--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe…" description: "\"“If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe I’d be dead or in jail. But probably I’d just be missing out on an extraordinary life. And that would be a trag..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/brendan-leonard-50715_extraordinary-life_if-i-hadn-t-quit-drinking-yeah-maybe-i-d_1663793.jpg" --- # If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe I’d be dead or in… ![“If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe I’d be dead or in jail. But probably I’d just be missing out on an extraordinary life. And that would be a tragedy.” quote by Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/brendan-leonard-50715_extraordinary-life_if-i-hadn-t-quit-drinking-yeah-maybe-i-d_1663793.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/brendan-leonard-50715_extraordinary-life_if-i-hadn-t-quit-drinking-yeah-maybe-i-d_1663793.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/422/brendan-leonard-50715_extraordinary-life_if-i-hadn-t-quit-drinking-yeah-maybe-i-d_1663793.jpg) > ““If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe I’d be dead or in jail. But probably I’d just be missing out on an extraordinary life. And that would be a tragedy.”” [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He credits quitting alcohol for avoiding dire outcomes and gaining a richer life, seeing continued drinking as a personal tragedy **In simple terms:** Quitting drinking saved him from ruin and opened a better life Key Takeaway Value sobriety for a fuller life Themes personal growth health life choices Mood reflective hopeful Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - career development - relationships - creative pursuits - mental health Key Concepts addiction recovery self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of life feel most extraordinary now? - How do you define a life worth living? A Different Perspective Sobriety alone doesn't guarantee happiness; other factors matter ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Extraordinary life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-life/) [Jail Probably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail-probably-787842/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-tragedy/) [Maybe Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-dead-644297/) [Quit drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quit-drinking/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [“And I thought -- when you're a half-hour late, and your friends think you're in jail, it's probably a sign you steal too much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-davis/and-i-thought-when-you-re-a-half-hour-late-and-your-friends-think-you/) [Nigel Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-davis/) > [I feel like if I wasn't to go to jail, I probably wouldn't be the person I am - I wouldn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-tjay/i-feel-like-if-i-wasn-t-to-go-to-jail-i-probably-wouldn-t-be-the/) [Lil Tjay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-tjay/) > [Jail was probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/jail-was-probably-the-most-exciting-thing-that-s-ever-happened-to-me/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [“Nor did I respond with the obvious, that my brother might very well go to jail, probably would someday, but he would never ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-joy-fowler/nor-did-i-respond-with-the-obvious-that-my-brother-might-very-well-go/) [Karen Joy Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-joy-fowler/) > [“Over the next three years, Mick and I would talk on and off about his drinking. To me, it hadn’t seemed like much, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/over-the-next-three-years-mick-and-i-would-talk-on-and-off-about-his/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [I quit drinking. That was a big problem for a lot of years. Then after that, I just started feeling grateful again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/i-quit-drinking-that-was-a-big-problem-for-a-lot-of-years-then-after/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [I quit drinking in 2002, mere months before my college graduation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/i-quit-drinking-in-2002-mere-months-before-my-college-graduation/) [Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/) > [“Well if it isn't little miss 'Call Me Maybe' back from the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-sullivan/well-if-it-isn-t-little-miss-call-me-maybe-back-from-the-dead/) [Faith Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-sullivan/) > [Maybe when I'm dead, I'll be forgiven, but I'm afraid I'll also be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-auchincloss/maybe-when-i-m-dead-i-ll-be-forgiven-but-i-m-afraid-i-ll-also-be/) [Louis Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-auchincloss/) > [“Maybe when I'd dead, he thought. Maybe when I'm dead I'll get some goddamned sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/maybe-when-i-d-dead-he-thought-maybe-when-i-m-dead-i-ll-get-some/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/almost-dead-yesterday-maybe-dead-tomorrow-but-alive-gloriously-alive-2/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“One more dance along the razor's edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/one-more-dance-along-the-razor-s-edge-finished-almost-dead-yesterday/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [“Kellyanne opened the car door and crawled into my bedroom. Her face was puffy and pale and fuzzed-over. She just came in and said:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rice/kellyanne-opened-the-car-door-and-crawled-into-my-bedroom-her-face/) [Ben Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rice/) > [“Maybe he was dead and