--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to…" description: "\"What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd never really tasted to things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been. What life would I have? I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png" --- # What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd… ![“What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd never really tasted to things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been. What life would I have? I would be like the dancer who had practiced since childhood for a performance she would never give.” quote by Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png) > “What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd never really tasted to things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been. What life would I have? I would be like the dancer who had practiced since childhood for a performance she would never give.” [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Missing experiences leave a lingering emptiness, like a dancer never performing after years of practice. **In simple terms:** Unlived moments cause regret. Key Takeaway Cherish experiences while you can. Themes regret missing opportunities life purpose Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - travel - education - relationships - career choices Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness impermanence Questions to Reflect On - What experiences do you prioritize? - How do you cope with missed chances? A Different Perspective We cannot control all outcomes, only our responses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancer/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) ## Related quotes > [“You can't know who you really are until you've tasted all the things life has to offer...otherwise you'll just be standing there with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-mosby/you-can-t-know-who-you-really-are-until-you-ve-tasted-all-the-things/) Amber Mosby > [“She knew that my memories of her would fade. Which is precisely why she begged me never to forget her, to remember that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/she-knew-that-my-memories-of-her-would-fade-which-is-precisely-why/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“I stopped trying to rank sorrow, realized that the world has sorrow enough for all of us, and when some of it falls to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ann-fennelly/i-stopped-trying-to-rank-sorrow-realized-that-the-world-has-sorrow/) [Beth Ann Fennelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ann-fennelly/) > [“Malphas surveyed the women's bodies with utter disgust and sorrow until he realized Tabitha was still alive. He knelt by her side and cradled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/malphas-surveyed-the-women-s-bodies-with-utter-disgust-and-sorrow/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [From this experience, I understood the danger of focusing only on what isn't there. What if I came to the end of my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/from-this-experience-i-understood-the-danger-of-focusing-only-on-what/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I leaned out one last time and caught a snowflake on my tongue. They tasted so good, so pure and so divine, like nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-a-thompson/i-leaned-out-one-last-time-and-caught-a-snowflake-on-my-tongue-they/) [Shannon A. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-a-thompson/) > [I don't think I've ever had a liquor drink that tasted good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bortles/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-had-a-liquor-drink-that-tasted-good/) [Blake Bortles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bortles/) > [“...she had already tasted a delicious spoonful of sleep, and all she wanted was another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-howland/she-had-already-tasted-a-delicious-spoonful-of-sleep-and-all-she/) [Leila Howland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-howland/) > [“I licked his lips. He tasted so good. A hoarse male noise escaped his mouth. Yes, growl for me. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/i-licked-his-lips-he-tasted-so-good-a-hoarse-male-noise-escaped-his/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Now she had tasted love she felt that to lose it would mean that she would spend the rest of her life trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-upton/now-she-had-tasted-love-she-felt-that-to-lose-it-would-mean-that-she/) Claire Upton > [“He tasted like a dark, decadent dessert. I had a feeling I could live on that taste alone for months; that his kiss was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichole-chase/he-tasted-like-a-dark-decadent-dessert-i-had-a-feeling-i-could-live/) [Nichole Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichole-chase/) > [“I wasn’t going to miss out on any of it, no matter how low or how high it got, just because, what, I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/i-wasn-t-going-to-miss-out-on-any-of-it-no-matter-how-low-or-how-high/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [“When I was young” … “Before I was twenty, I mean, I used to think that life was a thing that kept gaining impetus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/when-i-was-young-before-i-was-twenty-i-mean-i-used-to-think-that-life/) [Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/) > [“Suddenly the blood tasted good, salty, the stuff of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/suddenly-the-blood-tasted-good-salty-the-stuff-of-life/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [You can only know a good wine if you have first tasted a bad one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-can-only-know-a-good-wine-if-you-have-first-tasted-a-bad-one/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by Arthur Golden > [He was like a song I'd heard once in fragments but had been singing in my mind ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/he-was-like-a-song-i-d-heard-once-in-fragments-but-had-been-singing/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Sometimes we get through adversity only by imagining what the world might be like if our dreams should ever come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/sometimes-we-get-through-adversity-only-by-imagining-what-the-world/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [When