--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dead is dead. For whatever reason. And in…" description: "\"“Dead is dead. For whatever reason. And in choice between life and death, there is no other choice.”\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/david-levithan-67_choice_dead-is-dead-for-whatever-reason-and-in_1726541.jpg" --- # Dead is dead. For whatever reason. And in choice between… ![“Dead is dead. For whatever reason. And in choice between life and death, there is no other choice.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/david-levithan-67_choice_dead-is-dead-for-whatever-reason-and-in_1726541.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/david-levithan-67_choice_dead-is-dead-for-whatever-reason-and-in_1726541.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/834/david-levithan-67_choice_dead-is-dead-for-whatever-reason-and-in_1726541.jpg) > ““Dead is dead. For whatever reason. And in choice between life and death, there is no other choice.”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing between life and death leaves no middle ground; existence is binary. **In simple terms:** Life or death, no middle choice. Key Takeaway Recognize the gravity of existential choices. Themes existence choice binary Mood introspective serious Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - moral dilemmas - health decisions - risk assessment Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What does “no other choice” mean to you? - Can there be a third path? A Different Perspective Some situations may involve nuanced survival choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) ## Related quotes > [I live believing that Death is a Choice as Life is, and Love a greater Choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brain-emrys/i-live-believing-that-death-is-a-choice-as-life-is-and-love-a-greater/) [Brain Emrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brain-emrys/) > [WHAT IS LIFE? They say it is from B to D From Birth to Death but what's between B&D? Its a C so what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-life-they-say-it-is-from-b-to-d-from-birth-to-death-but-what/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But do you know why we are always more just and generous toward the dead? The reason is simple. With them there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/but-do-you-know-why-we-are-always-more-just-and-generous-toward-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Somebody said that Reason was dead. Reason said: No, I think not so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-pieterszoon-hein/somebody-said-that-reason-was-dead-reason-said-no-i-think-not-so/) [Piet Pieterszoon Hein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-pieterszoon-hein/) > [Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamamoto-tsunetomo/bushido-is-realized-in-the-presence-of-death-this-means-choosing/) [Yamamoto Tsunetomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamamoto-tsunetomo/) > [Every act of irreverence for life, every act which neglects life, which is indifferent to and wastes life, is a step towards the love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/every-act-of-irreverence-for-life-every-act-which-neglects-life-which/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Death never has a choice, It has to pick the life, but life always has a choice and may not pick the death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kush/death-never-has-a-choice-it-has-to-pick-the-life-but-life-always-has/) Kush > [I made a choice in life and got pregnant and had a child, and I want to put my child first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/i-made-a-choice-in-life-and-got-pregnant-and-had-a-child-and-i-want/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Its my choice ..its my life ..i can do whatever I want with it as long as I'm not dead or I dont get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/its-my-choice-its-my-life-i-can-do-whatever-i-want-with-it-as-long-as/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) > [A life lived of choice is a life of conscious action. A life lived of chance is a life of unconscious creation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/a-life-lived-of-choice-is-a-life-of-conscious-action-a-life-lived-of/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Be happy. Be who you wanna be. If others doesn't like it, then let them be. Happiness is a choice. Life isn't about pleasing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anmol-andore/be-happy-be-who-you-wanna-be-if-others-doesn-t-like-it-then-let-them/) [Anmol Andore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anmol-andore/) > [My choice for life partner has been pathetic. So, I have told my mother to look into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahima-chaudhry/my-choice-for-life-partner-has-been-pathetic-so-i-have-told-my-mother/) [Mahima Chaudhry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahima-chaudhry/) > [“Alcoholism is a choice... not a life sentence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-norman/alcoholism-is-a-choice-not-a-life-sentence/) David Norman > [We do not choose the day of our birth nor may we choose the day of our death, yet choice is the sovereign faculty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thornton-wilder/we-do-not-choose-the-day-of-our-birth-nor-may-we-choose-the-day-of/) [Thornton Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thornton-wilder/) > [“I’ve decided being eaten alive by anything is my last choice of causes of death.” “What’s first choice?” “Kicking it at two hundred and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/i-ve-decided-being-eaten-alive-by-anything-is-my-last-choice-of/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. 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But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More Choice quotes > [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/) [Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/) [Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/) > [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/) Randy C. Dockens > [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/) [Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/) > [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) [Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Dead is dead. 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