--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We know what it's like to need to hold…" description: "\"“We know what it's like to need to hold on. We hold on to you. Which is to say, we hold on to life.”\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/david-levithan-67_life_we-know-what-it-s-like-to-need-to-hold-o_1641117.jpg" --- # We know what it's like to need to hold on. We hold on to… ![“We know what it's like to need to hold on. We hold on to you. Which is to say, we hold on to life.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/david-levithan-67_life_we-know-what-it-s-like-to-need-to-hold-o_1641117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/david-levithan-67_life_we-know-what-it-s-like-to-need-to-hold-o_1641117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/557/david-levithan-67_life_we-know-what-it-s-like-to-need-to-hold-o_1641117.jpg) > ““We know what it's like to need to hold on. We hold on to you. Which is to say, we hold on to life.”” [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. Holding onto love and life provides comfort during hardship **In simple terms:** Clinging to love sustains us Key Takeaway Embrace connection to survive challenges Themes love survival human connection Mood empathetic hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - grief counseling - relationship building - mental health support Key Concepts Attachment theory existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - Do you hold on to people or ideas too tightly? - How can you differentiate healthy attachment from codependence? A Different Perspective Holding on can become dependency if not balanced ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Why is it we let go when we need to hold on, and hold on when we need to let go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-the-best/why-is-it-we-let-go-when-we-need-to-hold-on-and-hold-on-when-we-need/) SAM (THE BEST > [Why is it that we let go when we need to hold on and hold on when we need to let go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-is-it-that-we-let-go-when-we-need-to-hold-on-and-hold-on-when-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't need anyone to hold me, I can hold my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/i-don-t-need-anyone-to-hold-me-i-can-hold-my-own/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [When you need to hold onto something, you should. Whatever gets you through, take it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-need-to-hold-onto-something-you-should-whatever-gets-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You're right to say "hold on to" instead of "keep." To keep is presumptuous. To hold means you realize that today it's yours and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erri-de-luca/you-re-right-to-say-hold-on-to-instead-of-keep-to-keep-is/) [Erri De Luca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erri-de-luca/) > [For all those, who ever think of giving up and give in what others have to say, I would say hold onto your dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/for-all-those-who-ever-think-of-giving-up-and-give-in-what-others/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [All I can say is hold on, and prepare ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delonge/all-i-can-say-is-hold-on-and-prepare/) [Tom DeLonge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delonge/) > [I just hold it down for my side, I hold it down for my set. I give everybody a piece of this and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/i-just-hold-it-down-for-my-side-i-hold-it-down-for-my-set-i-give/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [Don't need to fear the end. If you can't hold me now you will never hold me again. I want to live my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/don-t-need-to-fear-the-end-if-you-can-t-hold-me-now-you-will-never/) [Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/) > [“Only gravity can hold me down; only myself can hold me back.” ~ Amunhotep El Bey”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amunhotep-el-bey/only-gravity-can-hold-me-down-only-myself-can-hold-me-back-amunhotep/) [Amunhotep El Bey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amunhotep-el-bey/) > [So you can let it be known I don't hold back, I hold my own, I can't be mapped, I can't be cloned, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linkin-park/so-you-can-let-it-be-known-i-don-t-hold-back-i-hold-my-own-i-can-t-be/) [Linkin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linkin-park/) > [So if you just, hold my hand Baby, I promise that I do all I can Things will get better if you just hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/so-if-you-just-hold-my-hand-baby-i-promise-that-i-do-all-i-can-things/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Never hold back in life, because you may never get another chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-hold-back-in-life-because-you-may-never-get-another-chance/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't hold back you life because of the choices someone else made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-lauren/don-t-hold-back-you-life-because-of-the-choices-someone-else-made/) [Kimberly lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-lauren/) > [Take hold of your life and order yourself to be valiant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyd-k-packer/take-hold-of-your-life-and-order-yourself-to-be-valiant/) [Boyd K. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyd-k-packer/) ## 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. 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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 Hold quotes > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [See you in a few. Hold down the fort, Mr. Wong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/see-you-in-a-few-hold-down-the-fort-mr-wong/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Some of the things that we hold onto the most, are the things that we need to let go of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryaj-ablando-catayas/some-of-the-things-that-we-hold-onto-the-most-are-the-things-that-we/) [Ryaj Ablando Catayas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryaj-ablando-catayas/) > [As we go through this transition where a lot more people will be reading on devices, nobody is paying enough attention to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/as-we-go-through-this-transition-where-a-lot-more-people-will-be/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I hold that religion and faith are two different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buckley/i-hold-that-religion-and-faith-are-two-different-things/) [Pat Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buckley/) > [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [I do not chase after anyone if you wanna walk out my life then I will hold the fu\*\*\*\*g door open for you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/i-do-not-chase-after-anyone-if-you-wanna-walk-out-my-life-then-i-will/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [Be aware and hold the government accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-chauhan/be-aware-and-hold-the-government-accountable/) [Mohit Chauhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-chauhan/) > [“Only the sky above us do we hold in common.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/only-the-sky-above-us-do-we-hold-in-common/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Just as Wall Street needs to break the hold of the bonus culture, which drives risk-taking that is rational for individuals but damaging to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-schekman/just-as-wall-street-needs-to-break-the-hold-of-the-bonus-culture/) [Randy Schekman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-schekman/) > [Hold tenderly that which you cherish, for it is precious and a tight grip may crush it. Do not let the fear of dropping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-alberti/hold-tenderly-that-which-you-cherish-for-it-is-precious-and-a-tight/) Bob Alberti > [Sometimes, I get afraid it has defined me, that sense of grief, loss and illness. But actually, it is about allowing myself to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-i-get-afraid-it-has-defined-me-that-sense-of-grief-loss-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Eyes will not see you. Minds will not hold you. Where you are is nothing and nobody”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/eyes-will-not-see-you-minds-will-not-hold-you-where-you-are-is/) [neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [You want to embrace, but I can't figure out how to hold on to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-duritz/you-want-to-embrace-but-i-can-t-figure-out-how-to-hold-on-to-it/) [Adam Duritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-duritz/) Browse all 2,062 Hold quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We know what it's like to need to hold on. We hold on to you. 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