--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow…" description: "\"People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow they would really like to live. I asked my friends and no one seems to know very clearly. To me, it's very cl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_cholera_people-spend-a-lifetime-thinking-aboutho_1868831.jpg" --- # People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow they would… ![“People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow they would really like to live. I asked my friends and no one seems to know very clearly. To me, it's very clear now. I wish my life could have been like the years when I was writing 'Love in the Time of Cholera.'” quote by Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_cholera_people-spend-a-lifetime-thinking-aboutho_1868831.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_cholera_people-spend-a-lifetime-thinking-aboutho_1868831.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cec/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_cholera_people-spend-a-lifetime-thinking-aboutho_1868831.jpg) > “People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow they would really like to live. I asked my friends and no one seems to know very clearly. To me, it's very clear now. I wish my life could have been like the years when I was writing 'Love in the Time of Cholera.'” [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often lack clarity about their ideal life until they reflect on past passions. **In simple terms:** Clarity about life comes from reflecting on past passions. Key Takeaway Reflect on past passions to guide future choices. Themes selfdiscovery life purpose reflection Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship goals - creative projects Key Concepts existential clarity personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What past experiences truly inform your present goals? - How can you balance nostalgia with realistic planning? A Different Perspective Past nostalgia may idealize reality, leading to unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cholera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cholera/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“He is ugly and sad... but he is all love.” Love in the Time of Cholera”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-is-ugly-and-sad-but-he-is-all-love-love-in-the-time-of-cholera/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It’s funny, how for an entire lifetime we keep thinking ‘How’ will our life-partner look like, how will he be? How will he react…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehek-bassi/it-s-funny-how-for-an-entire-lifetime-we-keep-thinking-how-will-our/) [Mehek Bassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehek-bassi/) > [If your life's work can be accomplished in your lifetime, you're not thinking big enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-jackson/if-your-life-s-work-can-be-accomplished-in-your-lifetime-you-re-not/) [Wes Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-jackson/) > [“LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA: WHY IT'S A BAD TITLE I admit that "Love in the time of . . ." is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/love-in-the-time-of-cholera-why-it-s-a-bad-title-i-admit-that-love-in/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I read 'Love in the Time of Cholera' when I was 19, and I still think about the characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-courtney-sullivan/i-read-love-in-the-time-of-cholera-when-i-was-19-and-i-still-think/) [J. Courtney Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-courtney-sullivan/) > [Curiosity is one of the many masks of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/curiosity-is-one-of-the-many-masks-of-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Her first reaction was one of hope, because his eyes were open and shining with a radiant light she had never seen there before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/her-first-reaction-was-one-of-hope-because-his-eyes-were-open-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [A man should have two wives: one to love and one to sew on his buttons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/a-man-should-have-two-wives-one-to-love-and-one-to-sew-on-his-buttons/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Please allow me to wipe the slate clean. Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/please-allow-me-to-wipe-the-slate-clean-age-has-no-reality-except-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [his examination revealed that he had no fever, no pain anywhere, and that his only concrete feeling was an urgent desire to die. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/his-examination-revealed-that-he-had-no-fever-no-pain-anywhere-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-have-waited-for-this-opportunity-for-more-than-half-a-century-to/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He repeated until his dying day that there was no one with more common sense, no stonecutter more obstinate, no manager more lucid or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-repeated-until-his-dying-day-that-there-was-no-one-with-more/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Nothing one does in bed is immoral if it helps to perpetuate love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/nothing-one-does-in-bed-is-immoral-if-it-helps-to-perpetuate-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [It was the time when they loved each other best, without hurry or excess, when both were most conscious of and grateful for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-the-time-when-they-loved-each-other-best-without-hurry-or-2/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [People spend a lifetime looking for more, when they could have spent a lifetime enjoying what life has offered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-spend-a-lifetime-looking-for-more-when-they-could-have-spent-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Gabriel Garcia Marquez > [“The Captain looked at Fermina Daza and saw on her eyelashes the first glimmer of wintry frost. Then he looked at Florentino Ariza, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/the-captain-looked-at-fermina-daza-and-saw-on-her-eyelashes-the-first/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Courage did not come from the need to survive, or from a brute indifference inherited from someone else, but from a driving need for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/courage-did-not-come-from-the-need-to-survive-or-from-a-brute/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-aprendido-que-un-hombre-s-lo-tiene-derecho-a-mirar-a-otro-hacia/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [From the moment I wrote 'Leaf Storm' I realized I wanted to be a writer and that nobody could stop me and that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/from-the-moment-i-wrote-leaf-storm-i-realized-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He sank into the rocking chair, the same one in which Rebecca had sat during the early days of the house to give embroidery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-sank-into-the-rocking-chair-the-same-one-in-which-rebecca-had-sat/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Berhentilah sepi, hidup ini pendek.