---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is fragile, yet to obstinately…"
description: "\"Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.\" — Gao Xingjian"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg"
---

#  Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.

![“Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.” quote by Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg)

> “Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.”

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

## About This Quote

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

Human fragility coexists with an innate drive to struggle, highlighting resilience amid vulnerability.

**In simple terms:** We are fragile yet resilient.

Key Takeaway

Embrace struggle despite fragility.

Themes

fragility resilience human condition

Mood

somber reflective

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- health recovery
- grief counseling
- sports training
- creative pursuits

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology of perseverance

Questions to Reflect On

- When does struggle become harmful?
- How can we protect vulnerability while persisting?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is fragile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-fragile/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/)

## Related quotes

> [Life is fragile, like the dew hanging delicately on the grass, crystal drops that will be carried away on the first morning breeze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/life-is-fragile-like-the-dew-hanging-delicately-on-the-grass-crystal/)

[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/)

> [“Life is fragile. Screw all that hesitant bullshit. We were going to go for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sheehan-miles/life-is-fragile-screw-all-that-hesitant-bullshit-we-were-going-to-go/)

[Charles Sheehan-Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sheehan-miles/)

> [“Life is fragile. We all say that, but most of the time the truth of it does not move from our head to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bauerschmidt/life-is-fragile-we-all-say-that-but-most-of-the-time-the-truth-of-it/)

[Tim Bauerschmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bauerschmidt/)

> [“Life is fragile. Life ends. But love? Love lives forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-donnelly/life-is-fragile-life-ends-but-love-love-lives-forever/)

[Jennifer Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-donnelly/)

> [Life is fragile and absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/life-is-fragile-and-absurd/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [“Life is fragile. Be cautious in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/life-is-fragile-be-cautious-in-life/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [Life is fragile. We're not guaranteed a tomorrow so give it everything you've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/life-is-fragile-we-re-not-guaranteed-a-tomorrow-so-give-it-everything/)

[Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/)

> [Life is fragile, unless your in the NFL in which case you'll need to wear padding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dov-davidoff/life-is-fragile-unless-your-in-the-nfl-in-which-case-you-ll-need-to/)

[Dov Davidoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dov-davidoff/)

> [I sometimes forget that life is fragile. The fact that I have more time to dream my dreams and take my ease is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luci-swindoll/i-sometimes-forget-that-life-is-fragile-the-fact-that-i-have-more/)

[Luci Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luci-swindoll/)

> [Lots of children have had dark experiences, and if they're not having direct dark experiences, they are thinking about things and learning that life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/lots-of-children-have-had-dark-experiences-and-if-they-re-not-having/)

[Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/)

> [“Life is fragile and holds on by a thread. Remember all those in despair and say a prayer that they will have the hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/life-is-fragile-and-holds-on-by-a-thread-remember-all-those-in/)

[Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/)

> [“Life is fragile. We all say that, but most of the time the truth of it does not move from our head to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-bauerschmidt/life-is-fragile-we-all-say-that-but-most-of-the-time-the-truth-of-it-2/)

[Tim Bauerschmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-bauerschmidt/)

> [Human life is fragile: we live in the space between one breath and the next. We often try to maintain an illusion of permanence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-finlay/human-life-is-fragile-we-live-in-the-space-between-one-breath-and-the/)

[Victoria Finlay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-finlay/)

> [“Life is fragile as an eggshell and can end in the next moment. For some reason many of us live as though it’s iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-levon/life-is-fragile-as-an-eggshell-and-can-end-in-the-next-moment-for/)

[Elena Levon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-levon/)

> [Life is fragile: it thrives only in a narrow range of temperatures between freezing and boiling. How lucky that our planet is just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-susskind/life-is-fragile-it-thrives-only-in-a-narrow-range-of-temperatures/)

[Leonard Susskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-susskind/)

