---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: to be breakable is not the same as to be…"
description: "\"“to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable. Strike a glass and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure a t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/g-k-chesterton-224_breakable_to-be-breakable-is-not-the-same-as-to-be_2970331.jpg"
---

#  to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable…

![“to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable. Strike a glass and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure a thousand years.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/g-k-chesterton-224_breakable_to-be-breakable-is-not-the-same-as-to-be_2970331.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/g-k-chesterton-224_breakable_to-be-breakable-is-not-the-same-as-to-be_2970331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/g-k-chesterton-224_breakable_to-be-breakable-is-not-the-same-as-to-be_2970331.jpg)

> ““to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable. Strike a glass and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure a thousand years.””

[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fragility differs from perishability; avoid damage to preserve longevity.

**In simple terms:** Being breakable isn’t the same as perishing.

Key Takeaway

Protect what matters to last.

Themes

vulnerability resilience time

Mood

reflective cautious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- relationships
- health
- materials
- projects

Key Concepts

philosophy metaphor longevity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you protect delicate but lasting things?
- When is risk worth taking?

A Different Perspective

Some breakable things are valuable despite fragility.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Breakable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakable/) [Perishable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perishable/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/)

## Related quotes

> [“Strike a glass and it will not endure an instant. Simply do not strike it and it will endure a thousand years.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/strike-a-glass-and-it-will-not-endure-an-instant-simply-do-not-strike/)

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> [“You’re breakable, Dean Cole. I’m going to do my best to keep you whole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/you-re-breakable-dean-cole-i-m-going-to-do-my-best-to-keep-you-whole/)

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> [“There was something real breakable about Mary Ella and I was always afraid if I touched her in the wrong spot, she'd crack.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/there-was-something-real-breakable-about-mary-ella-and-i-was-always/)

[Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/)

> [“Too breakable—he’d said of human women. No wonder he’d come to her. Manon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/too-breakable-he-d-said-of-human-women-no-wonder-he-d-come-to-her/)

[Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/)

> [“Having pretty much burned every bridge he crossed, our friendship was like a malfunction of his usually deficient people skills.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/having-pretty-much-burned-every-bridge-he-crossed-our-friendship-was/)

[Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/)

> [The world is difficult and we are all breakable. So just be kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/the-world-is-difficult-and-we-are-all-breakable-so-just-be-kind/)

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[Erica Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-stevens/)

> [“I dreamed about the future because that's what people persuade you to do when you're a kid, but that's the biggest lie of all--that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/i-dreamed-about-the-future-because-that-s-what-people-persuade-you-to/)

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> [“He was treating me like something breakable, which is different from how you treat something you yourself have broken.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshilyn-jackson/he-was-treating-me-like-something-breakable-which-is-different-from/)

[Joshilyn Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshilyn-jackson/)

> [“I had become Harry Potter. Except I was thirteen and not magic, and my destiny, whatever it was, held no profound purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammara-webber/i-had-become-harry-potter-except-i-was-thirteen-and-not-magic-and-my/)

[Tammara Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammara-webber/)

## More by G.K. Chesterton

> [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/)

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> [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. Nevertheless (I offer my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-mass-of-men-have-been-forced-to-be-gay-about-the-little-things/)

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[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

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[G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

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[Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/)

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> [“Too breakable—he’d said of human women. No wonder he’d come to her. Manon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/too-breakable-he-d-said-of-human-women-no-wonder-he-d-come-to-her/)

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