--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way to survive is to let some of…" description: "\"“The only way to survive is to let some of them go.”\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg" --- # The only way to survive is to let some of them go. ![“The only way to survive is to let some of them go.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg) > ““The only way to survive is to let some of them go.”” [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. Survival sometimes requires letting go of some people. **In simple terms:** Survive by releasing certain individuals. Key Takeaway Know when to let go for self‑preservation. Themes survival relationships detachment Mood somber determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - dangerous situations - toxic relationships - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts psychological resilience ethical dilemmas Questions to Reflect On - Who do you need to release for your wellbeing? - How to balance compassion with self‑preservation? A Different Perspective Letting go can cause guilt or regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive/) [Survive Let](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive-let-1310595/) [Way Survive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-survive-1093180/) ## Related quotes > [“There will always be more questions. Every answer leads to more questions. 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But we have no God-given right to survive, let alone to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-maude/our-party-has-known-great-great-days-but-we-have-no-god-given-right/) [Francis Maude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-maude/) > [Almost any show that has reviewers behind it, Rotten Tomatoes behind it, will find a way to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-blodget/almost-any-show-that-has-reviewers-behind-it-rotten-tomatoes-behind/) [Henry Blodget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-blodget/) > [i still have no way to survive but to keep writing one line, one more line, one more line...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/i-still-have-no-way-to-survive-but-to-keep-writing-one-line-one-more/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Life is a constant battle, the only way to survive is always getting ready.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/life-is-a-constant-battle-the-only-way-to-survive-is-always-getting/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [It dawned on me that art was the way I could survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-dawned-on-me-that-art-was-the-way-i-could-survive/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [“Of knowing that there is a larger energy and force that can crush our ambitions and plans in the blink of an eye, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/of-knowing-that-there-is-a-larger-energy-and-force-that-can-crush-our/) [A.P.J. Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/) > [She became whoever she needed to be to survive,but she never let anyone else define her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/she-became-whoever-she-needed-to-be-to-survive-but-she-never-let/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“The most important thing you ever did was learn how to survive. Do not let anyone make you feel like you shouldn't have -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bracken/the-most-important-thing-you-ever-did-was-learn-how-to-survive-do-not-2/) [Amanda Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bracken/) > [I know that when you are experiencing failure, it's pretty damn painful. It is easy in retrospect to wax poetic about it. But in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/i-know-that-when-you-are-experiencing-failure-it-s-pretty-damn/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive. Capacity, interest, and mental endurance all wax and wane. Plan accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/alternating-periods-of-activity-and-rest-is-necessary-to-survive-let/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The most important thing you ever did was learn how to survive. Do not let anyone make you feel like you shouldn't have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-bracken/the-most-important-thing-you-ever-did-was-learn-how-to-survive-do-not/) [Alexandra Bracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-bracken/) > [“She became whomever she needed to be to survive, but she never let anyone else define her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/she-became-whomever-she-needed-to-be-to-survive-but-she-never-let/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“Be a lover of the world, it is the only way to survive in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janosch/be-a-lover-of-the-world-it-is-the-only-way-to-survive-in-it/) [Janosch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janosch/) > [Change is seemingly the only way we can survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bulumko-pantsi/change-is-seemingly-the-only-way-we-can-survive/) [Bulumko Pantsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bulumko-pantsi/) ## 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 Survive quotes > [When you have counted eighty years and more, Time and Fate will batter at your door; But if you should survive to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/when-you-have-counted-eighty-years-and-more-time-and-fate-will-batter/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [Some people seem to survive on very little sleep but I am definitely not one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcdonald/some-people-seem-to-survive-on-very-little-sleep-but-i-am-definitely/) [Jane McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcdonald/) > [“We'll not only survive, we'll thrive, be positively alive with a little more space between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-leland-taylorre/we-ll-not-only-survive-we-ll-thrive-be-positively-alive-with-a-little/) [Robert Leland Taylorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-leland-taylorre/) > [“Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kersten/before-you-attempt-to-beat-the-odds-be-sure-you-could-survive-the/) [Larry Kersten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kersten/) > [If our species is to survive, our future will probably require outposts beyond our own planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/if-our-species-is-to-survive-our-future-will-probably-require/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [You probably have to split yourself in various ways just in order to survive, and to think of yourself as a multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-seshadri/you-probably-have-to-split-yourself-in-various-ways-just-in-order-to/) [Vijay Seshadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-seshadri/) > [“Survive ... Some women survive by creating walls, big walls guarding their hearts and you say "let them in" but she has been covered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ijeoma-umebinyuo/survive-some-women-survive-by-creating-walls-big-walls-guarding-their/) [Ijeoma Umebinyuo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ijeoma-umebinyuo/) > [I did not survive everything. No one ever does. Little pieces of you - sometimes the best of you - get lost in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-grace/i-did-not-survive-everything-no-one-ever-does-little-pieces-of-you/) [Carol Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-grace/) > [Schengen cannot survive without the most dramatic reform, and the external borders of Europe must be rapidly strengthened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-soames/schengen-cannot-survive-without-the-most-dramatic-reform-and-the/) [Nicholas Soames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-soames/) > [You survived the abuse, you’re going to survive the recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/you-survived-the-abuse-you-re-going-to-survive-the-recovery/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/the-main-thing-that-endears-the-united-nations-to-member-governments/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) > [It doesn't matter what background you come from; it doesn't matter what your circumstances are - you can survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-murray/it-doesn-t-matter-what-background-you-come-from-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Ashleigh Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-murray/) > [North Korea is still my homeland, my country. I suffered on the outside because I was alien, without identity. I was nobody. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hyeon-seo/north-korea-is-still-my-homeland-my-country-i-suffered-on-the-outside/) [Lee Hyeon-seo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hyeon-seo/) > [Lots of items that survive from the past are high-status, valuable things that people have treasured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/lots-of-items-that-survive-from-the-past-are-high-status-valuable/) [Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/) > [“We have the ability to survive anything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-courtney/we-have-the-ability-to-survive-anything/) [Bill Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-courtney/) [Browse all 2,241 Survive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The only way to survive is to let some of them go.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Levithan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-of-them-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Survive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-of-them-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/04e/david-levithan-67_survive_the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-o_470463.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only way to survive is to let some of them go.” — David Levithan", "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": "David Levithan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The only way to survive is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-of-them-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-only-way-to-survive-is-to-let-some-of-them-go/#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 } } ] } ```