## More by Gao Xingjian

> [“When a man gets to middle age shouldn’t he look for a peaceful and stable existence, find a not-too-demanding sort of a job, stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-a-man-gets-to-middle-age-shouldn-t-he-look-for-a-peaceful-and/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Literature transcends national boundaries, racial boundaries. It goes deep into the issues that concern all human beings. That is why, when people read Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/literature-transcends-national-boundaries-racial-boundaries-it-goes/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [I hadn't originally intended to do any reading, what if I did read one book more or one book less, whether I read or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-hadn-t-originally-intended-to-do-any-reading-what-if-i-did-read-one/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [If you're not perfectly conscious of yourself, that self can be tyrannical; in relationship to others, anyone can become a tyrant. That's why no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/if-you-re-not-perfectly-conscious-of-yourself-that-self-can-be/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Since childhood, I'd dreamed of making a film, but producers in France and Germany wanted to make commercial films with chinoiserie. I refused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/since-childhood-i-d-dreamed-of-making-a-film-but-producers-in-france/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Literature hasn't come up with any new themes. The literature of all different times - it's still dealing with how one resolves issues of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/literature-hasn-t-come-up-with-any-new-themes-the-literature-of-all/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [“Yours is much worse than Eastern! You’ve slapped together travel notes, moralistic ramblings, feelings, notes, jottings, untheoretical discussions, unfable-like fables, copied out some folk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/yours-is-much-worse-than-eastern-you-ve-slapped-together-travel-notes/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [The enterprise of describing something in language that has never been described before is a very difficult thing to do. When you decide to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/the-enterprise-of-describing-something-in-language-that-has-never/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [When I completed writing 'Soul Mountain,' I more or less closed the accounts with China for myself. I was 50 years old when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-i-completed-writing-soul-mountain-i-more-or-less-closed-the/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [I want to write a novel so profound that it would suffocate a fly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/i-want-to-write-a-novel-so-profound-that-it-would-suffocate-a-fly/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Body odour (known also as scent of the immortals) is a disgusting condition with an awful, nauseating smell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/body-odour-known-also-as-scent-of-the-immortals-is-a-disgusting/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [If, while observing the boundless universe, the writer is able to scrutinise his own self as well as others, the resulting incisiveness of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/if-while-observing-the-boundless-universe-the-writer-is-able-to/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [When God talks to humans he doesn't want humans to hear his voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/when-god-talks-to-humans-he-doesn-t-want-humans-to-hear-his-voice/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [“At the height of the Cultural Revolution, rather than risk having to face dire consequences for his accumulated writings, he burned several kilos of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/at-the-height-of-the-cultural-revolution-rather-than-risk-having-to/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

> [Language is inherently not concerned with logic. As an expression of the psychological activities of humankind, it simply follows a linear process as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/language-is-inherently-not-concerned-with-logic-as-an-expression-of/)

[Gao Xingjian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

[Explore all 91 Gao Xingjian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/)

## More Fragile quotes

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Mortals are such fragile things. Just tender feelings walking around exposed in their delicate shells...Easy to crush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/mortals-are-such-fragile-things-just-tender-feelings-walking-around/)

[Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/)

> [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/)

[Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/)

> [The foundations of our lives are far more fragile than we think. So we are severely shaken when life turns out to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-bier/the-foundations-of-our-lives-are-far-more-fragile-than-we-think-so-we/)

[Susanne Bier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-bier/)

> [I hope the day will come when a wasp-waist and a pair of thin shoulders will not be esteemed beauty: we have had our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/i-hope-the-day-will-come-when-a-wasp-waist-and-a-pair-of-thin/)

[Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/)

> [“Hearts were beautifully fierce yet fragile things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerri-maniscalco/hearts-were-beautifully-fierce-yet-fragile-things/)

[Kerri Maniscalco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerri-maniscalco/)

> [True, the fragile bodies of his fellows do not weigh down his plane; true, the fretful minds of weaker men are missing from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/true-the-fragile-bodies-of-his-fellows-do-not-weigh-down-his-plane/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [Over and over, we hear politicians say they can't spend our tax dollars on environmental protection when the economy is so fragile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/over-and-over-we-hear-politicians-say-they-can-t-spend-our-tax/)

[David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/)

> [There are plenty of people who don't want change - the Labour Party, some of their militant trade union friends like Unite busy causing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/there-are-plenty-of-people-who-don-t-want-change-the-labour-party/)

[George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/)

> [Life is fragile, like the dew hanging delicately on the grass, crystal drops that will be carried away on the first morning breeze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/life-is-fragile-like-the-dew-hanging-delicately-on-the-grass-crystal/)

[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilgo-khyentse-rinpoche/)

> [A fragile painting left without a scenery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fragile-painting-left-without-a-scenery/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Love is fragile. Break it and you will find great difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-fragile-break-it-and-you-will-find-great-difficulties/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I don't use a hairdryer when it's not necessary; I try to look after my fragile hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-pivovarova/i-don-t-use-a-hairdryer-when-it-s-not-necessary-i-try-to-look-after/)

[Sasha Pivovarova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-pivovarova/)

> [There is cruelty in divorce. There is cruelty in forced or unfortunate marriage. We will continue to cry at weddings because we know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-roiphe/there-is-cruelty-in-divorce-there-is-cruelty-in-forced-or-unfortunate/)

[Anne Roiphe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-roiphe/)

> [Democracy is not a fragile flower; still it needs cultivating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/democracy-is-not-a-fragile-flower-still-it-needs-cultivating/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Browse all 1,004 Fragile quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fragile/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gao Xingjian"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-struggle-is-natural/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fragile"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-struggle-is-natural/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b10/gao-xingjian-6987_fragile_life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-strug_2355509.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Life is fragile, yet to obstinately struggle is natural.” — Gao Xingjian",
                "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": "Gao Xingjian",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gao-xingjian/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Life is fragile, yet to obstinately...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-struggle-is-natural/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gao-xingjian/life-is-fragile-yet-to-obstinately-struggle-is-natural/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
