--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And I thought the dead, who have already…" description: "\"And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, whoare still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg" --- # And I thought the dead, who have already died, more… ![“And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, whoare still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen theevil deeds that are done underthe sun.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg) > “And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, whoare still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen theevil deeds that are done underthe sun.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects on the relative fortunes of those dead, alive, and unborn, suggesting the unborn are spared from witnessing evil. **In simple terms:** Being unborn spares one from seeing evil. Key Takeaway Recognize the value of innocence. Themes philosophy existential mortality Mood thoughtful melancholic Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - life reflection - death contemplation - ethical reflection Key Concepts fate ignorance innocence Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be fortunate? - How does ignorance affect moral judgment? A Different Perspective The perspective may overlook the value of lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive-better-1099765/) [Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) [Dead Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-died-1086874/) [Died Fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died-fortunate-3434051/) [Fortunate Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunate-living-2567203/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Things happen for a reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen-for-a-reason/) [Thought Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-dead/) ## Related quotes > [A dirge for her the doubly dead in that she died so young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-dirge-for-her-the-doubly-dead-in-that-she-died-so-young/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just enjoy what I do - looking forward to going on a film set, being in front of the camera, interacting with many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiara-advani/i-just-enjoy-what-i-do-looking-forward-to-going-on-a-film-set-being/) [Kiara Advani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiara-advani/) > [I'm fortunate enough to be living my dreams and a lot of other peoples' dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/i-m-fortunate-enough-to-be-living-my-dreams-and-a-lot-of-other/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [As a traveler, I should probably count myself fortunate to be living in the jet age, and as an author, I know I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amor-towles/as-a-traveler-i-should-probably-count-myself-fortunate-to-be-living/) [Amor Towles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amor-towles/) > [OMG I thought u were dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/omg-i-thought-u-were-dead/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gandalf-i-thought-you-were-dead-but-then-i-thought-i-was-dead-myself-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God is indeed dead. He died of self-horror when He saw the creature He had made in His own image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-layton/god-is-indeed-dead-he-died-of-self-horror-when-he-saw-the-creature-he/) [Irving Layton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-layton/) > [I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I died, I'm dead. -Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finding-nemo/i-m-dead-i-m-dead-i-m-dead-i-m-dead-i-m-dead-i-died-i-m-dead-marlin/) [Finding Nemo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finding-nemo/) > [By morning she was dead. She had not died of starvation or committed suicide by any conventional means. She had simply willed herself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berendt/by-morning-she-was-dead-she-had-not-died-of-starvation-or-committed/) [John Berendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berendt/) > [ I do not give a damn about the dead. They died for the \[Communist\] Party and the Party can decide what it wants. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-do-not-give-a-damn-about-the-dead-they-died-for-the-communist-party/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“he’s still dead, but he died this morning rather than last night.” She held up her hand with a small amount of space between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-parke/he-s-still-dead-but-he-died-this-morning-rather-than-last-night-she/) [Graham Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-parke/) > [Oh, we do not understand death, we never understand it; creatures are only truly dead when everyone else has died who knew them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schnitzler/oh-we-do-not-understand-death-we-never-understand-it-creatures-are/) [Arthur Schnitzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schnitzler/) > [My heroes are all dead. They all died fighting a good cause. I don't believe in living heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/my-heroes-are-all-dead-they-all-died-fighting-a-good-cause-i-don-t/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [You're alive, Bianca. You still can't appreciate what it means, to be alive. It's better than being a vampire - better than anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-gray/you-re-alive-bianca-you-still-can-t-appreciate-what-it-means-to-be/) [Claudia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-gray/) > [Tomorrow, I am fifty-two years old. And I want to say unequivocally that I am very happy to be alive, that being alive is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/tomorrow-i-am-fifty-two-years-old-and-i-want-to-say-unequivocally/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Dead quotes > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I can't be a legend yet. I'm not dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-can-t-be-a-legend-yet-i-m-not-dead/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“I’m just–” She wanted to say “not in the mood,” but that was not only a cliché but a vast understatement. She was dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-mcintosh/i-m-just-she-wanted-to-say-not-in-the-mood-but-that-was-not-only-a/) [Will McIntosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-mcintosh/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Rather be dead than cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/rather-be-dead-than-cool/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [He was obviously dead. But since he was a vampire that wasn't as hopless a thing as it might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/he-was-obviously-dead-but-since-he-was-a-vampire-that-wasn-t-as/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > ['Misery' left a lasting mark on me. When I die, it will be 'Kathy 'Misery' Bates Is Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/misery-left-a-lasting-mark-on-me-when-i-die-it-will-be-kathy-misery/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [The only good Indian is a dead Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/the-only-good-indian-is-a-dead-indian/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) [Browse all 3,376 Dead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, whoare still alive; but better than both is the one who has not yet been, and has not seen theevil deeds that are done underthe sun.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anonymous" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already-died-more-fortunate-than-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already-died-more-fortunate-than-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50f/anonymous-1_dead_and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already_2798735.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, whoare still alive; but…” — Anonymous", "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": "Anonymous", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "And I thought the dead, who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already-died-more-fortunate-than-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-thought-the-dead-who-have-already-died-more-fortunate-than-the/#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 } } ] } ```