--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl…" description: "\"“Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people and make them nicer than they were before.”\" — Carol Rifka Brunt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png" --- # Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people… ![“Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people and make them nicer than they were before.” quote by Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png) > ““Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people and make them nicer than they were before.”” [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After death, one might inhabit others to improve them, suggesting a desire for post‑mortem influence. **In simple terms:** Wanting to improve others after dying. Key Takeaway Consider how legacy shapes actions now. Themes legacy empathy transformation mortality Mood reflective hopeful Type ethical inspirational When to use this quote - mentoring - creative projects - community service Key Concepts philosophy psychology fiction Questions to Reflect On - What legacy do you want to leave? - How can you influence others while alive? A Different Perspective Assuming control over others may ignore autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crawl Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crawl-inside-328526/) [Inside People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inside-people-340158/) [Make Nicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-nicer-1501287/) [Maybe Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe-dead-644297/) [Nicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicer/) ## Related quotes > [“Here is something I want you to remember: when a dreadful thing happens to a person as it has happened to you, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-streatfeild/here-is-something-i-want-you-to-remember-when-a-dreadful-thing/) [Noel Streatfeild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-streatfeild/) > [If we were all a bit more courteous to each other and humanity, it would make all of us nicer and make the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/if-we-were-all-a-bit-more-courteous-to-each-other-and-humanity-it/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [If you ever crawl inside an old hollow log and go to sleep, and while you're in there some guys come and seal up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/if-you-ever-crawl-inside-an-old-hollow-log-and-go-to-sleep-and-while/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [I don't know what other people are like, I haven't been able to crawl inside anybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-dement/i-don-t-know-what-other-people-are-like-i-haven-t-been-able-to-crawl/) [Iris DeMent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-dement/) > [“If only we could crawl inside our dreams and live there. 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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/) > [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/) > [“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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-leonard/if-i-hadn-t-quit-drinking-yeah-maybe-i-d-be-dead-or-in-jail-but/) [Brendan Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-leonard/) > [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/) > [“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/) ## More by Carol Rifka Brunt > [“There was something so electric about it. So dangerous. Those little touches were everything. I lived fro them. You can build a whole world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/there-was-something-so-electric-about-it-so-dangerous-those-little/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“It seemed like life was a sort of narrowing tunnel. Right when you were born, the tunnel was huge. You could be anything. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/it-seemed-like-life-was-a-sort-of-narrowing-tunnel-right-when-you/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Opening a present from a live person was scary enough. There was always the chance that the gift might be so wrong, so completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/opening-a-present-from-a-live-person-was-scary-enough-there-was/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I wasn't interested in drinking beer or vodka or smoking cigarettes or doing all the other things Greta thinks I can't even imagine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-wasn-t-interested-in-drinking-beer-or-vodka-or-smoking-cigarettes/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [You get into habits. Ways of being with certain people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/you-get-into-habits-ways-of-being-with-certain-people/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Things you'd never even seen with Finn could remind you of him, because he was the one person you'd want to show. "Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/things-you-d-never-even-seen-with-finn-could-remind-you-of-him/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Because maybe I don't want to leave the planet invisible. Maybe I need at least one person to remember something about me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/because-maybe-i-don-t-want-to-leave-the-planet-invisible-maybe-i-need/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [I stared hard, trying to find a pattern. Thinking if I kept looking hard enough, maybe the pieces of the world would fit back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-hard-trying-to-find-a-pattern-thinking-if-i-kept-looking/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“But maybe I am. Maybe that’s exactly what I am. Maybe all I wanted was for Toby to hear the wolves that lived in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/but-maybe-i-am-maybe-that-s-exactly-what-i-am-maybe-all-i-wanted-was/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“We both knew we were the biggest nerds in the whole world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/we-both-knew-we-were-the-biggest-nerds-in-the-whole-world/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I didn’t want to care, but somehow, like always, I did. She was wired into my heart. Twisted and kinked and threaded right through.