--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Death takes away the commonplace of life." description: "\"Death takes away the commonplace of life.\" — Alexander Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/alexander-smith-4402_death_death-takes-away-the-commonplace-of-life_1906281.png" --- # Death takes away the commonplace of life. ![“Death takes away the commonplace of life.” quote by Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/alexander-smith-4402_death_death-takes-away-the-commonplace-of-life_1906281.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/alexander-smith-4402_death_death-takes-away-the-commonplace-of-life_1906281.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/alexander-smith-4402_death_death-takes-away-the-commonplace-of-life_1906281.png) > “Death takes away the commonplace of life.” [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Death reminds us that ordinary moments become precious when life ends. **In simple terms:** Life's finiteness makes daily moments valuable. Key Takeaway Appreciate everyday moments. Themes mortality appreciation mindfulness Mood somber reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - relationships - health decisions Key Concepts existential reflection value of life Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of death change your daily choices? - What ordinary moments do you now cherish? A Different Perspective It may cause fear, leading to avoidance of deeper reflection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Before death takes away what you are given, give away what there is to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/before-death-takes-away-what-you-are-given-give-away-what-there-is-to/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Death, which we are accustomed to consider an evil, really acts for us the friendliest part, and takes away the commonplace of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/death-which-we-are-accustomed-to-consider-an-evil-really-acts-for-us/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [Dying is strange and hard if it is not our death, but a death that takes us by storm, when we've ripened none within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/dying-is-strange-and-hard-if-it-is-not-our-death-but-a-death-that/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [“when death takes my hand i will hold you with the other and promise to find you in every lifetime”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/when-death-takes-my-hand-i-will-hold-you-with-the-other-and-promise/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [It has always seemed to me that the only painless death must be that which takes the intelligence by violent surprise and from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-has-always-seemed-to-me-that-the-only-painless-death-must-be-that/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [What I do know is that with a celebrity's death comes an avalanche of media, and in that media is most often another death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-belushi/what-i-do-know-is-that-with-a-celebrity-s-death-comes-an-avalanche-of/) [James Belushi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-belushi/) > [“I try to understand why death takes a person from you, but not the relationship. It leaves you to carry on with only half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-karr/i-try-to-understand-why-death-takes-a-person-from-you-but-not-the/) [Kim Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-karr/) > [Death takes no bribes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-takes-no-bribes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When death takes your mother, it steals that word forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/when-death-takes-your-mother-it-steals-that-word-forever/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Every thought about death takes a moment of life away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/every-thought-about-death-takes-a-moment-of-life-away/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [Death takes us piecemeal, not at a gulp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/death-takes-us-piecemeal-not-at-a-gulp/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, all that stuff. Death takes everyone. Most of us too early, a few of us not early enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-starmer/ashes-to-ashes-dust-to-dust-all-that-stuff-death-takes-everyone-most/) [Aaron Starmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-starmer/) > [Observe that anyone who dies for his country is a fortunate man, but death takes what it wants, indiscriminately, in peace-time as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-selassie/observe-that-anyone-who-dies-for-his-country-is-a-fortunate-man-but/) [Haile Selassie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-selassie/) > [If I should fall asleep and death takes me away, Don't be surprised son, I wasn't put here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/if-i-should-fall-asleep-and-death-takes-me-away-don-t-be-surprised/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [“The thing about death is that it takes a while before you realize that it's never going to go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-rupp/the-thing-about-death-is-that-it-takes-a-while-before-you-realize/) [Rebecca Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-rupp/) ## More by Alexander Smith > [Pleasure has no logic; it never treads in its own footsteps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/pleasure-has-no-logic-it-never-treads-in-its-own-footsteps/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [The great man is the man who does a thing for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/the-great-man-is-the-man-who-does-a-thing-for-the-first-time/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [Eternity doth wear upon her face the veil of time. They only see the veil, and thus they know not what they stand so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/eternity-doth-wear-upon-her-face-the-veil-of-time-they-only-see-the/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [There is a certain even-handed justice in Time; and for what he takes away he gives us something in return. He robs us of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/there-is-a-certain-even-handed-justice-in-time-and-for-what-he-takes/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [Thoughts must come naturally, like wild-flowers; they cannot be forced in a hot-bed, even although aided by the leaf-mould of your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/thoughts-must-come-naturally-like-wild-flowers-they-cannot-be-forced/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [In the entire circle of the year there are no days so delightful as those of a fine October, when the trees are bare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/in-the-entire-circle-of-the-year-there-are-no-days-so-delightful-as/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [The globe has been circumnavigated, but no man ever yet has; you may survey a kingdom and note the result in maps, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/the-globe-has-been-circumnavigated-but-no-man-ever-yet-has-you-may/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [In winter, when the dismal rain Comes down in slanting lines, And Wind, that grand old harper, smote His thunder-harp of pines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/in-winter-when-the-dismal-rain-comes-down-in-slanting-lines-and-wind/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [And in any case, to the old man, when the world becomes trite, the triteness arises not so much from a cessation as from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/and-in-any-case-to-the-old-man-when-the-world-becomes-trite-the/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [Most brilliant star upon the crest of Time Is England. 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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. 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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. 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