--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try to imagine how we would live if we…" description: "\"I try to imagine how we would live if we didn't know we were going to die. Would we live our lives differently? Less careful, maybe? Less scared? These..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/beth-gibbons-30676_beautiful_i-try-to-imagine-how-we-would-live-if-we_738647.jpg" --- # I try to imagine how we would live if we didn't know we… ![“I try to imagine how we would live if we didn't know we were going to die. Would we live our lives differently? Less careful, maybe? Less scared? These are beautiful things to think about and build a song around.” quote by Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/beth-gibbons-30676_beautiful_i-try-to-imagine-how-we-would-live-if-we_738647.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/beth-gibbons-30676_beautiful_i-try-to-imagine-how-we-would-live-if-we_738647.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/beth-gibbons-30676_beautiful_i-try-to-imagine-how-we-would-live-if-we_738647.jpg) > “I try to imagine how we would live if we didn't know we were going to die. Would we live our lives differently? Less careful, maybe? Less scared? These are beautiful things to think about and build a song around.” [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She imagines living without death awareness, pondering how it would alter behavior and creativity. **In simple terms:** Imagines life without death awareness. Key Takeaway Reflect on mortality's influence. Themes mortality imagining creativity Mood contemplative melancholic Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - philosophical contemplation - personal growth Key Concepts existential reflection artistic inspiration Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of death shape your choices? - What freedoms might emerge without that awareness? A Different Perspective Ignoring mortality may lead to reckless choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-things/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Everybody lives their lives differently. 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People become famous through all sorts of different reasons... some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-urban/i-think-everybody-has-different-priorities-in-their-life-people-live/) [Keith Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-urban/) > [If we all knew we were going to live to be 150 years old, we'd all approach our lives very differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bogosian/if-we-all-knew-we-were-going-to-live-to-be-150-years-old-we-d-all/) [Eric Bogosian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bogosian/) > [Have you noticed that when we die, our eulogies celebrate our lives very differently from the way society defines success?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/have-you-noticed-that-when-we-die-our-eulogies-celebrate-our-lives/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“I learned that man lives differently, depending on whether he is in a horizontal or vertical position. The shadows on the walls, on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-learned-that-man-lives-differently-depending-on-whether-he-is-in-a/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [One who has hope lives differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/one-who-has-hope-lives-differently/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [As a writer, you always try to imagine, 'What if I were in a situation like this? How would I react?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/as-a-writer-you-always-try-to-imagine-what-if-i-were-in-a-situation/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) > [“Before you judge a person, try to imagine how you would feel if the same things had happened to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-cohen-corasanti/before-you-judge-a-person-try-to-imagine-how-you-would-feel-if-the/) [Michelle Cohen Corasanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-cohen-corasanti/) > [I try to imagine what the greatest song I could ever write would sound like, and then try to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/i-try-to-imagine-what-the-greatest-song-i-could-ever-write-would/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [I don't want to be anxious on my day-to-day life. I want to try to imagine a future I'd like to live in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-don-t-want-to-be-anxious-on-my-day-to-day-life-i-want-to-try-to/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I look at things and try to imagine what is possible and then hope to surpass those boundaries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-look-at-things-and-try-to-imagine-what-is-possible-and-then-hope-to/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Just try to imagine what it would be like to be 300 million years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/just-try-to-imagine-what-it-would-be-like-to-be-300-million-years-old/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [“Actually, I prefer not to even try to imagine it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/actually-i-prefer-not-to-even-try-to-imagine-it/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [That's the way I work: I try to imagine what I would like to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/that-s-the-way-i-work-i-try-to-imagine-what-i-would-like-to-see/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) ## More by Beth Gibbons > [I've had a wordless phase, and that's still not entirely over: what I sing is not always literally meant that way, and you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-ve-had-a-wordless-phase-and-that-s-still-not-entirely-over-what-i/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I still don't like doing interviews. I hardly do any... I hope this will be the last one for a long while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-still-don-t-like-doing-interviews-i-hardly-do-any-i-hope-this-will/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I think that after a year of Portishead I've become a little more sober.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-think-that-after-a-year-of-portishead-i-ve-become-a-little-more/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [A lot of people question my image and why I do what I do, and the answer is because this is how I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/a-lot-of-people-question-my-image-and-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-the/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [You feel the music needs something but you don't know what. So you start searching, fitting, measuring, trying. Every time you try another angle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/you-feel-the-music-needs-something-but-you-don-t-know-what-so-you/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [There's not only emotion in the way you sing but also in what you sing. That way I can compensate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/there-s-not-only-emotion-in-the-way-you-sing-but-also-in-what-you/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I thought I had a clear picture of death, but now I know it's a mystery and it will always be a mystery, although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-thought-i-had-a-clear-picture-of-death-but-now-i-know-it-s-a/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [The music comes first. When Geoff has made something the inspiration comes automatically. His music is very expressive. But still is is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/the-music-comes-first-when-geoff-has-made-something-the-inspiration/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Let's get one thing straight: there's no such thing as the Bristol sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/let-s-get-one-thing-straight-there-s-no-such-thing-as-the-bristol/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [The blackness of darkness, forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/the-blackness-of-darkness-forever/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [I am a very sensitive person, very impulsive and emotional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/i-am-a-very-sensitive-person-very-impulsive-and-emotional/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Suffering for your art is most definitely overrated but I do get a certain, I don't know, satisfaction from being able to deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/suffering-for-your-art-is-most-definitely-overrated-but-i-do-get-a/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [My voice adapts itself to the music. I can do a lot more than you hear in Portishead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/my-voice-adapts-itself-to-the-music-i-can-do-a-lot-more-than-you-hear/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [We're thinking about printing the lyrics with the next record so that people can find their own meaning in them. But then they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/we-re-thinking-about-printing-the-lyrics-with-the-next-record-so-that/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) > [Most of the lyrics are over a year old, and it doesn't feel like it's about me. Time created a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-gibbons/most-of-the-lyrics-are-over-a-year-old-and-it-doesn-t-feel-like-it-s/) [Beth Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) [Explore all 17 Beth Gibbons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-gibbons/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. 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Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) Tumblr > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. 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