--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For thousands of years humanity has been…" description: "\"“For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer the question: “Do we have life after death?” Maybe for the first time you must now answer th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg" --- # For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer… ![“For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer the question: “Do we have life after death?” Maybe for the first time you must now answer the question: “Do I really have a life before death?” quote by Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg) > ““For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer the question: “Do we have life after death?” Maybe for the first time you must now answer the question: “Do I really have a life before death?”” [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instead of pondering after‑life, consider how to live meaningfully now, making the most of the time before death. **In simple terms:** Focus on living fully today rather than speculating about afterlife. Key Takeaway Live purposefully in the present. Themes meaning mortality purpose Mood reflective urgent Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - health decisions - legacy projects Key Concepts Existentialism life design Questions to Reflect On - What would you do if you knew today was your last? - How does awareness of mortality shape your priorities? A Different Perspective Fear of death can paralyze action; confronting mortality may cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afterlife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afterlife/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Follow your dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-your-dreams/) [Humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humanity/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life after death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-after-death/) [Life wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-wisdom/) [Live your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-your-life/) [Philosphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosphy/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Question Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-life/) [Question Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-really-1129803/) [Trying Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-answer-362646/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Melbourne is the kind of town that really makes you consider the question 'Is there life after death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bette-midler/melbourne-is-the-kind-of-town-that-really-makes-you-consider-the/) [Bette Midler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bette-midler/) > [“Dying provides us with the definitive answer to the question: Is there life after death?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/dying-provides-us-with-the-definitive-answer-to-the-question-is-there/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [The real question of life after death isn't whether or not it exists, but even if it does what problem this really solves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/the-real-question-of-life-after-death-isn-t-whether-or-not-it-exists/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [“The primary question about life after death is not whether it is a fact, but even if it is, what problems that really solves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/the-primary-question-about-life-after-death-is-not-whether-it-is-a/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [If you start parsing the cause-and-effect chain backward through time, eventually you land in cosmology - does the story begin with the Big Bang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-minor/if-you-start-parsing-the-cause-and-effect-chain-backward-through-time/) [Kyle Minor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-minor/) > [“Do we still remember the question we are trying to answer? Or have we substituted an easier one?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/do-we-still-remember-the-question-we-are-trying-to-answer-or-have-we/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [You are not trying to find the answer to a question, you are simply trying to confirm something you desperately want to believe; That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-are-not-trying-to-find-the-answer-to-a-question-you-are-simply-2/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You are not trying to find the answer to a question, you are simply trying to confirm something you desperately want to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-are-not-trying-to-find-the-answer-to-a-question-you-are-simply/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It's trying to answer that age-old question that if we, as human beings, had the chance, would we do a better job the second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/it-s-trying-to-answer-that-age-old-question-that-if-we-as-human/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) > [A wiki works best where you're trying to answer a question that you can't easily pose, where there's not a natural structure that's known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ward-cunningham/a-wiki-works-best-where-you-re-trying-to-answer-a-question-that-you/) [Ward Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ward-cunningham/) > [When the mind is exhausted in trying to find the answer, the answer dawns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-the-mind-is-exhausted-in-trying-to-find-the-answer-the-answer/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [“Meantime do you see me as still working on the book, still trying to answer such questions as: Is there any ultimate reality, external,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-lowry/meantime-do-you-see-me-as-still-working-on-the-book-still-trying-to/) [Malcolm Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-lowry/) > [Short answers seem like you don't care even if you are trying to answer. I get the same flack for my short texting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/short-answers-seem-like-you-don-t-care-even-if-you-are-trying-to/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [The person who conveys, 'I am nothing. Make me something,' may all his life have people trying to answer his hidden plea, but their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-coudert/the-person-who-conveys-i-am-nothing-make-me-something-may-all-his/) [Jo Coudert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-coudert/) > [It's hard for me to answer a question from someone who really doesn't care about the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-grodin/it-s-hard-for-me-to-answer-a-question-from-someone-who-really-doesn-t/) [Charles Grodin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-grodin/) ## More by Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D > [“Fear is not the end. But only a transition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/fear-is-not-the-end-but-only-a-transition/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Human relationships are binary: they are complete and fully loving when both people are authentic or they are not at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/human-relationships-are-binary-they-are-complete-and-fully-loving/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“With every dream and with every love, you have to die to the old, and be reborn to the new. You must leave what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/with-every-dream-and-with-every-love-you-have-to-die-to-the-old-and/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Love is what remains after the falling in love is gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/love-is-what-remains-after-the-falling-in-love-is-gone/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Truth doesn’t need to be defended. Truth just is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/truth-doesn-t-need-to-be-defended-truth-just-is/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Our life on Earth is nothing but a reflection of the Heaven above. Our mind is the mirror. Sometimes is peaceful and gentle, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/our-life-on-earth-is-nothing-but-a-reflection-of-the-heaven-above-our/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“When you judge another, you judge a child of God, and when you condemn another, you condemn your Heavenly Father.