--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As one gets older, this question of…" description: "\"As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.\" — George Saunders" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg" --- # As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more… ![“As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.” quote by George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg) > “As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.” [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aging intensifies the urgency of confronting mortality, making death a pressing, personal concern. **In simple terms:** Death feels more urgent as we age. Key Takeaway Face mortality to live more fully. Themes mortality aging existence Mood somber thoughtful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - healthcare decisions - legacy planning - creative work - relationships - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism psychology time meaning acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of death shape your choices? - What legacy do you wish to leave? A Different Perspective Fear of death can paralyze action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [There is nothing there - no soul - there is only this question about after death. The question has to die now to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/u-g-krishnamurti/there-is-nothing-there-no-soul-there-is-only-this-question-about/) [U.G. Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/u-g-krishnamurti/) > [The great question of life is not the question of death but the question of life. Fear of death shames us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-great-question-of-life-is-not-the-question-of-death-but-the/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [“There is no death in this world. Even when the tree falls, it makes the soil fertile to give birth to life. So where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruna-shenoy/there-is-no-death-in-this-world-even-when-the-tree-falls-it-makes-the/) Aruna Shenoy > [“If there are more dead than living, then the world is about death, and the question is: What are we to do with all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/if-there-are-more-dead-than-living-then-the-world-is-about-death-and/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [“I said that the question about death, and more precisely, the confusion about death, lies at the very heart of human understanding, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/i-said-that-the-question-about-death-and-more-precisely-the-confusion/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [“I am not going to attempt a physical or medical analysis of death and its aftermath or a psychological or anthropological description of beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright/i-am-not-going-to-attempt-a-physical-or-medical-analysis-of-death-and/) [N.T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright/) > [The best way to kill a good thing is question it to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hogan/the-best-way-to-kill-a-good-thing-is-question-it-to-death/) [Chuck Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hogan/) > [I answer the heroic question Death, where is they sting? with It is here in my heart and mind and memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-answer-the-heroic-question-death-where-is-they-sting-with-it-is/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [They say life is a question and death is the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-arjona/they-say-life-is-a-question-and-death-is-the-answer/) Luis Arjona > [I answer the heroic question, 'Death, where is thy sting?' with 'It is in my heart and mind and memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-answer-the-heroic-question-death-where-is-thy-sting-with-it-is-in/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I think we live in slavery to fear. Most people don't have an answer to the death question and really don't even have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-think-we-live-in-slavery-to-fear-most-people-don-t-have-an-answer/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“Even when the tree falls, it makes the soil fertile to give birth to life. So where is the question of death? You live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruna-shenoy/even-when-the-tree-falls-it-makes-the-soil-fertile-to-give-birth-to/) Aruna Shenoy > [“On one side it seems there is faith in a Creator-God - and at the same time, the rejection of his creation; and on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-schmemann/on-one-side-it-seems-there-is-faith-in-a-creator-god-and-at-the-same/) [Alexander Schmemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-schmemann/) > [Her grandmother, as she gets older, is not fading but rather becoming more concentrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-alden/her-grandmother-as-she-gets-older-is-not-fading-but-rather-becoming/) Paulette Alden > [In one's youth, one has tremendous access to one's feelings. And as one gets older, some of those feelings kind of drift away. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/in-one-s-youth-one-has-tremendous-access-to-one-s-feelings-and-as-one/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) ## More by George Saunders > [Success is like a mountain in front of you that keeps growing. If you're not careful, it will take up your whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/success-is-like-a-mountain-in-front-of-you-that-keeps-growing-if-you/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Wow wow wow is all I can say! Remember how I always buy lunchtime Scratch-Off ticket? Have I said? Maybe did not say? Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/wow-wow-wow-is-all-i-can-say-remember-how-i-always-buy-lunchtime/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“None of it was real; nothing was real. Everything was real; inconceivably real, infinitely dear. These and all things started as nothing, latent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/none-of-it-was-real-nothing-was-real-everything-was-real/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-must-see-god-not-as-a-him-some-linear-rewarding-fellow-but-an-it-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/america-to-me-should-be-shouting-all-the-time-a-bunch-of-shouting/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [In my case, when I am trying to be "kind" I often default in a sort of toothless loving-all stance that is, actually, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/in-my-case-when-i-am-trying-to-be-kind-i-often-default-in-a-sort-of/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Whatever your supposed politics are - left, right - if you put it in a human connection, most people will rise to the occasion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/whatever-your-supposed-politics-are-left-right-if-you-put-it-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“A Clinton staffer tells me his theory. Think about Frank Sinatra, he says: born to sing. Think about Willie Mays: born to play ball.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/a-clinton-staffer-tells-me-his-theory-think-about-frank-sinatra-he/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We try, we fail, we posture, we aspire, we pontificate - and then we age, shrink, die, and vanish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-try-we-fail-we-posture-we-aspire-we-pontificate-and-then-we-age/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy, you respect his not buying. A guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-america-is-to-me-is-a-guy-doesn-t-want-to-buy-you-let-him-not/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [What good the prophet in the wilderness may do is incremental and personal. It's good for us to hear someone speak the irrational truth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/what-good-the-prophet-in-the-wilderness-may-do-is-incremental-and/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [We're in the transition between birth and death. But the one that people often know about is the transition between the moment of death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/we-re-in-the-transition-between-birth-and-death-but-the-one-that/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [You don't want to be that parent - the one who dresses his kid in a cloth sack when all the other kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-don-t-want-to-be-that-parent-the-one-who-dresses-his-kid-in-a/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) [Explore all 690 George Saunders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Saunders" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death-becomes-more-vexing-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death-becomes-more-vexing-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/137/george-saunders-317_death_as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death_477808.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As one gets older, this question of death, becomes more vexing and urgent.” — George Saunders", "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": "George Saunders", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As one gets older, this question...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death-becomes-more-vexing-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/as-one-gets-older-this-question-of-death-becomes-more-vexing-and/#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 } } ] } ```