--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For it is only in accepting death that…" description: "\"For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black beast from the abyss to be d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png" --- # For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live… ![“For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black beast from the abyss to be dreaded or defeated or avoided or hated - but never looked upon clearly face to face.” quote by David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png) > “For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black beast from the abyss to be dreaded or defeated or avoided or hated - but never looked upon clearly face to face.” [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Facing death openly allows genuine living; denying it creates fear and avoidance. **In simple terms:** Accept death to truly live. Key Takeaway Embrace mortality for authentic life. Themes mortality authenticity fear existence Mood reflective serious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - end‑of‑life care - personal growth - philosophical reflection Key Concepts existentialism psychology spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does confronting death change daily choices? - What fears arise when you imagine death clearly? A Different Perspective Denial can lead to paralysis and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Beast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beast/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [Send this foul beast into the abyss!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/send-this-foul-beast-into-the-abyss/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I probably have reported, probably more about the unusual animal death stories then anyone else on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-moulton-howe/i-probably-have-reported-probably-more-about-the-unusual-animal-death/) Linda Moulton Howe > [People get offended by animal rights campaigns. It's ludicrous. It's not as bad as mass animal death in a factory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/people-get-offended-by-animal-rights-campaigns-it-s-ludicrous-it-s/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [“It seemed only polite to consider the plea from a target to alter the method of his own death, whilst accepting the death itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wood/it-seemed-only-polite-to-consider-the-plea-from-a-target-to-alter-the/) [Tom Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wood/) > [“Accepting death doesn't mean you won't be devastated when someone you love dies. It means you will be able to focus on your grief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-doughty/accepting-death-doesn-t-mean-you-won-t-be-devastated-when-someone-you/) [Caitlin Doughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-doughty/) > [In accepting death as inevitable, we don't label it as a good thing or a bad thing. As one of my teachers once said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-halifax/in-accepting-death-as-inevitable-we-don-t-label-it-as-a-good-thing-or/) [Joan Halifax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-halifax/) > [I am not made for politics because I am incapable of wanting or accepting the death of the adversary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-am-not-made-for-politics-because-i-am-incapable-of-wanting-or/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Accepting death is a massive problem for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/accepting-death-is-a-massive-problem-for-everybody/) [Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/) > [“Until now, I had conceived of sleep as a kind of model for death. I had imagined death as an extension of sleep. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/until-now-i-had-conceived-of-sleep-as-a-kind-of-model-for-death-i-had/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Thus the whole death is not the biological phenomenon of death but the spiritual reality whose "sting... is sin" (1 Cor. 15:56) - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/thus-the-whole-death-is-not-the-biological-phenomenon-of-death-but/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [“The essential elements of a person come to light only when we must regard him as lost to us, when everything he has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-bernhard/the-essential-elements-of-a-person-come-to-light-only-when-we-must/) [Thomas Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-bernhard/) > [“It is only in death that we are truly cured of the 'sickness' of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/it-is-only-in-death-that-we-are-truly-cured-of-the-sickness-of-life/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“When you’re persistently deleted from history, media, and any other channel to access information – or that information is distorted – it’s far worse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-b-dallocchio/when-you-re-persistently-deleted-from-history-media-and-any-other/) [M.B. Dallocchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-b-dallocchio/) > [“Be careful what you say, life and death truly are in your own words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/be-careful-what-you-say-life-and-death-truly-are-in-your-own-words/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [“I feel more alive now than I did while on earth. I am coming to terms with the notion that death is truly another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-balcomb/i-feel-more-alive-now-than-i-did-while-on-earth-i-am-coming-to-terms/) [H. L. Balcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-balcomb/) ## More by David Zindell > [“The deep structure of the universe is pure consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/the-deep-structure-of-the-universe-is-pure-consciousness/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“Historically, holism had been a break from the reductionist methods of science. Holism (...) is a way of viewing the universe as a web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/historically-holism-had-been-a-break-from-the-reductionist-methods-of/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [We are the eyes through which the Univers observes itself and knows itself divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/we-are-the-eyes-through-which-the-univers-observes-itself-and-knows/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ If you kill me, you kill yourself." \[...\] He only wanted to convey to Janegg the truth of ahimsa, which is that all beings… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/if-you-kill-me-you-kill-yourself-he-only-wanted-to-convey-to-janegg/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [We walk the brink of racial suicide because we were smart enough to make atomic bombs and stupid enough to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/we-walk-the-brink-of-racial-suicide-because-we-were-smart-enough-to/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [A man lusts to become a god…and there is murder. Murder upon murder upon murder. Why is the world of men nothing but murder?