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/when-you-judge-another-you-judge-a-child-of-god-and-when-you-condemn/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“The more you share unconditionally what others most need, the more you will receive what you most want.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/the-more-you-share-unconditionally-what-others-most-need-the-more-you/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Your mind can find all the excuses why your dreams are not possible but you will not be able to fight with your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/your-mind-can-find-all-the-excuses-why-your-dreams-are-not-possible/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“People who feel excluded get angry and act out their anger in the team. No man is an island, no person can function isolated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/people-who-feel-excluded-get-angry-and-act-out-their-anger-in-the/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“The most powerful affirmation you will ever find is this: “I am as God created me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/the-most-powerful-affirmation-you-will-ever-find-is-this-i-am-as-god/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“When we fall in love, we recognise in the other the fragments of ourselves that we have lost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/when-we-fall-in-love-we-recognise-in-the-other-the-fragments-of/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“Our heart calls us one way, the mind pulls us the other way, and we do the opposite. We cannot find peace when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/our-heart-calls-us-one-way-the-mind-pulls-us-the-other-way-and-we-do/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“If you are open to life’s lessons and do not feed on beliefs and prejudices, you are like a blank sheet of paper on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/if-you-are-open-to-life-s-lessons-and-do-not-feed-on-beliefs-and/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) > [“The only way to heal is to help others heal, and the only way to find love and keep love in our lives is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/the-only-way-to-heal-is-to-help-others-heal-and-the-only-way-to-find/) [Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) [Explore all 87 Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/) ## More Afterlife quotes > [I don't believe in an afterlife. I don't believe in a single or multiple godhead. I respect people who do, but I don't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/i-don-t-believe-in-an-afterlife-i-don-t-believe-in-a-single-or/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I guess on one hand I believe it doesn't matter if there is life after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/i-guess-on-one-hand-i-believe-it-doesn-t-matter-if-there-is-life/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [“And what if there are only spiders there, or something of that sort”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/and-what-if-there-are-only-spiders-there-or-something-of-that-sort/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The obsession with the afterlife is born of a panic at not having memories of a before-life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/the-obsession-with-the-afterlife-is-born-of-a-panic-at-not-having/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [... the man in the violent situation reveals those qualities least dispensable in his personality, those qualities which are all he will have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-man-in-the-violent-situation-reveals-those-qualities-least/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [“Most people would probably call me a ghost. I am, after all, dead. But I don't think of myself that way. It wasn't so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-pike/most-people-would-probably-call-me-a-ghost-i-am-after-all-dead-but-i/) [Christopher Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-pike/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [“People, I thought, wanted security. They couldn’t bare the idea of death being a big black nothing, couldn’t bear the thought of their loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/people-i-thought-wanted-security-they-couldn-t-bare-the-idea-of-death/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Sometimes I think the resurrection of the body, unless much improved in construction, a mistake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-underhill/sometimes-i-think-the-resurrection-of-the-body-unless-much-improved/) [Evelyn Underhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-underhill/) > [It's my firm conclusion that human meaning comes from humans, not from a supernatural source. After we die, our hopes for an afterlife reside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/it-s-my-firm-conclusion-that-human-meaning-comes-from-humans-not-from/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [“One's past can't be erased, it can only be learned from, the child taught her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-balcomb/one-s-past-can-t-be-erased-it-can-only-be-learned-from-the-child/) [H. L. Balcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-balcomb/) > [It was like I’d stepped out into an afterlife. Only there were no angels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-christopher/it-was-like-i-d-stepped-out-into-an-afterlife-only-there-were-no/) [Lucy Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-christopher/) > [“death is predestined for all mortals. Souls live forever, but the body does not. Unless you are immortal, both the soul and body are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yelle-hughes/death-is-predestined-for-all-mortals-souls-live-forever-but-the-body/) [Yelle Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yelle-hughes/) [Browse all 844 Afterlife quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afterlife/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer the question: “Do we have life after death?” Maybe for the first time you must now answer the question: “Do I really have a life before death?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been-trying-to-answer-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afterlife" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been-trying-to-answer-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac8/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d-7809_afterlife_for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been_768125.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For thousands of years humanity has been trying to answer the question: “Do we have life after death?” Maybe…” — Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D", "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": "Dragos Bratasanu, Ph.D", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“For thousands of years humanity has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been-trying-to-answer-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu-ph-d/for-thousands-of-years-humanity-has-been-trying-to-answer-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 } } ] } ```