death-that-gives-each/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Life and death are in constant battle. There is no way in this world for happiness to exist alone...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/life-and-death-are-in-constant-battle-there-is-no-way-in-this-world/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [“Where I grew up, death is a constant visitor. A virus, bacteria, a parasite; drought and famine; soldiers, and torturers; could bring it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/where-i-grew-up-death-is-a-constant-visitor-a-virus-bacteria-a/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [Death is always a constant possibility and probability and of course an inevitability, as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/death-is-always-a-constant-possibility-and-probability-and-of-course/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [one pities most those who loved, and still died. Only those who love, dread death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-l-rice/one-pities-most-those-who-loved-and-still-died-only-those-who-love/) [Craig L. Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-l-rice/) > [“How strange that in his dread of death, it pumped all the harder,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/how-strange-that-in-his-dread-of-death-it-pumped-all-the-harder/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [Life inspires more dread than death - it is life which is the great unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/life-inspires-more-dread-than-death-it-is-life-which-is-the-great/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [He felt his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. How strange that in his dread of death, it pumped all the harder, valiantly keeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-felt-his-heart-pounding-fiercely-in-his-chest-how-strange-that-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“All people suffer from the dread of death, but we are mostly troubled by the uncertainties of time and circumstance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderick-graham/all-people-suffer-from-the-dread-of-death-but-we-are-mostly-troubled/) Roderick Graham > [My fears are agitated to an extreme degree and the dread of death involves me in a stupor of chilling indisposition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clare/my-fears-are-agitated-to-an-extreme-degree-and-the-dread-of-death/) [John Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clare/) ## More by Alan W. Watts > [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ “\[T\]he question "What is everything?" has no meaning, even though it seems to be profound. \[...\] The point is, perhaps, that I am not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-question-what-is-everything-has-no-meaning-even-though-it-seems/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“contrite, and in love with God. You can’t make”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/contrite-and-in-love-with-god-you-can-t-make/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“Those who speak, do not know; those who know, do not speak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/those-who-speak-do-not-know-those-who-know-do-not-speak/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“In knowing the world we humanize it, and if, as we discover it, we are astonished at its dimensions and its complexity, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/in-knowing-the-world-we-humanize-it-and-if-as-we-discover-it-we-are/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“Who wants to serve in a police vice squad, spending hours peeking into men’s johns to detect acts of homosexuality? Who wants a job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/who-wants-to-serve-in-a-police-vice-squad-spending-hours-peeking-into/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ “\[T\]he world as described is included in but is not the same as the world as it is. As a way of contemplation, it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-world-as-described-is-included-in-but-is-not-the-same-as-the/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ “\[S\]een as a whole the universe is a harmony or symbiosis of patterns which cannot exist without each other.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/s-een-as-a-whole-the-universe-is-a-harmony-or-symbiosis-of-patterns/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“The Book I am thinking about would not be religious in the usual sense, but it would have to discuss many things with which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/the-book-i-am-thinking-about-would-not-be-religious-in-the-usual/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“Great power is worry, and total power is boredom, such that even God renounces it and pretends, instead, that he is people and fish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/great-power-is-worry-and-total-power-is-boredom-such-that-even-god/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“The human organism has the same kind of innate intelligence as the ecosystems of nature, and the wisdom of the nerves and senses must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/the-human-organism-has-the-same-kind-of-innate-intelligence-as-the/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“We can never, never describe all the features of the total situation, not only because every situation is infinitely complex, but also because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/we-can-never-never-describe-all-the-features-of-the-total-situation/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“When there is a crack in the Cosmic Egg, Buddha is about to be born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/when-there-is-a-crack-in-the-cosmic-egg-buddha-is-about-to-be-born/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [“...he will accompany us on a hike in the hills, leaping and whizzing back and forth, and coming when called as well as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/he-will-accompany-us-on-a-hike-in-the-hills-leaping-and-whizzing-back/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [ “\[T\]he chances of survival are best when there is no anxiety to survive, and \[...\] the greatest power is available to those who do… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/t-he-chances-of-survival-are-best-when-there-is-no-anxiety-to-survive/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) [Explore all 72 Alan W. Watts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily dread of death or in constant search for satisfaction in a tomorrow which never comes?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan W. Watts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-is-lived-in-daily-dread-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-is-lived-in-daily-dread-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/alan-w-watts-9497_death_is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-i_851312.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Is a long life such a good thing if it is lived in daily dread of death or in constant search for…” — Alan W. Watts", "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": "Alan W. Watts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Is a long life such a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-is-lived-in-daily-dread-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/is-a-long-life-such-a-good-thing-if-it-is-lived-in-daily-dread-of/#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 } } ] } ```