--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Can’t be any harder than sitting here and…" description: "\"“Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring contest with mortality.”\" — Brandon Sanderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg" --- # Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring… ![“Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring contest with mortality.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg) > ““Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring contest with mortality.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing death feels like an intense, unchanging stare, emphasizing the stark reality of mortality. **In simple terms:** Death feels like a staring contest. Key Takeaway Embrace life’s urgency. Themes existence fear confrontation Mood introspective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative work - health challenges Key Concepts mortality psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does confronting mortality teach you? - How can fear be transformed into purpose? A Different Perspective Staring contests with death can be paralyzing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Staring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staring/) ## Related quotes > [“He seemed to be having a staring contest with one of the candles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrington/he-seemed-to-be-having-a-staring-contest-with-one-of-the-candles/) [Kim Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrington/) > [“His face is more open than an open book, like a wall of graffiti really. I realize I'm writing wow on my thigh with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/his-face-is-more-open-than-an-open-book-like-a-wall-of-graffiti/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [“You watch out for my boy." "Shouldn't be a problem. Been accused of having a staring problem already.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-sloane/you-watch-out-for-my-boy-shouldn-t-be-a-problem-been-accused-of/) Veronica Sloane > [Just won a staring contest... With the wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/just-won-a-staring-contest-with-the-wall/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“He started a brief staring contest, which was apparently his new method of persuading her to agree to his point of view without the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-james/he-started-a-brief-staring-contest-which-was-apparently-his-new/) [Lauren James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-james/) > [“In the end, I just engaged in a staring contest with the wall. The wall kept winning, but I felt like I was gaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/in-the-end-i-just-engaged-in-a-staring-contest-with-the-wall-the-wall/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [Finally, I decided that the proper strategy was to stare back. Boys do not have a monopoly on the Staring Business, after all. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-decided-that-the-proper-strategy-was-to-stare-back-boys-do-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Why is everyone being all quiet?" the Kid asks. "Are we having a staring contest? If so, you should have told me because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tj-klune/why-is-everyone-being-all-quiet-the-kid-asks-are-we-having-a-staring/) [TJ Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tj-klune/) > [“Finally, I decided that the proper strategy was to stare back. Boys do not have a monopoly on the Staring Business, after all. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/finally-i-decided-that-the-proper-strategy-was-to-stare-back-boys-do/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Death is staring too long into the burning sun and the relief of entering a cool, dark room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/death-is-staring-too-long-into-the-burning-sun-and-the-relief-of/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [It's woman's spirit and mood a man has to stimulate in order to make sex interesting. The real lover is the man who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-woman-s-spirit-and-mood-a-man-has-to-stimulate-in-order-to-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Maybe that was why she couldn't cry, she realized, staring dry-eyed at the ceiling. Because what was the point in crying when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/maybe-that-was-why-she-couldn-t-cry-she-realized-staring-dry-eyed-at/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Why, Elend! That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) [Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## 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. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. 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. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. 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": "“Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring contest with mortality.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-and-having-a-staring-contest/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-and-having-a-staring-contest/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/706/brandon-sanderson-112_death_can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-an_1968277.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Can’t be any harder than sitting here and having a staring contest with mortality.” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Can’t be any harder than sitting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-and-having-a-staring-contest/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/can-t-be-any-harder-than-sitting-here-and-having-a-staring-contest/#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 } } ] } ```