--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What separates us from the animals, what…" description: "\"What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg" --- # What separates us from the animals, what separates us from… ![“What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg) > “What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.” [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. Mourning strangers shows humanity’s unique capacity for empathy beyond personal loss. **In simple terms:** We can grieve unknown people. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy. Themes empathy humanity loss Mood compassionate thoughtful Type philosophical emotional When to use this quote - community building - mental health - cultural rituals Key Concepts social connection collective mourning Questions to Reflect On - Why do we mourn distant tragedies? - How does shared grief strengthen societies? A Different Perspective Empathy can be emotionally taxing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Ability Mourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability-mourn-2187654/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chaos/) [Mets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mets/) [Mourn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourn/) [Mourn People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourn-people-943861/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Separates Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates-animals-1402704/) [Separates Chaos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separates-chaos-2187655/) [September 11](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/september-11/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [What is required to face trauma is the ability to mourn, fully and deeply, all that has been taken from us. Only through mourning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurora-levins-morales/what-is-required-to-face-trauma-is-the-ability-to-mourn-fully-and/) [Aurora Levins Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurora-levins-morales/) > [The achievement of freedom is hardly possible without the felt mourning. This ability to mourn, i.e, to give up the illusion of a happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/the-achievement-of-freedom-is-hardly-possible-without-the-felt/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [“...Or should you mourn the rapist, which I guess Christians mourn the people who kill them too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolas-schreck/or-should-you-mourn-the-rapist-which-i-guess-christians-mourn-the/) [Nikolas Schreck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolas-schreck/) > [“I have every reason to be sad, but I don't have any reason to mourn. People grieve when things end. Nothing has ended tonight.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-sotto/i-have-every-reason-to-be-sad-but-i-don-t-have-any-reason-to-mourn/) [Samantha Sotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-sotto/) > [We all have to control our feelings. That's the thing that separates us from animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/we-all-have-to-control-our-feelings-that-s-the-thing-that-separates/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [Revenge is good. It's what separates us from the animals and the hippies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/revenge-is-good-it-s-what-separates-us-from-the-animals-and-the/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/weaseling-out-of-things-is-important-to-learn-it-s-what-separates-us/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [“It is our ability to accessorize that separates us from the animals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miss-truvie/it-is-our-ability-to-accessorize-that-separates-us-from-the-animals/) [Miss Truvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miss-truvie/) > [The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harling/the-only-thing-that-separates-us-from-the-animals-is-our-ability-to/) [Robert Harling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harling/) > [There's only one thing that separates us from animals: We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-stilson/there-s-only-one-thing-that-separates-us-from-animals-we-aren-t/) [Jeff Stilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-stilson/) > [Choice, I've always believed, is all that separates us from animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/choice-i-ve-always-believed-is-all-that-separates-us-from-animals/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [Guilt, remorse. It's what separates us from the animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-mitchell/guilt-remorse-it-s-what-separates-us-from-the-animals/) [Arthur Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-mitchell/) > [“Art is what separates us from the animals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iimani-david/art-is-what-separates-us-from-the-animals/) [Iimani David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iimani-david/) > [The only thing that separates us from the animals...is we have pornography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/the-only-thing-that-separates-us-from-the-animals-is-we-have/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked, and Britain stood with us. This was not only an attack against America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vito-fossella/mr-speaker-on-september-11-2001-the-united-states-was-attacked-and/) [Vito Fossella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vito-fossella/) ## 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 Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve never met.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Levithan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what-separates-us-from-the-chaos/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what-separates-us-from-the-chaos/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bea/david-levithan-67_ability_what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what_2630733.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people we’ve…” — 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": "What separates us from the animals,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what-separates-us-from-the-chaos/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/what-separates-us-from-the-animals-what-separates-us-from-the-chaos/#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 } } ] } ```