--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our lives were short, and we never would…" description: "\"“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted them to be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You thin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/david-levithan-67_future-self_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_2828576.jpg" --- # Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted them… ![“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted them to be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You think you can, but you can't. Not because you are selfish. You cannot live for anyone else's sake. As much as you may want to, you can't stay alive just…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/david-levithan-67_future-self_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_2828576.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/david-levithan-67_future-self_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_2828576.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/david-levithan-67_future-self_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_2828576.jpg) > ““Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted them to be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You think you can, but you can't. Not because you are selfish. You cannot live for anyone else's sake. As much as you may want to, you can't stay alive just because other people want you alive. You cannot stay alive for your parents. You cannot stay alive for your friends. And you have no responsibility to stay alive for them. You have no responsibility to anyone but yourself to live. But I'm dead, he would tell us. I am already dead. No, we'd argue. No, you are not. We know what it is like to be alive in the present but dead in the future. But you are the opposite. Your future self is still alive. You have a responsibility to your future self, who is someone you might not even know, might not even understand yet. Because until you die, that future self has as much of a life as you do.”” [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. The passage reflects on the tension between present existence and future responsibility, urging self‑care and awareness of one's own life rather than living for others. **In simple terms:** Live for yourself, not just for others. Key Takeaway Prioritize your own well‑being. Themes self‑care responsibility existential future identity Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal decision making - mental health - long‑term planning - career choices - relationship boundaries Key Concepts philosophy psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal needs with caring for others? - What does “future self” mean to you? A Different Perspective It may overlook the value of altruism and social bonds that give life meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Future self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-self/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Trust yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust-yourself/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You think you can, but you can’t. Not because you are selfish. You cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/sometimes-perspective-comes-far-too-late-you-cannot-trust-yourself/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to have them be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would-have-wanted-to-have-them-be/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You have a responsibility to your future self, who is someone you might not even know, might not even understand yet. Because until you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-have-a-responsibility-to-your-future-self-who-is-someone-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Death is hard, and facing death is painful. But even more painful is the feeling that no one cares. To not have a friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/death-is-hard-and-facing-death-is-painful-but-even-more-painful-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You cannot live for anyone else’s sake. As much as you may want to, you can’t stay alive just because other people want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-cannot-live-for-anyone-else-s-sake-as-much-as-you-may-want-to-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I just want that unconditional love, the kind you get with a family member. You might get lucky enough to find that unconditional love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-rodriguez/i-just-want-that-unconditional-love-the-kind-you-get-with-a-family/) [Michelle Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-rodriguez/) > [I think it is selfish for me to try to frame Me Too as something that I own. It is bigger than me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarana-burke/i-think-it-is-selfish-for-me-to-try-to-frame-me-too-as-something-that/) [Tarana Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarana-burke/) > [People misjudge it sometimes and think I'm selfish or I'm quiet or I'm rude because I don't talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desean-jackson/people-misjudge-it-sometimes-and-think-i-m-selfish-or-i-m-quiet-or-i/) [DeSean Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desean-jackson/) > [“I know you think I’m selfish and don’t appreciate you, but it’s not true. Matt and I both know how much you’ve done for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-james/i-know-you-think-i-m-selfish-and-don-t-appreciate-you-but-it-s-not/) [Rosalind James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-james/) > [For me, to say I want to go to sleep and retire and prepare for my afterlife, I think that is very selfish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/for-me-to-say-i-want-to-go-to-sleep-and-retire-and-prepare-for-my/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [A lot of times, people think of selfish, and they think of offense, but you can be selfish on the defensive end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-bickerstaff/a-lot-of-times-people-think-of-selfish-and-they-think-of-offense-but/) [J. B. Bickerstaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-bickerstaff/) > [To be D-POY is a goal. I don't think it's selfish and I'd love to be D-POY.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/to-be-d-poy-is-a-goal-i-don-t-think-it-s-selfish-and-i-d-love-to-be-d/) [Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/) > [“You might think that's selfish of me - and maybe it is - but I am a trained psychologist. No matter how depressed someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-d-barant/you-might-think-that-s-selfish-of-me-and-maybe-it-is-but-i-am-a/) [D.D. Barant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-d-barant/) > [I don't actually think 'The Selfish Gene' is a very good title. I think that's one of my worst titles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-don-t-actually-think-the-selfish-gene-is-a-very-good-title-i-think/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [I think it's selfish to go out partying all the time, especially if you have little ones in your family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/i-think-it-s-selfish-to-go-out-partying-all-the-time-especially-if/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) ## 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. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. 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 Future self quotes > [We must be optimistic about the future because it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we are creative and ambitious, intelligent machines will liberate us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/we-must-be-optimistic-about-the-future-because-it-s-a-self-fulfilling/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [We might neglect our future selves because of some failure of belief or imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-parfit/we-might-neglect-our-future-selves-because-of-some-failure-of-belief/) [Derek Parfit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-parfit/) > [Every day is a day you can be a better person than you were yesterday. So do something today that your future self will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/every-day-is-a-day-you-can-be-a-better-person-than-you-were-yesterday/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“What ever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy. Do something today, that your future self will thank you for. Always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c/what-ever-you-decide-to-do-make-sure-it-makes-you-happy-do-something/) c > [“You're holding your future self responsible for something your past self didn't know anything about. You can't judge your past behavior because of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-k-blair/you-re-holding-your-future-self-responsible-for-something-your-past/) [E.K. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-k-blair/) > [Back before 'Brick,' I wrote a short film that I never ended up shooting: hit men in the present who work for a mob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rian-johnson/back-before-brick-i-wrote-a-short-film-that-i-never-ended-up-shooting/) [Rian Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rian-johnson/) > [The key to making healthy decisions is to respect your future self. Honor him or her. Treat him or her like you would treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-key-to-making-healthy-decisions-is-to-respect-your-future-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We're all just memories of our future selves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-watts/we-re-all-just-memories-of-our-future-selves/) [Reggie Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-watts/) > [“A more productive mindset is to compare your current version of yourself with your ideal future self and to set goals to help you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-frey/a-more-productive-mindset-is-to-compare-your-current-version-of/) [Chuck Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-frey/) > [“Write your future self a letter and tell him how you are today I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-brooks/write-your-future-self-a-letter-and-tell-him-how-you-are-today-i/) [Penn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-brooks/) > [Do something today that your future self will thank you for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-something-today-that-your-future-self-will-thank-you-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do somthing today that your future self will thank you for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/do-somthing-today-that-your-future-self-will-thank-you-for/) Patience > [“BE KIND to your future self. Leave things as you would wish to find them tomorrow. You never wake up and say, "I'm glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-k-matthews/be-kind-to-your-future-self-leave-things-as-you-would-wish-to-find/) [Marcia K. Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-k-matthews/) > [In young adult novels and children's books, you stay in moment. The story goes through a school year or a weekend. You never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/in-young-adult-novels-and-children-s-books-you-stay-in-moment-the/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [Never forget when posting something on Instagram that it lasts forever. Instagram is embarrassing enough as is, so be careful. A post might not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cazzie-david/never-forget-when-posting-something-on-instagram-that-it-lasts/) [Cazzie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cazzie-david/) [Browse all 64 Future self quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-self/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted them to be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You think you can, but you can't. Not because you are selfish. You cannot live for anyone else's sake. As much as you may want to, you can't stay alive just because other people want you alive. You cannot stay alive for your parents. You cannot stay alive for your friends. And you have no responsibility to stay alive for them. You have no responsibility to anyone but yourself to live. But I'm dead, he would tell us. I am already dead. No, we'd argue. No, you are not. 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