---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An early taste of death is not…"
description: "\"An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.\" — Charles Bukowski"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg"
---

#  An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.

![“An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.” quote by Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg)

> “An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.”

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Facing mortality early can sharpen awareness and appreciation of life, turning fear into a catalyst for living fully.

**In simple terms:** Early death awareness can motivate better living.

Key Takeaway

Embrace mortality to value life.

Themes

mortality awareness motivation

Mood

reflective serious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- creative pursuits
- risk assessment

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How does confronting death change daily choices?
- What positive actions arise from this awareness?

A Different Perspective

May cause anxiety or fatalism if misinterpreted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

## Related quotes

> [Whereas a prolonged life is not necessarily better, a prolonged death is necessarily worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/whereas-a-prolonged-life-is-not-necessarily-better-a-prolonged-death/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [“Stay with me to-night; you must see me die. I have long had the taste of death on my tongue, I smell death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/stay-with-me-to-night-you-must-see-me-die-i-have-long-had-the-taste/)

[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/)

> [Good taste is death. Vulgarity is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-quant/good-taste-is-death-vulgarity-is-life/)

[Mary Quant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-quant/)

> [Every soul shall taste death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/every-soul-shall-taste-death/)

Unkown

> [How can death become joyous? How can death become happiness? When Al-Hussein asked his nephew Al-Qassem, when he had not yet reached puberty: 'How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-nasrallah/how-can-death-become-joyous-how-can-death-become-happiness-when-al/)

[Hassan Nasrallah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-nasrallah/)

> [ Every Soul Will Taste Death Then To Us Will You Be Returned Quran \[29:57\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/every-soul-will-taste-death-then-to-us-will-you-be-returned-quran-29/)

[Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/)

> [My body pin When I remenber the last day,cos everybody,everysoul will taste death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olamilekan/my-body-pin-when-i-remenber-the-last-day-cos-everybody-everysoul-will/)

[Olamilekan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olamilekan/)

> [I have sworn to only live free. Even if I find bitter the taste of death, I don't want to die humiliated or deceived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osama-bin-laden/i-have-sworn-to-only-live-free-even-if-i-find-bitter-the-taste-of/)

[Osama bin Laden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osama-bin-laden/)

> [“There's this to say of love and breath -- They give a man a taste for death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-houseman/there-s-this-to-say-of-love-and-breath-they-give-a-man-a-taste-for/)

A.E. Houseman

> [The valiant never taste of death but once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-valiant-never-taste-of-death-but-once/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I learned that every mortal will taste death. But only some will taste life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/i-learned-that-every-mortal-will-taste-death-but-only-some-will-taste/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [The Qur'an says that every soul must taste of death. None of us can escape that, but for you there is no such thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/the-qur-an-says-that-every-soul-must-taste-of-death-none-of-us-can/)

[Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/)

> [“Will not taste death” means exactly what it says. Our principal confusion with it is that we persistently misinterpret everything he says as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rogier-fentene-van-vlissingen/will-not-taste-death-means-exactly-what-it-says-our-principal/)

Rogier Fentene Van Vlissingen

> [“Don't come closer to me at any time without make-up. I may slap and make you feel the taste of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeevagan-nagarajan/don-t-come-closer-to-me-at-any-time-without-make-up-i-may-slap-and/)

[Jeevagan Nagarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeevagan-nagarajan/)

> [The taste of death is upon my lips. I feel something that is not of this earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-taste-of-death-is-upon-my-lips-i-feel-something-that-is-not-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Charles Bukowski

> [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/well-death-says-as-he-walks-by-i-m-going-to-get-you-anyhow-no-matter/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“There is only one place to write and that is alone at a typewriter. A writer who has to go into the streets is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/there-is-only-one-place-to-write-and-that-is-alone-at-a-typewriter-a/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“nerves twitching in the sheets -- to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble. I like the city better when the neon lights are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/nerves-twitching-in-the-sheets-to-face-the-sunlight-again-that-s/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“Their Love Is Average, Seeks Average But There Is Genius In Their Hatred”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/their-love-is-average-seeks-average-but-there-is-genius-in-their/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“I climbed the stairway (there was no elevator) and put the key in. The door swung open. Somebody had changed all the furniture around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-climbed-the-stairway-there-was-no-elevator-and-put-the-key-in-the/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“Strangers when you meet, strangers when you part -a gymnasium of bodies namelessly masturbating each other. People with no morals often considered themselves more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/strangers-when-you-meet-strangers-when-you-part-a-gymnasium-of-bodies/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [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/)

