--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're having an asthma attack, you…" description: "\"“When you're having an asthma attack, you don't have any breath. When you don't have any breath, it's hard to speak. You're limited by the amount of ai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/etgar-keret-2656_asthma_when-you-re-having-an-asthma-attack-you_1409369.png" --- # When you're having an asthma attack, you don't have any… ![“When you're having an asthma attack, you don't have any breath. When you don't have any breath, it's hard to speak. You're limited by the amount of air you can spend from your lungs. That's not much, something between three to six words. It gives the word a meaning. You're searching through the…” quote by Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/etgar-keret-2656_asthma_when-you-re-having-an-asthma-attack-you_1409369.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/etgar-keret-2656_asthma_when-you-re-having-an-asthma-attack-you_1409369.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b5/etgar-keret-2656_asthma_when-you-re-having-an-asthma-attack-you_1409369.png) > ““When you're having an asthma attack, you don't have any breath. When you don't have any breath, it's hard to speak. You're limited by the amount of air you can spend from your lungs. That's not much, something between three to six words. It gives the word a meaning. You're searching through the piles of words in your head, picking the most important ones. And they have a cost. It's not like the healthy people that take out every word that has accumulated in their head like garbage. When someone, while having an asthma attack, says "I love you" or "I really love you", there's a difference. A word difference. And a word is a lot, because that word could have been "sit", "Ventolin" or even "ambulance".”” [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker likens limited breath during an asthma attack to constrained speech, emphasizing that scarcity makes each word valuable and purposeful. **In simple terms:** Breath limits speech, making words precious. Key Takeaway Choose words wisely when under constraint. Themes communication health language scarcity Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - medical emergencies - public speaking - writing under pressure - teaching Key Concepts physiology of speech semantic economy Questions to Reflect On - How does physical limitation reshape expression? - Can scarcity improve clarity? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex communication dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asthma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asthma/) [Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Six Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/six-word/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) ## Related quotes > [I have no sex appeal, which kills me. The only way I can ever hear heavy breathing from my husband's side of the bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-have-no-sex-appeal-which-kills-me-the-only-way-i-can-ever-hear/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I'm a hot mess when it comes to any physical activity. My body just pours sweat. Not a lot of people know, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-clayton/i-m-a-hot-mess-when-it-comes-to-any-physical-activity-my-body-just/) [Garrett Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-clayton/) > [if you like the lovable sound of an asthma attack in your ear every time you tell a joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiera-cass/if-you-like-the-lovable-sound-of-an-asthma-attack-in-your-ear-every/) [Kiera Cass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiera-cass/) > [My sister's asthmatic. In the middle of an asthma attack she got an obscene phone call. The guy said, "Did I call you or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mendoza/my-sister-s-asthmatic-in-the-middle-of-an-asthma-attack-she-got-an/) [John Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mendoza/) > [I was born with chronic asthma, and when I was about five or six years old, one day I had an asthma attack so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-espy/i-was-born-with-chronic-asthma-and-when-i-was-about-five-or-six-years/) [Mike Espy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-espy/) > [I went jogging up on Mulholland. In the middle of my run I had some form of asthma attack and couldn't even walk. 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I gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/i-adored-you-all-my-life-i-adored-you-i-asked-nothing-of-you-no/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [I have no gifts to offer you, nor songs to comfort you... But I have six words to tell you... I'll always be here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-no-gifts-to-offer-you-nor-songs-to-comfort-you-but-i-have-six/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Let not your hearts be troubled,’” the cardinal of Milan said. “Those six words of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, are more powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-sullivan/let-not-your-hearts-be-troubled-the-cardinal-of-milan-said-those-six/) [Mark T. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-t-sullivan/) > [“One cool morning—a rainstorm had swept through the night before; now the City of Angels sparkled like Eden itself—he was walking between soundstages in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-kaplan/one-cool-morning-a-rainstorm-had-swept-through-the-night-before-now/) James Kaplan ## More by Etgar Keret > [“There should be an age limit for patients, he thinks as he takes off his shoes. You just have to say to them, "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/there-should-be-an-age-limit-for-patients-he-thinks-as-he-takes-off/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [I usually start writing stories from tone and not from content - kind of like people who create music and invent the lyrics later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-usually-start-writing-stories-from-tone-and-not-from-content-kind/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [Rabbits are played. Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“She said I should pick the hall and the date and whatever I want, because it really doesn’t matter to her. 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Sometimes I can actually picture her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/i-think-she-cried-at-my-funeral-it-s-not-that-i-m-conceited-or/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Dice que no la amo de verdad. Que digo que la quiero, que creo que la quiero, pero que no. He oído a más…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/dice-que-no-la-amo-de-verdad-que-digo-que-la-quiero-que-creo-que-la/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) [Explore all 150 Etgar Keret quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) ## More Asthma quotes > [I have no sex appeal, which kills me. 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It was thought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-michelle/ever-since-i-was-little-i-ve-had-an-issue-with-breathing-and-my/) [Ava Michelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-michelle/) > [I had terrible ear problems and asthma and allergies. I spent quite a bit of time in hospital up to the age of eight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-minchin/i-had-terrible-ear-problems-and-asthma-and-allergies-i-spent-quite-a/) [Tim Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-minchin/) > [It's just so bizarre how in this world if you have asthma, you take asthma medication. If you have diabetes, you take diabetes medication.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/it-s-just-so-bizarre-how-in-this-world-if-you-have-asthma-you-take/) [Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/) > [I'm scared of him," said Piggy, "and that's why I know him. 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