--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As long as I was alive, I was something…" description: "\"As long as I was alive, I was something. That was just how it was. But somewhere along the way it all changed. Living turned me into nothing.\" — Haruki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/haruki-murakami-21_alive_as-long-as-i-was-alive-i-was-something-t_821035.jpg" --- # As long as I was alive, I was something. That was just how… ![“As long as I was alive, I was something. That was just how it was. But somewhere along the way it all changed. Living turned me into nothing.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/haruki-murakami-21_alive_as-long-as-i-was-alive-i-was-something-t_821035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/haruki-murakami-21_alive_as-long-as-i-was-alive-i-was-something-t_821035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/haruki-murakami-21_alive_as-long-as-i-was-alive-i-was-something-t_821035.jpg) > “As long as I was alive, I was something. That was just how it was. But somewhere along the way it all changed. Living turned me into nothing.” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s experiences transformed the narrator from a feeling of being and to a sense of emptiness. **In simple terms:** He felt less alive over time. Key Takeaway Recognize and address feelings of emptiness. Themes existence transformation loneliness Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - midlife crisis - creative writing - therapy sessions - philosophical inquiry Key Concepts identity crisis meaning of life Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life purpose now? - How can you reconnect with vitality? A Different Perspective The narrative may romanticize melancholy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [Money has not changed me. I am living proof. I'm worse than I was, all right, when I was poor. 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I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nle-choppa/when-i-found-out-that-i-had-a-baby-on-the-way-it-changed-my-mind-and/) [NLE Choppa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nle-choppa/) > [Racism is still alive they just be concealing it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/racism-is-still-alive-they-just-be-concealing-it/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [You get changed by the Bill Belichick way, you get changed by the Patriot Way,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hernandez/you-get-changed-by-the-bill-belichick-way-you-get-changed-by-the/) Aaron Hernandez > [I set my sails for a new direction but the wind got in my way. I changed my course but my definition of change.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-church/i-set-my-sails-for-a-new-direction-but-the-wind-got-in-my-way-i/) [Eric Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-church/) > [My life is at least as intricate as my readers' lives. People say that 'The Artist's Way' changed their lives, but when they talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-cameron/my-life-is-at-least-as-intricate-as-my-readers-lives-people-say-that/) [Julia Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-cameron/) > [There was a time when I was never really sure If I was ever gonna find that perfect girl But then came the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/icarus-account/there-was-a-time-when-i-was-never-really-sure-if-i-was-ever-gonna/) Icarus Account > [The American Dream is still alive and well… it’s just no longer in the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-black/the-american-dream-is-still-alive-and-well-it-s-just-no-longer-in-the/) Simon Black > [Other people keep our souls alive, just like food and water does with our body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/other-people-keep-our-souls-alive-just-like-food-and-water-does-with/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/writing-of-every-kind-is-a-way-to-wake-oneself-up-and-keep-as-alive/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [It can't be dead. It was alive just a minute ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-creech/it-can-t-be-dead-it-was-alive-just-a-minute-ago/) [Sharon Creech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-creech/) > [My heart beats not because I'm alive just because your alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afra/my-heart-beats-not-because-i-m-alive-just-because-your-alive/) Afra > [And she was terribly aware that she was alive. Not just living and breathing, but ...alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/and-she-was-terribly-aware-that-she-was-alive-not-just-living-and/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [“She's alive, but only just.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/she-s-alive-but-only-just/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. 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This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. 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Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As long as I was alive, I was something. That was just how it was. But somewhere along the way it all changed. 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