--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth is man's proper good, and the only…" description: "\"Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.\" — Ben Jonson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png" --- # Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing… ![“Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.” quote by Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png) > “Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.” [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth is humanity’s true good; immortality is the only thing granted to us to use while mortal. **In simple terms:** Truth guides us; immortality is a tool. Key Takeaway Seek truth, use it wisely. Themes truth mortality immortality Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - legal judgments - medical ethics - personal decisions Key Concepts ethics philosophy spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How do you apply truth in daily life? - What does “immortal thing” mean to you? A Different Perspective Immortality may be misunderstood as ultimate goal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [“He’d given up his mortality, his soul, for this moment, this second chance, and if she fell in love with him again, he needed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kessler/he-d-given-up-his-mortality-his-soul-for-this-moment-this-second/) [Lisa Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kessler/) > [“Now the proper good of a creature is to surrender itself to its Creator - to enact intellectually, volitionally and emotionally, that relationship which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-the-proper-good-of-a-creature-is-to-surrender-itself-to-its/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtue is that perfect good, which is the complement of a happy life; the only immortal thing that belongs to mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/virtue-is-that-perfect-good-which-is-the-complement-of-a-happy-life/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Style, after all, rather than thought, is the immortal thing in literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/style-after-all-rather-than-thought-is-the-immortal-thing-in/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [“Aging is a mortal term that my immortal spirit doesn't quite grasp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/aging-is-a-mortal-term-that-my-immortal-spirit-doesn-t-quite-grasp/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Those who have lost an infant are never, as it were, without an infant child. 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Quote: “Vampires let us play with death and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-adler/vampires-are-us-understanding-our-love-affair-with-the-immortal-dark/) [Margot Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-adler/) > [“When the Root and Branch were young, when the Rose still grew unplucked upon the tree; when all our lands were new and green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/when-the-root-and-branch-were-young-when-the-rose-still-grew/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [“A premature death does not only rob one of the countless instances where one would have experienced pleasure, it also saves one from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-premature-death-does-not-only-rob-one-of-the-countless-instances/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) ## More by Ben Jonson > [Soul of the Age! The applause! delight! the wonder of our stage! My Shakespeare, rise; I will not lodge thee by Chaucer, or Spenser,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/soul-of-the-age-the-applause-delight-the-wonder-of-our-stage-my/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Ambition, like a torrent, never looks back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/ambition-like-a-torrent-never-looks-back/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Heaven prepares good men with crosses; but no ill can happen to a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/heaven-prepares-good-men-with-crosses-but-no-ill-can-happen-to-a-good/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [The dignity of truth is lost with much protesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-dignity-of-truth-is-lost-with-much-protesting/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [True melancholy breeds your perfect fine wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/true-melancholy-breeds-your-perfect-fine-wit/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Leave a kiss but in the cup, and I'll not look for wine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/leave-a-kiss-but-in-the-cup-and-i-ll-not-look-for-wine/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [All discourses but my own afflict me; they seem harsh, impertinent, and irksome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/all-discourses-but-my-own-afflict-me-they-seem-harsh-impertinent-and/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [“drink to the cause, and pure vapours”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/drink-to-the-cause-and-pure-vapours/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Spread yourself upon his bosom publicly, whose heart you would eat in private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/spread-yourself-upon-his-bosom-publicly-whose-heart-you-would-eat-in/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [That old bald cheater, Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/that-old-bald-cheater-time/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Rich apparel has strange virtues; it makes him that hath it without means esteemed for an excellent wit; he that enjoys it with means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/rich-apparel-has-strange-virtues-it-makes-him-that-hath-it-without/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Each petty hand Can steer a ship becalm'd; but he that will Govern and carry her to her ends, must know His tides, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/each-petty-hand-can-steer-a-ship-becalm-d-but-he-that-will-govern-and/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [The way to rise is to obey and please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-way-to-rise-is-to-obey-and-please/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [The covetous man never has money. The prodigal will have none shortly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-covetous-man-never-has-money-the-prodigal-will-have-none-shortly/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Fortune, that favors fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/fortune-that-favors-fools/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) [Explore all 249 Ben Jonson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) ## 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. 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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. 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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": "Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Jonson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only-immortal-thing-was-given-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only-immortal-thing-was-given-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d7/ben-jonson-1371_death_truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only_1187804.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Truth is man's proper good, and the only immortal thing was given to our mortality to use.” — Ben Jonson", "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": "Ben Jonson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Truth is man's proper good, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only-immortal-thing-was-given-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/truth-is-man-s-proper-good-and-the-only-immortal-thing-was-given-to/#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 } } ] } ```