--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were people whose lives were slow…" description: "\"“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by little in the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg" --- # They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see… ![“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by little in their own time, turning into memories, mists from other days, until they were absorbed into oblivion.” quote by Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg) > ““They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by little in their own time, turning into memories, mists from other days, until they were absorbed into oblivion.”” [Gabriel García Márquez](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. The passage reflects on how ordinary lives fade unnoticed, becoming mere memories that eventually dissolve into oblivion. **In simple terms:** Lives fade into forgotten memories. Key Takeaway Time erases unnoticed lives. Themes mortality impermanence memory oblivion existence Mood nostalgic melancholic contemplative Type philosophical literary reflective When to use this quote - reflecting on aging - considering legacy - examining anonymity Key Concepts transience collective memory human fragility Practical Applications - historical documentation - memorial art Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to be remembered? - How does anonymity shape our sense of self? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absorbed Oblivion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absorbed-oblivion-374247/) [Ageing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) [Days Absorbed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days-absorbed-374248/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Growing old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-old/) [Little by little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-by-little/) [Lives Slow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-slow-374245/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memories Mists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-mists-374246/) [Passage of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passage-of-time/) [People Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-lives/) ## Related quotes > [Before we had the Internet, we would either call or write to our friends, one at a time, and keep up with their lives.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/om-malik/before-we-had-the-internet-we-would-either-call-or-write-to-our/) [Om Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/om-malik/) > [“As at those words did I myself become; And all my love was so absorbed in Him, That in oblivion Beatrice was eclipsed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/as-at-those-words-did-i-myself-become-and-all-my-love-was-so-absorbed/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [I remove myself from people's lives silently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-remove-myself-from-people-s-lives-silently/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a price tag on everything including black people's lives and what they do with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-staples/there-s-a-price-tag-on-everything-including-black-people-s-lives-and/) [Vince Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-staples/) > [“You can save people's lives but you can't save them from life!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-kumar/you-can-save-people-s-lives-but-you-can-t-save-them-from-life/) [Ajay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajay-kumar/) > [That's why I'm a success, it's because I don't middle in other people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-marquez/that-s-why-i-m-a-success-it-s-because-i-don-t-middle-in-other-people/) [Melanie Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-marquez/) > [I take what isn't mine and I covet other people's lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-killip/i-take-what-isn-t-mine-and-i-covet-other-people-s-lives/) [Chris Killip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-killip/) > [“People's lives can look so good on the outside and be so much dark shadow on the inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/people-s-lives-can-look-so-good-on-the-outside-and-be-so-much-dark/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [“Life goes different ways for different people. Some people’s lives are formed by a cookie cutter and some are immediately tossed from the kitchen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-zelazny/life-goes-different-ways-for-different-people-some-people-s-lives-are/) [Trent Zelazny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-zelazny/) > [Americans can live with the fact that good people sometimes give their lives for this country, but what they can't take, what they can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jordan/americans-can-live-with-the-fact-that-good-people-sometimes-give/) [Jim Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jordan/) > [I think there are people who's lives have been saved because of the study of the genome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/i-think-there-are-people-who-s-lives-have-been-saved-because-of-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Everyone has their own mission in life and what they've got to do. You can't knock them for it. There's always a lot going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cummins/everyone-has-their-own-mission-in-life-and-what-they-ve-got-to-do-you/) [Nick Cummins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cummins/) > [“We truly have no idea what goes on in people's lives. Any comparison we make to them is based on our perception of who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrilee-boyack/we-truly-have-no-idea-what-goes-on-in-people-s-lives-any-comparison/) [Merrilee Boyack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrilee-boyack/) > [“In people’s lives and worldviews, concerns about economics, race, gender, class, and culture all blend together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/in-people-s-lives-and-worldviews-concerns-about-economics-race-gender/) [Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/) > [It's nice to have been around long enough to be a part of people's lives. A lot of people who come to my show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-easton/it-s-nice-to-have-been-around-long-enough-to-be-a-part-of-people-s/) [Sheena Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-easton/) ## More by Gabriel García Márquez > [“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/) > [“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/) > [When he went through the kitchen he kissed Rebeca on the forehead. "Get those bad thoughts out of your head," he told her. "You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/when-he-went-through-the-kitchen-he-kissed-rebeca-on-the-forehead-get/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) [Explore all 872 Gabriel García Márquez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) ## More Ageing quotes > [“The whole idea of it makes me feel Like I’m coming down with something, Something worse than any stomach ache Or the headaches I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [People's opinions don't interfere with me. Ageing gracefully is supposed to mean trying not to hide time passing and just looking a wreck. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-moreau/people-s-opinions-don-t-interfere-with-me-ageing-gracefully-is/) [Jeanne Moreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-moreau/) > [“Ageing must be like wearing a heavy, itchy suit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cardamone/ageing-must-be-like-wearing-a-heavy-itchy-suit/) [Tom Cardamone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cardamone/) > [Ageing is, simply and clearly, the accumulation of damage in the body. That's all that ageing is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-de-grey/ageing-is-simply-and-clearly-the-accumulation-of-damage-in-the-body/) [Aubrey de Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-de-grey/) > [“She has built her whole life on the foundation of beauty: each chiseled plane, each sloping dimple, each soft curve as crucial as keystones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/she-has-built-her-whole-life-on-the-foundation-of-beauty-each/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [“I've been 21 for many years now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/i-ve-been-21-for-many-years-now/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Age doesn't define maturity. Some people will never grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/age-doesn-t-define-maturity-some-people-will-never-grow-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ageing is so many different things, and cells being able to self-renew is part of the picture but not all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-blackburn/ageing-is-so-many-different-things-and-cells-being-able-to-self-renew/) [Elizabeth Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-blackburn/) > [Dying is a matter of slapstick and pratfalls. The ageing process is not gradual or gentle. It rushes up, pushes you over and runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mortimer/dying-is-a-matter-of-slapstick-and-pratfalls-the-ageing-process-is/) [John Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mortimer/) > [Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. 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Basically, organisms that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-jay-olshansky/ageing-is-very-rare-we-only-see-it-in-humans-and-laboratory-animals/) [S. Jay Olshansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-jay-olshansky/) > [“Growing age can kill the beauty, not the style.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/growing-age-can-kill-the-beauty-not-the-style/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Ageing is a blessing, and I feel every inch of 46.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-reid/ageing-is-a-blessing-and-i-feel-every-inch-of-46/) [Susanna Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-reid/) [Browse all 311 Ageing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ageing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying, but who disappeared little by little in their own time, turning into memories, mists from other days, until they were absorbed into oblivion.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gabriel García Márquez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ageing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez-116_ageing_they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-w_13374.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They were people whose lives were slow, who did not see themselves growing old, or falling sick, or dying…” — Gabriel García Márquez", "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": "Gabriel García Márquez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They were people whose lives were...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/they-were-people-whose-lives-were-slow-who-did-not-see-themselves/#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 } } ] } ```