--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I die, I shall be content to vanish…" description: "\"When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness… No show, however good, could conceivably be good forever I do not believe in immortality, an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png" --- # When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness…… ![“When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness… No show, however good, could conceivably be good forever I do not believe in immortality, and have no desire for it.” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png) > “When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness… No show, however good, could conceivably be good forever I do not believe in immortality, and have no desire for it.” [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life ends in oblivion; immortality is undesirable and unnecessary. **In simple terms:** Death is final; no need for immortality. Key Takeaway Embrace life's finite nature. Themes mortality existentialism contentment Mood thoughtful serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal philosophy - literary critique - cultural commentary - ethical debates Key Concepts meaning of life philosophical outlook Questions to Reflect On - What gives life meaning? - How do we cope with impermanence? A Different Perspective May ignore desire for legacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Immortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) [Nothingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothingness/) [Positive atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-atheism/) ## Related quotes > [“She had known that being with Clay would be good, that it would eclipse the other times into nothingness, but this was beyond good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/she-had-known-that-being-with-clay-would-be-good-that-it-would/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [“Things cultivated over such a long time don't just vanish into nothingness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/things-cultivated-over-such-a-long-time-don-t-just-vanish-into/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I believe in the immortality of the soul because I have within me immortal longings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-believe-in-the-immortality-of-the-soul-because-i-have-within-me/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [I believe in the immortality of all creatures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/egon-schiele/i-believe-in-the-immortality-of-all-creatures/) [Egon Schiele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/egon-schiele/) > [I do not believe I have any immortality. The greatest evil in the world today is the Christian religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/i-do-not-believe-i-have-any-immortality-the-greatest-evil-in-the/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [To believe in immortality is one thing, but it is first needful to believe in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/to-believe-in-immortality-is-one-thing-but-it-is-first-needful-to/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [You can believe in God without believing in immortality, but it is hard to see how anyone can believe in immortality and not believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-dimnet/you-can-believe-in-god-without-believing-in-immortality-but-it-is/) [Ernest Dimnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-dimnet/) > [I wish to believe in immortality-I wish to live with you forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/i-wish-to-believe-in-immortality-i-wish-to-live-with-you-forever/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“One of them said to me once, “I believe in the immortality of the soul for six months at a time; my opinions depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montesquieu/one-of-them-said-to-me-once-i-believe-in-the-immortality-of-the-soul/) [Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montesquieu/) > [We do not believe in immortality because we can't prove it, but we try to prove it because we cannot help believing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-martineau/we-do-not-believe-in-immortality-because-we-can-t-prove-it-but-we-try/) [Harriet Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-martineau/) > [I do not believe in immortality of the individual, and I consider ethics to be an exclusively human concern with no superhuman authority behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/i-do-not-believe-in-immortality-of-the-individual-and-i-consider/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believe in the immortality and everlasting effects of your goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muller/believe-in-the-immortality-and-everlasting-effects-of-your-goodness/) [Robert Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muller/) > [Do you believe in immortality? No, and one life is enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/do-you-believe-in-immortality-no-and-one-life-is-enough-for-me/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I believe in the immortality of the Theatre, it is a most joyous place to hide, for all those who have secretly put their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-reinhardt/i-believe-in-the-immortality-of-the-theatre-it-is-a-most-joyous-place/) [Max Reinhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-reinhardt/) > [I believe in the immortality of the soul because I cannot conceive of an intelligent First Cause creating human beings through long process of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-hegan-rice/i-believe-in-the-immortality-of-the-soul-because-i-cannot-conceive-of/) [Alice Hegan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-hegan-rice/) ## More by H. L. Mencken > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A bad artist almost always tries to conceal his incompetence by whooping up a new formula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/a-bad-artist-almost-always-tries-to-conceal-his-incompetence-by/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [ By profession a biologist, \[Thomas Henry Huxley\] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-huxley-covered-in-fact-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [So few men are really worth knowing, that it seems a shameful waste to let an anthropoid prejudice stand in the way of