this island was purgatory from which he could only watch the souls of the more deserving go shuttling past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-doerr/maybe-he-was-dead-and-this-island-was-purgatory-from-which-he-could/) [Anthony Doerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-doerr/) > [Trapped for days, years, centuries maybe. Dead, but not allowed to die. Alive, but as good as dead. So alone that anyone, anything no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/trapped-for-days-years-centuries-maybe-dead-but-not-allowed-to-die/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) ## More by Brendan Leonard > [“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/) > [“I didn’t drink a couple of beers and chill out; I drank as hard as I could as long as I could. I didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/i-didn-t-drink-a-couple-of-beers-and-chill-out-i-drank-as-hard-as-i/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [“In addiction, just like climbing, you can’t fall off if you don’t let go.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/in-addiction-just-like-climbing-you-can-t-fall-off-if-you-don-t-let-go/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [“I had graduated from pointless shit like sitting on a barstool for hours at a time to pointless shit like crawling sideways across a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/i-had-graduated-from-pointless-shit-like-sitting-on-a-barstool-for/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [“The thing I realize, though, the longer and longer I stay sober, is that the bigger injustice would not be a life cut short,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/the-thing-i-realize-though-the-longer-and-longer-i-stay-sober-is-that/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [“Over the next three years, Mick and I would talk on and off about his drinking. To me, it hadn’t seemed like much, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/over-the-next-three-years-mick-and-i-would-talk-on-and-off-about-his/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) [Explore all 7 Brendan Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) ## More Drinking quotes > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [There is no sweeter sound than the crumbling of one's fellow man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-is-no-sweeter-sound-than-the-crumbling-of-one-s-fellow-man/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [You owe me a drink, you're so ugly I dropped mine when I saw you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-owe-me-a-drink-you-re-so-ugly-i-dropped-mine-when-i-saw-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We were still twirling around the tiny parking lot when the neighbors screamed 'Happy New Year'. Unfortunately we weren't sober enough to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaitlin-scott/we-were-still-twirling-around-the-tiny-parking-lot-when-the-neighbors/) [Kaitlin Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaitlin-scott/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) > [There is an idea that you can take the spiritual teachings of a religion outside of a religion and practice them; these ideas are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/there-is-an-idea-that-you-can-take-the-spiritual-teachings-of-a/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [I wasn’t like, boo hoo, Bin Laden’s dead, but I wasn’t jumping. America’s a very nationalistic country, and in episodes like that of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-scahill/i-wasn-t-like-boo-hoo-bin-laden-s-dead-but-i-wasn-t-jumping-america-s/) [Jeremy Scahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-scahill/) > [I guess that's the point of drinking, to take all the feelings and thoughts and morals away until you are just a body doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-shreve/i-guess-that-s-the-point-of-drinking-to-take-all-the-feelings-and/) [Anita Shreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-shreve/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [And it´s so different for a lot of people I´ve known. One partner doesn´t love the other enough to stop drinking, or gambling, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-katsu/and-it-s-so-different-for-a-lot-of-people-i-ve-known-one-partner/) [Alma Katsu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-katsu/) > [Drinking champagne after making love is like taking a bath in chilled pearls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anistatia-r-miller/drinking-champagne-after-making-love-is-like-taking-a-bath-in-chilled/) [Anistatia R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anistatia-r-miller/) > [I was so drunk last night I fell down and missed the floor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/i-was-so-drunk-last-night-i-fell-down-and-missed-the-floor/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [Design is all about relationships. Unfortunately, many designers don’t fully appreciate this. Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) [Daniel Burka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-burka/) > [In 1969, I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-best/in-1969-i-gave-up-women-and-alcohol-it-was-the-worst-20-minutes-of-my/) [George Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-best/) > [I like to change liquor stores frequently because the clerks got to know your habits if you went in night and day and bought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-like-to-change-liquor-stores-frequently-because-the-clerks-got-to/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) [Browse all 2,711 Drinking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If I hadn’t quit drinking, yeah, maybe I’d be dead or in jail. 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