--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Where there's life, there's hope. Living…" description: "\"Where there's life, there's hope. Living people can change things, dead people cannot.\" — Cory Doctorow" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/cory-doctorow-1928_change-things_where-there-s-life-there-s-hope-living-p_1009481.png" --- # Where there's life, there's hope. Living people can change… ![“Where there's life, there's hope. Living people can change things, dead people cannot.” quote by Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/cory-doctorow-1928_change-things_where-there-s-life-there-s-hope-living-p_1009481.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/cory-doctorow-1928_change-things_where-there-s-life-there-s-hope-living-p_1009481.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32f/cory-doctorow-1928_change-things_where-there-s-life-there-s-hope-living-p_1009481.png) > “Where there's life, there's hope. Living people can change things, dead people cannot.” [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life offers hope and agency; the living can act to change circumstances, whereas the dead cannot. **In simple terms:** Living people can change things; dead cannot. Key Takeaway Take action while you can. Themes hope agency mortality Mood determined hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - activism - personal goal setting - community projects Key Concepts Human agency existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What change can you make today? - How does recognizing mortality influence your actions? A Different Perspective Hope may be unrealistic without concrete plans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-change/) ## Related quotes > [“Hope is living the reality and yet investing in a different one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitri-raheb/hope-is-living-the-reality-and-yet-investing-in-a-different-one/) Mitri Raheb > [“There is always a hope for the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-always-a-hope-for-the-living/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“At its most basic level, to have hope is to believe that something good is going to happen. That help is on the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-lusko/at-its-most-basic-level-to-have-hope-is-to-believe-that-something/) [Levi Lusko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levi-lusko/) > [“ECC9.4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ecc9-4-for-to-him-that-is-joined-to-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We’re not living in an age of no hope. We are living in the age of choice, which is much scarier. It means that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-miller/we-re-not-living-in-an-age-of-no-hope-we-are-living-in-the-age-of/) [Ezra Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-miller/) > [“But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. Ecclesiastes 9:4”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esv-bible/but-he-who-is-joined-with-all-the-living-has-hope-for-a-living-dog-is/) ESV Bible > [“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-to-him-that-is-joined-to-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“For one who is chosen to be among all the living, there is hope. For a living dog is better than a dead lion.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-burgess/for-one-who-is-chosen-to-be-among-all-the-living-there-is-hope-for-a/) Gina Burgess > [“Life can stretch you to the limits. But there's still a hope. There is hope for the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/life-can-stretch-you-to-the-limits-but-there-s-still-a-hope-there-is/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“There is always hope for the living. Keep hope alive. Never give in to fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-always-hope-for-the-living-keep-hope-alive-never-give-in-to/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“There is always a hope for the living. Life is worth living, no matter what situation you may have encounter. No situations is permanent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-always-a-hope-for-the-living-life-is-worth-living-no-matter/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“We are not perfect in ourselves, but in Him we are. In the red circle of this world, there is no hope. However, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-harden/we-are-not-perfect-in-ourselves-but-in-him-we-are-in-the-red-circle/) [Van Harden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-harden/) > [Wake up everyday with the hope of Living not with the hope of Dying. Wake up everyday with the Spirit of a Winner not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/wake-up-everyday-with-the-hope-of-living-not-with-the-hope-of-dying/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I don't think people should do biopics of living people. I'm totally opposed to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-don-t-think-people-should-do-biopics-of-living-people-i-m-totally/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [And people are moody, dude. You gotta get used to living with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/and-people-are-moody-dude-you-gotta-get-used-to-living-with-people/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Cory Doctorow > [“For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/for-me-for-pretty-much-every-writer-the-big-problem-isn-t-piracy-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Kurt smiled a shy smile. "You're just trying to cheer me up," he said. "Course I am," Andy said. "You deserve to be full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/kurt-smiled-a-shy-smile-you-re-just-trying-to-cheer-me-up-he-said/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The other one I did was 'I, Robot.' I take apart Isaac Asimov's Robots world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-other-one-i-did-was-i-robot-i-take-apart-isaac-asimov-s-robots/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“When in problem, or in doubt, run in cirles, scream and shout”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/when-in-problem-or-in-doubt-run-in-cirles-scream-and-shout/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“the problem with reading off a screen isn’t resolution, eyestrain, or compatibility with reading in the bathtub: it’s that computers are seductive, they tempt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-problem-with-reading-off-a-screen-isn-t-resolution-eyestrain-or/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I'm 