free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/so-few-men-are-really-worth-knowing-that-it-seems-a-shameful-waste-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Man's objection to love is that it dies hard; woman's, that when it is dead, it stays dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/man-s-objection-to-love-is-that-it-dies-hard-woman-s-that-when-it-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-lunatic-fringe-wags-the-underdog/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Women have simple tastes. They get pleasure out of the conversation of children in arms and men in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/women-have-simple-tastes-they-get-pleasure-out-of-the-conversation-of/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The critic, to interpret his artist, even to understand his artist, must be able to get into the mind of his artist; he must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-critic-to-interpret-his-artist-even-to-understand-his-artist-must/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Don't overestimate the decency of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/don-t-overestimate-the-decency-of-the-human-race/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Liberty ... was a two-headed boon. There was first, the liberty of the people as a whole to determine the forms of their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/liberty-was-a-two-headed-boon-there-was-first-the-liberty-of-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [To the extent that I am genuinely educated, I am suspicious of all the things that the average citizen believes and the average pedagogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/to-the-extent-that-i-am-genuinely-educated-i-am-suspicious-of-all-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Philosophy first constructs a scheme of happiness and then tries to fit the world to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/philosophy-first-constructs-a-scheme-of-happiness-and-then-tries-to/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [For it is the natural tendency of the ignorant to believe what is not true. In order to overcome that tendency it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-the-natural-tendency-of-the-ignorant-to-believe-what-is-not/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) [Explore all 827 H. L. Mencken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More Atheist quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [That the world is in a bad shape is undeniable, but there is not the faintest reason in history to suppose that Christianity offers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/that-the-world-is-in-a-bad-shape-is-undeniable-but-there-is-not-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Atheist’s denial of God’s existence needs just as much substantiation as does the theist’s claim; the atheist must give plausible reasons for rejecting God’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-copan/atheist-s-denial-of-god-s-existence-needs-just-as-much-substantiation/) [Paul Copan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-copan/) > [“The atheist joined his hands. It wasn't against the Gods. He smiled, with his hands folded, saw his daughter's in-laws approaching near.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhavik-sarkhedi/the-atheist-joined-his-hands-it-wasn-t-against-the-gods-he-smiled/) [Bhavik Sarkhedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhavik-sarkhedi/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [An Atheist wandering down a road where he meets up a four road junction , he asks a passer by hey !, where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/an-atheist-wandering-down-a-road-where-he-meets-up-a-four-road/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Good churches are not built by bad men; at least, there must be probity and enthusiasm somewhere in the society. These minsters were neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/good-churches-are-not-built-by-bad-men-at-least-there-must-be-probity/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [An ineffably holy God, who has the utmost abhorrence of sin, was never invented by any of Adam's descendents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/an-ineffably-holy-god-who-has-the-utmost-abhorrence-of-sin-was-never/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [If all the Atheists & Agnostics left America, they'd lose 93% of The National Academy of Sciences & less than 1% of the prison population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-gervais/if-all-the-atheists-agnostics-left-america-they-d-lose-93-of-the/) [Ricky Gervais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-gervais/) > [I am an atheist. I don't think there's anything divine. Beautiful, impressive, awe-inspiring - sure, but not divine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomy-arpaly/i-am-an-atheist-i-don-t-think-there-s-anything-divine-beautiful/) [Nomy Arpaly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomy-arpaly/) > [I am like all other atheists only in that I do not believe there are any gods. Beyond that, I may differ dramatically in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carrier/i-am-like-all-other-atheists-only-in-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are/) [Richard Carrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carrier/) [Browse all 2,434 Atheist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness… No show, however good, could conceivably be good forever I do not believe in immortality, and have no desire for it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "H. L. Mencken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish-into-nothingness-no-show/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atheist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish-into-nothingness-no-show/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad1/h-l-mencken-245_atheist_when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish_2864280.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I die, I shall be content to vanish into nothingness… No show, however good, could conceivably be good…” — H. L. Mencken", "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": "H. L. Mencken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I die, I shall be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish-into-nothingness-no-show/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/when-i-die-i-shall-be-content-to-vanish-into-nothingness-no-show/#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 } } ] } ```