> [“I was like a turd that drew flies instead of like a flower that butterflies and bees desired. I wanted to live alone,I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-was-like-a-turd-that-drew-flies-instead-of-like-a-flower-that/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [It's 4:30 in the morning, it's always 4:30 in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/it-s-4-30-in-the-morning-it-s-always-4-30-in-the-morning/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I had no feeling for the things so many others needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-had-no-feeling-for-the-things-so-many-others-needed/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“I am sick with caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-am-sick-with-caring/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [I went home each night dizzy and sick. He was murdering me with the sound of his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-went-home-each-night-dizzy-and-sick-he-was-murdering-me-with-the/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

> [“the nights you fight best are when all the weapons are pointed at you, when all the voices hurl their insults while the dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-nights-you-fight-best-are-when-all-the-weapons-are-pointed-at-you/)

[Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

[Explore all 1,492 Charles Bukowski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/)

## More Bad thing quotes

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [I've said it before, good people are forced to do bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-ve-said-it-before-good-people-are-forced-to-do-bad-things/)

[Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/)

> [I think the people I talk about are generally so stupid that they don't even know I'm saying bad things about them. I've run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/i-think-the-people-i-talk-about-are-generally-so-stupid-that-they-don/)

[Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/)

> [One thing I always tell players is that there are three bad things: Nothing good happens after midnight, nothing good happens when you're around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-saban/one-thing-i-always-tell-players-is-that-there-are-three-bad-things/)

[Nick Saban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-saban/)

> [I'm not going to pretend that bad things don't happen. I just hope my daughter has enough understanding that when they do, just give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/i-m-not-going-to-pretend-that-bad-things-don-t-happen-i-just-hope-my/)

[John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/)

> [I've heard some pretty bad things in my life. I'm just one of those people I've gotten to a point where I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-bush/i-ve-heard-some-pretty-bad-things-in-my-life-i-m-just-one-of-those/)

[Sophia Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-bush/)

> [Like everybody, you get nights where you feel completely depressed. You start thinking about all the bad things and think about the glass half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/like-everybody-you-get-nights-where-you-feel-completely-depressed-you/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [Be Thankful for all things in life. Even for the bad things. SOMETIMES the worst situations in life turn out to be the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-thankful-for-all-things-in-life-even-for-the-bad-things-sometimes/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In my business, you should be very strong in mind. You have to be sure about yourself and about your work and your career,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irina-shayk/in-my-business-you-should-be-very-strong-in-mind-you-have-to-be-sure/)

[Irina Shayk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irina-shayk/)

> [“I don’t know why I latched onto the idea of being friends, but it sits right with my gut. I want Hartley in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/i-don-t-know-why-i-latched-onto-the-idea-of-being-friends-but-it-sits/)

[Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/)

> [I'm just grateful to people who are willing to admit how bad things feel for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-m-just-grateful-to-people-who-are-willing-to-admit-how-bad-things/)

[Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/)

> [I love it when television is shot in a cinematic way and I think to aspire to that is no bad thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-rhys/i-love-it-when-television-is-shot-in-a-cinematic-way-and-i-think-to/)

[Matthew Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-rhys/)

> [“Dear Delphine, When you are older I want you to find Chinua Achebe. I want you to read Things Fall Apart. Don't be hardheaded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-williams-garcia/dear-delphine-when-you-are-older-i-want-you-to-find-chinua-achebe-i/)

[Rita Williams-Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-williams-garcia/)

> [Lobbying is not a bad thing. I'm not trying to say that we shouldn't have lobbyists or we shouldn't have lobbying to petition our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/lobbying-is-not-a-bad-thing-i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-shouldn-t/)

[Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/)

> [In life, we don't know why things happen. I believe God is not responsible for the bad things that happen to you. Sometimes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/in-life-we-don-t-know-why-things-happen-i-believe-god-is-not/)

[Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/)

Browse all 2,889 Bad thing quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Charles Bukowski"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessarily-a-bad-thing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad thing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessarily-a-bad-thing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a85/charles-bukowski-73_bad-thing_an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessari_2311695.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“An early taste of death is not necessarily a bad thing.” — Charles Bukowski",
                "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": "Charles Bukowski",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "An early taste of death is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessarily-a-bad-thing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/an-early-taste-of-death-is-not-necessarily-a-bad-thing/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
