--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Going through the motions, like a person…" description: "\"“Going through the motions, like a person who was already dead and just didn’t know it yet.”\" — Christa Faust" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg" --- # Going through the motions, like a person who was already… ![“Going through the motions, like a person who was already dead and just didn’t know it yet.” quote by Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg) > ““Going through the motions, like a person who was already dead and just didn’t know it yet.”” [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling detached and lifeless, as if already dead without awareness. **In simple terms:** Living on autopilot, feeling dead inside. Key Takeaway Seek genuine engagement with life. Themes existential detachment awakening mental health identity Mood melancholic introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - Everyday routines - mental health therapy - creative projects - spiritual practice Key Concepts Existential crisis mindfulness self‑awareness psychological numbness Questions to Reflect On - When did you feel most alive? - What triggers your sense of detachment? A Different Perspective Awakening may be painful; confronting death can be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-just-775865/) [Going Motions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-motions-1693182/) [Motions Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motions-like-1693181/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Person Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-dead-1693180/) ## Related quotes > [Attempting to write vocal oriented songs to me felt like going through the motions and if you are going to go through the motions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-montrose/attempting-to-write-vocal-oriented-songs-to-me-felt-like-going/) [Ronnie Montrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-montrose/) > [“Had the killer gotten to Iverson somehow? Was yet another person dead because of them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/had-the-killer-gotten-to-iverson-somehow-was-yet-another-person-dead/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [I was going through the motions of life, instead of really living, and there's no excuse for that. It's not something I'll let happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/i-was-going-through-the-motions-of-life-instead-of-really-living-and/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [I don't want people to remember me going through the motions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-rahal/i-don-t-want-people-to-remember-me-going-through-the-motions/) [Bobby Rahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-rahal/) > [I tried synchronized swimming, but felt, over time, I was just going through the motions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/i-tried-synchronized-swimming-but-felt-over-time-i-was-just-going/) [Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/) > [“I'm like a robot most of the time. Going through motions, getting through life one day at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-zolendz/i-m-like-a-robot-most-of-the-time-going-through-motions-getting/) [Christine Zolendz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-zolendz/) > [“Going through the motions gives you plenty of time to examine the motions. I used to find this interesting. Now it has taken on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/going-through-the-motions-gives-you-plenty-of-time-to-examine-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Even going through the motions is a way of establishing a new relationship with our inner life that is caring and tender, versus one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/even-going-through-the-motions-is-a-way-of-establishing-a-new/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [Obviously there are times with acting when exactly what is required is just going through the motions, and when doing nothing is the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/obviously-there-are-times-with-acting-when-exactly-what-is-required/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [I never go to funerals. To me a person is dead when he breathes for the last time. After that, your memories should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedy-lamarr/i-never-go-to-funerals-to-me-a-person-is-dead-when-he-breathes-for/) [Hedy Lamarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedy-lamarr/) > [Sometimes a person has to be dead a while before people can appreciate what they did when they were alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-armstrong/sometimes-a-person-has-to-be-dead-a-while-before-people-can/) [Curtis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-armstrong/) > [While he is alive, you may know a person; when he is dead, keep yourself quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/while-he-is-alive-you-may-know-a-person-when-he-is-dead-keep-yourself/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Genius is the talent of a person who is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmond-de-goncourt/genius-is-the-talent-of-a-person-who-is-dead/) [Edmond de Goncourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmond-de-goncourt/) > [“Inside Every Living Person is a Dead Person Waiting to Get Out…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/inside-every-living-person-is-a-dead-person-waiting-to-get-out/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You never know how much a person can take until they are dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nichelle-williams/you-never-know-how-much-a-person-can-take-until-they-are-dead/) [Nichelle Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nichelle-williams/) ## More by Christa Faust > [“In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had anything to eat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/in-fact-he-couldn-t-remember-the-last-time-he-d-had-anything-to-eat/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“You hear it, too?” Walter asked. “Of course I do,” she snapped. “It’s real!