--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every so often, we all gaze into the…" description: "\"Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a depressing fact of life that eventually the clock expires; eventually the sand in the hourglass runs..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg" --- # Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a… ![“Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a depressing fact of life that eventually the clock expires; eventually the sand in the hourglass runs out. It's the leaving behind of everything that matters to us that hurts the most.” quote by Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg) > “Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a depressing fact of life that eventually the clock expires; eventually the sand in the hourglass runs out. It's the leaving behind of everything that matters to us that hurts the most.” [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing mortality reminds us that time is finite; loss of loved ones is the deepest pain, urging us to value what matters. **In simple terms:** Life is finite; loss hurts most. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful relationships now. Themes mortality loss meaning time Mood somber reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family time - legacy planning - mindfulness Key Concepts existential anxiety grief prioritization Questions to Reflect On - What would you change if time were limited? - How do you cope with inevitable loss? A Different Perspective Some find meaning beyond loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Depressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressing/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Facts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-of-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [Think of your life as an hourglass. You know there are thousands of grains of sand in the top of the hourglass; and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/think-of-your-life-as-an-hourglass-you-know-there-are-thousands-of/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“Never love a woman so much that she has the power to destroy you when she slips between your fingers like sand through an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hati-bell/never-love-a-woman-so-much-that-she-has-the-power-to-destroy-you-when/) Hati Bell > [“The sand in the hourglass flows only one way. Don’t waste precious time chasing someone else’s definition of success. Live your life with purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-strickland/the-sand-in-the-hourglass-flows-only-one-way-don-t-waste-precious/) [bill strickland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-strickland/) > [The sand in the hourglass runs from one compartment to the other, marking the passage of moments with something constant and tangible.If you watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/the-sand-in-the-hourglass-runs-from-one-compartment-to-the-other/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [I want you to think of your life as an hourglass. You know there are thousands of grains of sand in the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/i-want-you-to-think-of-your-life-as-an-hourglass-you-know-there-are/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [A physician can sometimes parry the scythe of death, but has no power over the sand in the hourglass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hester-lynch-piozzi/a-physician-can-sometimes-parry-the-scythe-of-death-but-has-no-power/) [Hester Lynch Piozzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hester-lynch-piozzi/) > [I'd love to be a movie star. That'd be great. But I lost the looks awhile ago. They slipped right through my hands like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-kreischer/i-d-love-to-be-a-movie-star-that-d-be-great-but-i-lost-the-looks/) [Bert Kreischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-kreischer/) > [“Nothing matters until it hurts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristopher-reisz/nothing-matters-until-it-hurts/) [Kristopher Reisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristopher-reisz/) > [“Expectations are like grains of sand in the hourglass of time; as they accumulate, they can either build the foundation for success or bury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-the-black-sheep-g/expectations-are-like-grains-of-sand-in-the-hourglass-of-time-as-they/) [Erick "The Black Sheep" G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-the-black-sheep-g/) > [“We are satellites, we are made from blood and clay—we are the children of Gods, we are the builders of bridges and the destroyers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henna-lucas/we-are-satellites-we-are-made-from-blood-and-clay-we-are-the-children/) Henna Lucas > [One of the gravestones in the cemetery near the earliest church has an anchor on it and an hourglass, and the words In Hope.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/one-of-the-gravestones-in-the-cemetery-near-the-earliest-church-has/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I have an hourglass figure too. Mine just contains more sands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhiess-krieg/i-have-an-hourglass-figure-too-mine-just-contains-more-sands/) [Jhiess Krieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhiess-krieg/) > [I don't know, there's something about you. Say there's an hourglass: the sand's about to run out. Someone like you can always be counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-don-t-know-there-s-something-about-you-say-there-s-an-hourglass-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“As we hypnotically watch the steadily diminishing reserve of sand in life's hourglass, the instincts of a miser surface. Life is now savored, sipped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-l-wheeler/as-we-hypnotically-watch-the-steadily-diminishing-reserve-of-sand-in/) [Joe L. Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-l-wheeler/) > [“Yesterday,” she began, speaking to his back, hurrying as though there was some element of him that was part hourglass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-creagh/yesterday-she-began-speaking-to-his-back-hurrying-as-though-there-was/) [Kelly Creagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-creagh/) ## More by Ben Shapiro > [Musicians are, by and large, not the most politically savvy crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/musicians-are-by-and-large-not-the-most-politically-savvy-crew/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [No number of repairs will be able to fix Obamacare. The website is the least of Americans' worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/no-number-of-repairs-will-be-able-to-fix-obamacare-the-website-is-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Having children truly ends adolescence. We are all either parents or children: responsibility-takers or those who demand from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/having-children-truly-ends-adolescence-we-are-all-either-parents-or/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Let's assume for the moment that the logic behind Presidents Day is actually sound for certain presidents. Why not have a separate holiday for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/let-s-assume-for-the-moment-that-the-logic-behind-presidents-day-is/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“No wonder the left seeks to avoid political debate at all costs. Why bother? Members of the left are not interested in having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/no-wonder-the-left-seeks-to-avoid-political-debate-at-all-costs-why/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“from nonprofit organizations to push Obamacare—the same organizations responsible for directly implementing Obamacare and therefore subject to HHS oversight. • At virtually the same time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/from-nonprofit-organizations-to-push-obamacare-the-same-organizations/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [If Republicans triumph in 2014, it will undoubtedly be as a result of Obamacare. In 2010, Republicans soared to historic victory because the much-maligned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/if-republicans-triumph-in-2014-it-will-undoubtedly-be-as-a-result-of/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [In Britain, where the social safety net is more like a social swaddling cloth, crime rates other than murder are significantly higher than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/in-britain-where-the-social-safety-net-is-more-like-a-social/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [When Americans are faced with the prospect that they can never earn their way to wealth, they have two choices: to rebel against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/when-americans-are-faced-with-the-prospect-that-they-can-never-earn/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [The Muslim world just doesn't believe that skin color is all that important. Obama may be half-black, but he's still all-Western, according to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/the-muslim-world-just-doesn-t-believe-that-skin-color-is-all-that/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Voluntary exchange is more moral than forced redistribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/voluntary-exchange-is-more-moral-than-forced-redistribution/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“This is what makes leftists leftists: an unearned sense of moral superiority over you. And if they can instill that sense of moral superiority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/this-is-what-makes-leftists-leftists-an-unearned-sense-of-moral/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Capitalism invariably boils down to barter between two willing parties, neither of whom uses force to work with the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/capitalism-invariably-boils-down-to-barter-between-two-willing/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) [Explore all 153 Ben Shapiro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## More Abyss quotes > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I admire the Elsie Tanners and Barbara Windsors of the world: people who have crawled back from the abyss. I'm quite camp in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-admire-the-elsie-tanners-and-barbara-windsors-of-the-world-people/) [Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/) > [I've been to unpretty places with the roles I've played, and I'm attracted to reckless abandon. I like being taken to the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-ve-been-to-unpretty-places-with-the-roles-i-ve-played-and-i-m/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [I look into my heart and see the abyss looking back at me.' 'I won't let you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-look-into-my-heart-and-see-the-abyss-looking-back-at-me-i-won-t-let/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/there-is-no-drop-of-water-in-the-ocean-not-even-in-the-deepest-parts/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“But first whom shall we send In search of this new world, whom shall we find Sufficient? Who shall tempt, with wand'ring feet The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-first-whom-shall-we-send-in-search-of-this-new-world-whom-shall/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Many women don’t know what orgasm is. Many men don’t know was total orgasm is. Many only achieve a local orgasm, a genital orgasm;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-women-don-t-know-what-orgasm-is-many-men-don-t-know-was-total/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear not. For fear itself is fed by fear, and all fears pass. Did no one tell you so? Come take my hand, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/fear-not-for-fear-itself-is-fed-by-fear-and-all-fears-pass-did-no-one/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [God gave the sea the danger and the abyss, but it was in it that He mirrored the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/god-gave-the-sea-the-danger-and-the-abyss-but-it-was-in-it-that-he/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [We belong to an age where apocalypse is our daily bread, coffee's black, and we know we're part of the abyss. Red Spider White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/we-belong-to-an-age-where-apocalypse-is-our-daily-bread-coffee-s/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) [Browse all 625 Abyss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a depressing fact of life that eventually the clock expires; eventually the sand in the hourglass runs out. It's the leaving behind of everything that matters to us that hurts the most.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ben Shapiro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abyss-it-s-a-depressing-fact-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abyss" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abyss-it-s-a-depressing-fact-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af2/ben-shapiro-2718_abyss_every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abys_1305455.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every so often, we all gaze into the abyss. It's a depressing fact of life that eventually the clock…” — Ben Shapiro", "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 Shapiro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every so often, we all gaze...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abyss-it-s-a-depressing-fact-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/every-so-often-we-all-gaze-into-the-abyss-it-s-a-depressing-fact-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 } } ] } ```