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/a-man-lusts-to-become-a-god-and-there-is-murder-murder-upon-murder/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [Who would bring light must endure burning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/who-would-bring-light-must-endure-burning/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“The number two, he thought, was an ominous number. Two is a reflection or duplication of one, the most perfect of the natural numbers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/the-number-two-he-thought-was-an-ominous-number-two-is-a-reflection/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ “Reality \[...\] at every level from photons to philosophical fancies to the consciousness of living organisms was fluid \[...\]. To break apart and confine… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/reality-at-every-level-from-photons-to-philosophical-fancies-to-the/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“So many synapses,' Drisana said. 'Ten trillion synapses in the cortex alone.' Danlo made a fist and asked, 'What do the synapses look like?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/so-many-synapses-drisana-said-ten-trillion-synapses-in-the-cortex/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“Science,’ he informed me, ‘might not yet have all the answers, but it is the only verifiable—and hence meaningful—way of asking the right questions.’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/science-he-informed-me-might-not-yet-have-all-the-answers-but-it-is/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [But it is the nature of life that no emotion is meant to last forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/but-it-is-the-nature-of-life-that-no-emotion-is-meant-to-last-forever/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [ It's not enough to look for the truth, however a noble journey that might be. \[...\] You must be able to say "yes" to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/it-s-not-enough-to-look-for-the-truth-however-a-noble-journey-that/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [What is a human being, then?' A seed' A... seed?' An acorn that is unafraid to destroy itself in growing into a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/what-is-a-human-being-then-a-seed-a-seed-an-acorn-that-is-unafraid-to/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) > [“From my readings, I had learned of a vast pool of human knowledge that both included books and went far beyond them in content…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/from-my-readings-i-had-learned-of-a-vast-pool-of-human-knowledge-that/) [David Zindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) [Explore all 32 David Zindell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/) ## More Abyss quotes > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [“The whole organization seemed to be in free fall, indulging in a collective fantasy in which experienced colleagues refused to admit that their every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-whole-organization-seemed-to-be-in-free-fall-indulging-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/the-cradle-rocks-above-an-abyss-and-common-sense-tells-us-that-our/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I admire the Elsie Tanners and Barbara Windsors of the world: people who have crawled back from the abyss. I'm quite camp in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-eclair/i-admire-the-elsie-tanners-and-barbara-windsors-of-the-world-people/) [Jenny Eclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-eclair/) > [I've been to unpretty places with the roles I've played, and I'm attracted to reckless abandon. I like being taken to the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/i-ve-been-to-unpretty-places-with-the-roles-i-ve-played-and-i-m/) [Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/) > [I look into my heart and see the abyss looking back at me.' 'I won't let you fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/i-look-into-my-heart-and-see-the-abyss-looking-back-at-me-i-won-t-let/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [There is no drop of water in the ocean, not even in the deepest parts of the abyss, that does not know and respond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/there-is-no-drop-of-water-in-the-ocean-not-even-in-the-deepest-parts/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [“But first whom shall we send In search of this new world, whom shall we find Sufficient? Who shall tempt, with wand'ring feet The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-first-whom-shall-we-send-in-search-of-this-new-world-whom-shall/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Many women don’t know what orgasm is. Many men don’t know was total orgasm is. Many only achieve a local orgasm, a genital orgasm;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-women-don-t-know-what-orgasm-is-many-men-don-t-know-was-total/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear not. For fear itself is fed by fear, and all fears pass. Did no one tell you so? Come take my hand, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-dennis/fear-not-for-fear-itself-is-fed-by-fear-and-all-fears-pass-did-no-one/) [Felix Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-dennis/) > [God gave the sea the danger and the abyss, but it was in it that He mirrored the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/god-gave-the-sea-the-danger-and-the-abyss-but-it-was-in-it-that-he/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [We belong to an age where apocalypse is our daily bread, coffee's black, and we know we're part of the abyss. Red Spider White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/we-belong-to-an-age-where-apocalypse-is-our-daily-bread-coffee-s/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) [Browse all 625 Abyss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been the great black beast from the abyss to be dreaded or defeated or avoided or hated - but never looked upon clearly face to face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Zindell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abyss" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79a/david-zindell-19617_abyss_for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-o_434617.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For it is only in accepting death that one can truly live, and for the human animal, death has always been…” — David Zindell", "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 Zindell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-zindell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For it is only in accepting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-zindell/for-it-is-only-in-accepting-death-that-one-can-truly-live-and-for-the/#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 } } ] } ```