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/you-hear-it-too-walter-asked-of-course-i-do-she-snapped-it-s-real/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Okay,” Nina said. “We’re all thinking it, but I’m going to say it. That was really, really stupid. If I hadn’t brought my gun,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/okay-nina-said-we-re-all-thinking-it-but-i-m-going-to-say-it-that-was/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Do you mean you were attacked from behind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/do-you-mean-you-were-attacked-from-behind/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“His mind immediately seized on this metaphor and when he looked down at his wet hands he saw that they had taken on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/his-mind-immediately-seized-on-this-metaphor-and-when-he-looked-down/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“It’s me,” the old man hollered, his voice shrill and cracking. The suddenness of it caused Walter to pull his hand back involuntarily. “Me!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/it-s-me-the-old-man-hollered-his-voice-shrill-and-cracking-the/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Not that I regret my previous choice. It’s only that the anticipation of killing has me feeling particularly appreciative of youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/not-that-i-regret-my-previous-choice-it-s-only-that-the-anticipation/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“In my dream I can,” he said. “In my dream, I have hands. With claws.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/in-my-dream-i-can-he-said-in-my-dream-i-have-hands-with-claws/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“But, could he truly call himself a scientist if he were to pass up such a unique opportunity?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/but-could-he-truly-call-himself-a-scientist-if-he-were-to-pass-up/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Walter took the killer’s notebook from his pocket and was about to open it when Nina gave him a sternly arched eyebrow and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/walter-took-the-killer-s-notebook-from-his-pocket-and-was-about-to/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Nina,” Walter said as she handed him one of the warm boxes. “You are my angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/nina-walter-said-as-she-handed-him-one-of-the-warm-boxes-you-are-my/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“It’s not real. The image of his creepy ant-hands was nothing more than a standard, slightly silly hallucination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/it-s-not-real-the-image-of-his-creepy-ant-hands-was-nothing-more-than/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“We should get to work immediately on recreating the exact pharmacological launchpad we used that day at Reiden Lake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/we-should-get-to-work-immediately-on-recreating-the-exact/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“Belly?” he called. “Belly, are you here?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/belly-he-called-belly-are-you-here/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) > [“But I still think having Nina standing by as ground control couldn’t possibly be a bad idea. Not as an executioner—just as armed back-up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/but-i-still-think-having-nina-standing-by-as-ground-control-couldn-t/) [Christa Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) [Explore all 127 Christa Faust quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/) ## More Person quotes > [“Always resemble yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-white/always-resemble-yourself/) [Cynthia White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-white/) > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [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/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Sometimes, the person you trust most is the one who trusts you the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-person-you-trust-most-is-the-one-who-trusts-you-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I sound New York. I sound East Coast much more than a blonde person from L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/i-sound-new-york-i-sound-east-coast-much-more-than-a-blonde-person/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [I'd love to talk to myself at 40 and see what I've achieved and what I feel... but I will just be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/i-d-love-to-talk-to-myself-at-40-and-see-what-i-ve-achieved-and-what/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [I'm not the sort of person who would want to just lie on the sofa watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-would-want-to-just-lie-on-the-sofa/) [Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“if you act (and dress) as if you have a fascinating inner life, you may soon find that you actually do—and that you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-act-and-dress-as-if-you-have-a-fascinating-inner-life-you-may/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) [Browse all 19,722 Person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Going through the motions, like a person who was already dead and just didn’t know it yet.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christa Faust" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/going-through-the-motions-like-a-person-who-was-already-dead-and-just/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/going-through-the-motions-like-a-person-who-was-already-dead-and-just/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/christa-faust-3572_quote_going-through-the-motions-like-a-person_950643.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Going through the motions, like a person who was already dead and just didn’t know it yet.” — Christa Faust", "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": "Christa Faust", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-faust/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Going through the motions, like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/going-through-the-motions-like-a-person-who-was-already-dead-and-just/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-faust/going-through-the-motions-like-a-person-who-was-already-dead-and-just/#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 } } ] } ```