we fight upstream against a rocky undercurrent, every foothold takes on a kind of urgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/when-we-fight-upstream-against-a-rocky-undercurrent-every-foothold/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/never-give-up-for-even-rivers-someday-wash-dams-away/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“Oh I'm sure you're right," Auntie said. "Probably she's just as you say. But she looks to me like a very clever girl, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/oh-i-m-sure-you-re-right-auntie-said-probably-she-s-just-as-you-say/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I'm not sure this will make sense to you, but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-m-not-sure-this-will-make-sense-to-you-but-i-felt-as-though-i-d/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“We human beings are only a part of something very much larger. When we walk along, we may crush a beetle or simply cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/we-human-beings-are-only-a-part-of-something-very-much-larger-when-we/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [If you aren't the woman I think you are, then this isn't the world I thought it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/if-you-aren-t-the-woman-i-think-you-are-then-this-isn-t-the-world-i/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [You know, the men go to tea houses with the expectation that they will have a nice quiet evening and not read about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/you-know-the-men-go-to-tea-houses-with-the-expectation-that-they-will/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t-mean-just-that-it-holds-us/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“Most nights I lay on my futon I was sick with anxiety, and felt a pit inside myself as big and empty as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/most-nights-i-lay-on-my-futon-i-was-sick-with-anxiety-and-felt-a-pit/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Of course, a sign doesn't mean anything unless you know how to interpret it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/of-course-a-sign-doesn-t-mean-anything-unless-you-know-how-to/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I knew even then that she was right. An en is a karmic bond lasting a lifetime. Nowadays many people seem to believe their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-knew-even-then-that-she-was-right-an-en-is-a-karmic-bond-lasting-a/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [I didn't say to act dead. I said act helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-didn-t-say-to-act-dead-i-said-act-helpless/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I'm not sure this will make sense to you but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-m-not-sure-this-will-make-sense-to-you-but-i-felt-as-though-i-d-2/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) [Explore all 190 Arthur Golden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) ## More Childhood quotes > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“From childhood’s hour I have not been As others were—I have not seen As others saw—I could not bring My passions from a common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/from-childhood-s-hour-i-have-not-been-as-others-were-i-have-not-seen/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I had a rough upbringing. Group homes. Foster homes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-shamrock/i-had-a-rough-upbringing-group-homes-foster-homes/) [Frank Shamrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-shamrock/) > [When I talk about my childhood I used to say it as if it was scripted and I'd make jokes because it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/when-i-talk-about-my-childhood-i-used-to-say-it-as-if-it-was-scripted/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [Downstairs in my house, I have a museum room. I keep all of my awards down there, and childhood photos, and even all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly/downstairs-in-my-house-i-have-a-museum-room-i-keep-all-of-my-awards/) [R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [On paper, it looks rough, but I had a great childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-morton/on-paper-it-looks-rough-but-i-had-a-great-childhood/) [Samantha Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-morton/) > [Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into your brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/let-positive-strong-helpful-thoughts-enter-into-your-brains-from-very/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I always knew that I was kind of bored; the regular life of a child didn't fit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/i-always-knew-that-i-was-kind-of-bored-the-regular-life-of-a-child/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I'm not sure I would have ever started to draw, let alone write, if my childhood hadn't been so happy. It was a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tove-jansson/i-m-not-sure-i-would-have-ever-started-to-draw-let-alone-write-if-my/) [Tove Jansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tove-jansson/) [Browse all 5,837 Childhood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd never really tasted to things I'd eaten, or seen the places I'd been. What life would I have? I would be like the dancer who had practiced since childhood for a performance she would never give.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Golden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to-realized-i-d-never-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Childhood" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to-realized-i-d-never-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/arthur-golden-1813_childhood_what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to_1396391.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What an unbearable sorrow it would be, to realized I'd never really tasted to things I'd eaten, or seen the…” — Arthur Golden", "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": "Arthur Golden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What an unbearable sorrow it would...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to-realized-i-d-never-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/what-an-unbearable-sorrow-it-would-be-to-realized-i-d-never-really/#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 } } ] } ```