17 years old. I'm not a straight-A student or anything. Even so, I figured out how to make an Internet that they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-m-17-years-old-i-m-not-a-straight-a-student-or-anything-even-so-i/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“Anything invented before you were eighteen was there all along. Anything invented before you’re thirty is exciting and will change the world forever. Anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/anything-invented-before-you-were-eighteen-was-there-all-along/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Novels for me are how I find out what's going on in my own head. And so that's a really useful and indeed critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/novels-for-me-are-how-i-find-out-what-s-going-on-in-my-own-head-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [“It’s our version of Christian guilt—it’s impious to feel good about your piety. You have to want to be good, but not feel good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-our-version-of-christian-guilt-it-s-impious-to-feel-good-about/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [The important thing about security systems isn’t how they work, it’s how they fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/the-important-thing-about-security-systems-isn-t-how-they-work-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/this-is-why-i-loved-technology-if-you-used-it-right-it-could-give-you/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Funny, for all surveillance, Osama bin Laden is still free—and we're not. Guess who's winning the "war on terror?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/funny-for-all-surveillance-osama-bin-laden-is-still-free-and-we-re/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [I had this really great amazing thing happen where I almost finished the book and I really needed to come up with an ending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/i-had-this-really-great-amazing-thing-happen-where-i-almost-finished/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [It's the stupid questions that have some of the most surprising and interesting answers. Most people never think to ask the stupid questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/it-s-the-stupid-questions-that-have-some-of-the-most-surprising-and/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) [Explore all 195 Cory Doctorow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## More Change things quotes > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [“I’m not saying Jesus won’t come back; I’ve just decided I can’t keep hoping to be rescued from my life. Maybe it’s up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hartzler/i-m-not-saying-jesus-won-t-come-back-i-ve-just-decided-i-can-t-keep/) [Aaron Hartzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-hartzler/) > [What really distinguishes this generation in all countries from earlier generations ... is its determination to act, its joy in action, the assurance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/what-really-distinguishes-this-generation-in-all-countries-from/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“why would white dudes want to change things when they held all the cards?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/why-would-white-dudes-want-to-change-things-when-they-held-all-the/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [“Gandhi is best remembered for his adherence to the principle of nonviolence; but no less important was his adherence to non-demonization. Even when he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-truett-anderson/gandhi-is-best-remembered-for-his-adherence-to-the-principle-of/) [Walter Truett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-truett-anderson/) > [Simply having rules does not change the things that people want to do. You have to change incentives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-wales/simply-having-rules-does-not-change-the-things-that-people-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Wales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-wales/) > [I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I believe that prayer changes us and we change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-used-to-believe-that-prayer-changes-things-but-now-i-believe-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cannot change the things, so you don't need to stress if you're going to change them. So why complain? It looks so simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-rublev/you-cannot-change-the-things-so-you-don-t-need-to-stress-if-you-re/) [Andrey Rublev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-rublev/) > [I'm always trying to change things - change my character, change my look, change my hair, change my facial hair, change my costumes, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jericho/i-m-always-trying-to-change-things-change-my-character-change-my-look/) [Chris Jericho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jericho/) > [When something doesn't go your way, never lose hope in Allah. That faith could be just enough for Him to change things around for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-something-doesn-t-go-your-way-never-lose-hope-in-allah-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're a black superhero, you can't erase the notion that you're black. If you're black, living in the community, and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheo-hodari-coker/when-you-re-a-black-superhero-you-can-t-erase-the-notion-that-you-re/) [Cheo Hodari Coker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheo-hodari-coker/) > [It's crazy how much time can change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaska/it-s-crazy-how-much-time-can-change-things/) [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaska/) > [The point of the essay is to change things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-tufte/the-point-of-the-essay-is-to-change-things/) [Edward Tufte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-tufte/) > [“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-not-control-all-the-events-that-happen-to-you-but-you-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) Browse all 661 Change things quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Where there's life, there's hope. 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