--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have always at least, ever since I can…" description: "\"I have always at least, ever since I can remember had a kind of longing for death.\" — C. S. Lewis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/c-s-lewis-2-132_death_i-have-always-at-least-ever-since-i-can_2551596.png" --- # I have always at least, ever since I can remember had a… ![“I have always at least, ever since I can remember had a kind of longing for death.” quote by C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/c-s-lewis-2-132_death_i-have-always-at-least-ever-since-i-can_2551596.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/c-s-lewis-2-132_death_i-have-always-at-least-ever-since-i-can_2551596.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19d/c-s-lewis-2-132_death_i-have-always-at-least-ever-since-i-can_2551596.png) > “I have always at least, ever since I can remember had a kind of longing for death.” [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A lifelong yearning for death reflects deep existential longing. **In simple terms:** Longing for death shows inner struggle. Key Takeaway Explore meaning beyond mortality. Themes existentialism death longing Mood melancholic reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - grief counseling - creative writing - therapy Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to thoughts of death? - How can you find purpose now? A Different Perspective Romanticizing death may ignore life’s possibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-longing-1526556/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Longing Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-death-1456067/) [Longing for death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-for-death/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) ## Related quotes > [I lose hope when the desire for life awakens within me; but I regain it whenever the longing for death comes upon me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/i-lose-hope-when-the-desire-for-life-awakens-within-me-but-i-regain/) [Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/) > [“extremes mean borders beyond which life ends…and a passion for extremism is a veiled longing for death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/extremes-mean-borders-beyond-which-life-ends-and-a-passion-for/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I had never seen a woman in such despair before. 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Perhaps that was what motivated Sabina's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/living-for-sabina-meant-seeing-seeing-is-limited-by-two-borders/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Many grievers experience intense yearning or longing after a death - more than they experience, say, denial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-o-rourke/many-grievers-experience-intense-yearning-or-longing-after-a-death/) [Meghan O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-o-rourke/) > [“Do you know how it feels to resign yourself to your fate? It is almost welcome. There was to be no more pain, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/do-you-know-how-it-feels-to-resign-yourself-to-your-fate-it-is-almost/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“The worst thing is not that the world is unfree, but that people have unlearned their liberty. The more indifferent people are to politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-worst-thing-is-not-that-the-world-is-unfree-but-that-people-have/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“As usual, Junko thought about Jack London's 'To Build a Fire.' It was the story of a man traveling alone through the snowy Alaskan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/as-usual-junko-thought-about-jack-london-s-to-build-a-fire-it-was-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by C. S. Lewis > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Either Jesus is the Son of God ; or a madman or worse. But His being just a great teacher? He's not left that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/either-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-or-a-madman-or-worse-but-his-being/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [To every soul, God will look like its first love because He IS its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/to-every-soul-god-will-look-like-its-first-love-because-he-is-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Don't you understand anything? Isn't it absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toes and each terrified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/don-t-you-understand-anything-isn-t-it-absolutely-essential-to-keep-a/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“Really great moral teachers never do introduce new moralities: it is quacks and cranks who do that. As”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/really-great-moral-teachers-never-do-introduce-new-moralities-it-is/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [“When He died in the Wounded World He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/when-he-died-in-the-wounded-world-he-died-not-for-men-but-for-each/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [All I am in private life is a literary critic and historian, that's my job...And I'm prepared to say on that basis if anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/all-i-am-in-private-life-is-a-literary-critic-and-historian-that-s-my/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [If a man is going to write on chemistry, he learns chemistry. The same is true of Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/if-a-man-is-going-to-write-on-chemistry-he-learns-chemistry-the-same/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [The first fact in the history of Christendom is a number of people who say they have seen the Resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-first-fact-in-the-history-of-christendom-is-a-number-of-people/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I#pray because the need flows out of me all the time-walking and sleeping. It does not change # God - it changes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/i-pray-because-the-need-flows-out-of-me-all-the-time-walking-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Are the gods not just?' 'Oh no, child. What would become us us if they were?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/are-the-gods-not-just-oh-no-child-what-would-become-us-us-if-they-were/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Love is more than an emotion, it is a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/love-is-more-than-an-emotion-it-is-a-decision/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Ink is the great cure for all human ills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/ink-is-the-great-cure-for-all-human-ills/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [A man may have to die for our country: but no man must, in any exclusive sense, live for his country. He who surrenders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/a-man-may-have-to-die-for-our-country-but-no-man-must-in-any/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [War creates no absolutely new situation: it simply aggravates the permanent human situation so that we can no longer ignore it. Human life has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/war-creates-no-absolutely-new-situation-it-simply-aggravates-the/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) [Explore all 1,190 C. S. Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) ## 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. 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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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "I have always at least, ever since I can remember had a kind of longing for death.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C. S. 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