--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our lives were short, and we never would…" description: "\"“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to have them be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself. You..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/david-levithan-67_life_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_970700.jpg" --- # Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to… ![“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to have them 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…” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/david-levithan-67_life_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_970700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/david-levithan-67_life_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_970700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3b/david-levithan-67_life_our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would_970700.jpg) > ““Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to have them 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.”” [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. Life's brevity makes self‑care essential; external expectations shouldn't dictate one's existence. **In simple terms:** Live for yourself, not for others. Key Takeaway Prioritize personal well‑being. Themes self‑care existentialism autonomy responsibility meaning life purpose Mood thoughtful somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - making life choices - mental health decisions - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts existential freedom ethical responsibility psychology of meaning Questions to Reflect On - What does living for yourself truly mean? - How do relationships shape your purpose? A Different Perspective The view may overlook social bonds that enrich life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Perspective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perspective/) [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 them to be shorter. Sometimes perspective comes far too late. You cannot trust yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/our-lives-were-short-and-we-never-would-have-wanted-them-to-be/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [“It is selfish to live just for you. We are all connected to this universe. How you act indirectly affects those around you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-dawne/it-is-selfish-to-live-just-for-you-we-are-all-connected-to-this/) [Darlene Dawne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darlene-dawne/) > [Those who live to the future must always appear selfish to those who live to the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/those-who-live-to-the-future-must-always-appear-selfish-to-those-who/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Don't be so selfish to live your entire life for yourself. Help others, heal others. Live for the benefit of others. And contribute your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-be-so-selfish-to-live-your-entire-life-for-yourself-help-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think we are living in selfish times. I'm the first one to say that I'm the most selfish. We live in the so-called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-bardem/i-think-we-are-living-in-selfish-times-i-m-the-first-one-to-say-that/) [Javier Bardem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-bardem/) > [“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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [“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/) ## 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 Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our lives were short, and we never would have wanted to have them be shorter. 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