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/berhentilah-sepi-hidup-ini-pendek/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“I didn't do any of what they told me,' she said, 'because the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-didn-t-do-any-of-what-they-told-me-she-said-because-the-more-i/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [He thought about his people without sentimentalily, with a strick closing of his accounts with life, beginning to understand how much he really loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-thought-about-his-people-without-sentimentalily-with-a-strick/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Why were you so old when we met? I answered with the truth: Age isn't how old you are but how old you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/why-were-you-so-old-when-we-met-i-answered-with-the-truth-age-isn-t/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Between the covers of the books that no one had ever read again, in the old parchments damaged by dampness, a livid flower had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/between-the-covers-of-the-books-that-no-one-had-ever-read-again-in/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Fear had absorbed her completely and remained there, fixed, tenacious, almost corporeal, as if it were some invisible person who had made up his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/fear-had-absorbed-her-completely-and-remained-there-fixed-tenacious/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Today I know I was right. The adolescents of my generation, greedy for life, forgot in body and soul about their hopes for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/today-i-know-i-was-right-the-adolescents-of-my-generation-greedy-for/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“...It was then, for the first time, that she understood above all her virtues what was in command was the vanity of a metaphysical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/it-was-then-for-the-first-time-that-she-understood-above-all-her/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel Garcia Marquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Cholera quotes > [Leaving out the gamblers, the burglars, and the plumbers, perhaps we do put our trust in God after a fashion. But, after all, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/leaving-out-the-gamblers-the-burglars-and-the-plumbers-perhaps-we-do/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [It is not till it is discovered that high individual incomes will not purchase the mass of mankind immunity from cholera, typhus, and ignorance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-h-tawney/it-is-not-till-it-is-discovered-that-high-individual-incomes-will-not/) [R. H. Tawney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-h-tawney/) > [Curiosity is one of the many masks of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/curiosity-is-one-of-the-many-masks-of-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [I'd like to refocus everyone's attention away from the Kardashians and onto Doctors Without Borders or aid workers. Let's redefine scandal. Scandal is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-d-like-to-refocus-everyone-s-attention-away-from-the-kardashians/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [The cholera most forcibly teaches us our mutual connection. Nothing shows more powerfully the duty of every man to look after the needs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/titus-salt/the-cholera-most-forcibly-teaches-us-our-mutual-connection-nothing/) Titus Salt > [Nothing one does in bed is immoral if it helps to perpetuate love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/nothing-one-does-in-bed-is-immoral-if-it-helps-to-perpetuate-love/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [My cholera's acting up again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/my-cholera-s-acting-up-again/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [This is an industry that doesn't have the common cold... It has cholera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-azenberg/this-is-an-industry-that-doesn-t-have-the-common-cold-it-has-cholera/) Emanuel Azenberg > [Love isn't actually a feeling at all--it's an illness, a certain condition of body and soul… Usually it takes possession of someone without his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-turgenev/love-isn-t-actually-a-feeling-at-all-it-s-an-illness-a-certain/) [Ivan Turgenev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-turgenev/) > [“The circumstances of everyday life were too demanding-and in American's great cities, appalling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-e-rosenberg/the-circumstances-of-everyday-life-were-too-demanding-and-in-american/) Charles E. Rosenberg > [He repeated until his dying day that there was no one with more common sense, no stonecutter more obstinate, no manager more lucid or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/he-repeated-until-his-dying-day-that-there-was-no-one-with-more/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“Każdy z literatów pomyślał co innego. Berlioz: „Nie, to jednak cudzoziemiec!”, a Bezdomny: „O, cholera!...”.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/ka-dy-z-literat-w-pomy-la-co-innego-berlioz-nie-to-jednak/) [Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/) > [I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century, to repeat to you once again my vow of eternal fidelity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-have-waited-for-this-opportunity-for-more-than-half-a-century-to/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“He killed more men than the cholera.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-killed-more-men-than-the-cholera/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [“All that was needed was a shrewd questioning, first of the patient and then of his mother, to conclude once again that the symptoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/all-that-was-needed-was-a-shrewd-questioning-first-of-the-patient-and/) [Gabriel Garcia Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Browse all 66 Cholera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cholera/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People spend a lifetime thinking abouthow they would really like to live. 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