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-didn-t-want-to-care-but-somehow-like-always-i-did-she-was-wired/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“What kind of party?” “The good kind.” “Yeah, right.” Greta knows that for me there are no good parties. I’m okay with one or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/what-kind-of-party-the-good-kind-yeah-right-greta-knows-that-for-me/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I stared out the window for the rest of the journey. Building, tree, car, car, van, wall, vacant lot, van. I stared hard, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-out-the-window-for-the-rest-of-the-journey-building-tree-car/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“Greta knows that for me there are no good parties. I’m okay with one or two people, but more than that and I turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/greta-knows-that-for-me-there-are-no-good-parties-i-m-okay-with-one/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [“I thought it was good to test yourself sometimes. It was good to see how much you could take.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-thought-it-was-good-to-test-yourself-sometimes-it-was-good-to-see/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) [Explore all 113 Carol Rifka Brunt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) ## More Nicer quotes > [You have to be nicer to me," I said. Again he laughed. "What? I'm the King of nice. What are you talking about?" "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/you-have-to-be-nicer-to-me-i-said-again-he-laughed-what-i-m-the-king/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [In my mind, it is certainly much nicer to end on a high note rather than on a Stout Pig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-mind-it-is-certainly-much-nicer-to-end-on-a-high-note-rather/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A Christian isn't necessarily any nicer than anybody else, just better informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/a-christian-isn-t-necessarily-any-nicer-than-anybody-else-just-better/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“Detective Evan seemed way more nicer to Dana.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-s-marie/detective-evan-seemed-way-more-nicer-to-dana/) [Ann S. Marie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-s-marie/) > [I used to think people above me might get jealous because I wanted to do what they did. But no, people are much nicer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katori-hall/i-used-to-think-people-above-me-might-get-jealous-because-i-wanted-to/) [Katori Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katori-hall/) > [“Get to know who you are instead of waiting for some magical person to walk into your life and make you more adventurous, richer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-bain/get-to-know-who-you-are-instead-of-waiting-for-some-magical-person-to/) [Andrea Bain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-bain/) > [“The more he drank the nicer he became; wine revealed his charity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-thayil/the-more-he-drank-the-nicer-he-became-wine-revealed-his-charity/) [Jeet Thayil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-thayil/) > [I've dated someone before that was kind of like: 'Just lose that stone, you'll be so much nicer.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-love/i-ve-dated-someone-before-that-was-kind-of-like-just-lose-that-stone/) [Judi Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-love/) > [I think I came back from America a funnier and nicer person than I went.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-think-i-came-back-from-america-a-funnier-and-nicer-person-than-i/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [There is nothing nicer than playing someone who is cooler, tougher, more virtuous and sexier than yourself and thinking, 'I can be anyone.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isaacs/there-is-nothing-nicer-than-playing-someone-who-is-cooler-tougher/) [Jason Isaacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isaacs/) > [My experience with record labels throughout my career has generally fallen into wishing I could do things that they're not built to do, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/my-experience-with-record-labels-throughout-my-career-has-generally/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [Talking to some I never met is better and nicer than the people I know and seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/themonsterace/talking-to-some-i-never-met-is-better-and-nicer-than-the-people-i/) [TheMonsterAce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/themonsterace/) > [“Both dogs and people are nicer after hitting bottom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/both-dogs-and-people-are-nicer-after-hitting-bottom/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Everything looks nicer when you win. The girls are prettier. The cigars taste better. The trees are greener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-martin/everything-looks-nicer-when-you-win-the-girls-are-prettier-the-cigars/) [Billy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-martin/) > [Other people may tell us, "Oh, you're so much nicer." Of course you can't hope that other people will tell you that you're so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/other-people-may-tell-us-oh-you-re-so-much-nicer-of-course-you-can-t/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) [Browse all 151 Nicer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people and make them nicer than they were before.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carol Rifka Brunt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-inside-other-people-and-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Nicer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-inside-other-people-and-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d1/carol-rifka-brunt-3944_nicer_maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-ins_2730372.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Maybe when you’re dead you can crawl inside other people and make them nicer than they were before.” — Carol Rifka Brunt", "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": "Carol Rifka Brunt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Maybe when you’re dead you can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-inside-other-people-and-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/maybe-when-you-re-dead-you-can-crawl-inside-other-people-and-make/#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 } } ] } ```