--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People who don't know how to keep…" description: "\"People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.\" — Henrik Ibsen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg" --- # People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought… ![“People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.” quote by Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg) > “People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.” [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker harshly claims that unhealthy people deserve death, reflecting a cruel, fatalistic view that lacks compassion and ignores the value of life. **In simple terms:** Unhealthy people should die, according to the speaker. Key Takeaway Promote empathy and health support. Themes mortality health ethics Mood critical somber thoughtful Type ethical controversial When to use this quote - health education - mental health counseling - community support - preventive care Key Concepts fatalism compassion public health Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever just to wish death on another? - How can we better support those struggling with health? A Different Perspective Such a stance is ethically problematic and ignores societal responsibility to care for the vulnerable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [Your own brain ought to have the decency to be on your side!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/your-own-brain-ought-to-have-the-decency-to-be-on-your-side/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Your own brain ought to have the decency to be on your side! Just,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/your-own-brain-ought-to-have-the-decency-to-be-on-your-side-just/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I can't be so guarded up all the time. I know it's not healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-reyez/i-can-t-be-so-guarded-up-all-the-time-i-know-it-s-not-healthy/) [Jessie Reyez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-reyez/) > [We are comfortable in our bodies, we know how healthy we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-origliasso/we-are-comfortable-in-our-bodies-we-know-how-healthy-we-are/) [Jessica Origliasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-origliasso/) > [I see women who have this struggle between what they know is right, what they know is necessary, what they know is healthy, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-see-women-who-have-this-struggle-between-what-they-know-is-right/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I think the best thing I've done is shop at Whole Foods, you know, healthy food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrelle-revis/i-think-the-best-thing-i-ve-done-is-shop-at-whole-foods-you-know/) [Darrelle Revis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrelle-revis/) > [Working, I can be my truest self. I don't know how healthy that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-hahn/working-i-can-be-my-truest-self-i-don-t-know-how-healthy-that-is/) [Kathryn Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-hahn/) > [I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathesome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-gather-a-repulsive-nobody-writing-in-a-paper-no-one-of-any-decency/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [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/) > [Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense."... "We must treat each man on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/let-the-watchwords-of-all-our-people-be-the-old-familiar-watchwords/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“Faye, if you got eaten by another shark, would you please at least have the decency to say so? My time is kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-lothlorien/faye-if-you-got-eaten-by-another-shark-would-you-please-at-least-have/) Elle Lothlorien > [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/) > [What's wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can't we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/what-s-wrong-with-death-sir-what-are-we-so-mortally-afraid-of-why-can/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Listen, young people, I understand narcissism - clearly. But at least I have the decency to hate myself. And that's what's missing from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/listen-young-people-i-understand-narcissism-clearly-but-at-least-i/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Come on, that was no foul! It may be a violation of all the basic rules of human decency, but its not a foul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walton/come-on-that-was-no-foul-it-may-be-a-violation-of-all-the-basic-rules/) [Bill Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walton/) ## More by Henrik Ibsen > [The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That's one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/the-majority-is-never-right-never-i-tell-you-that-s-one-of-these-lies/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When we dead awaken ... we see that we have never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/when-we-dead-awaken-we-see-that-we-have-never-lived/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“To be oneself on a basis of gold is no better than founding one’s house on the sand. For your watch, and your ring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/to-be-oneself-on-a-basis-of-gold-is-no-better-than-founding-one-s/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/look-into-any-man-s-heart-you-please-and-you-will-always-find-in/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Different people have different duties assigned them by Nature; Nature has given one the power or the desire to do this, the other that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/different-people-have-different-duties-assigned-them-by-nature-nature/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [There is always a risk in being alive, and if you are more alive, there is more risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/there-is-always-a-risk-in-being-alive-and-if-you-are-more-alive-there/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [It is not for a care-free existence I am fighting, but for the possibility of devoting myself to the task which I believe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/it-is-not-for-a-care-free-existence-i-am-fighting-but-for-the/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“Nora: It's true Torvald. When I lived at home with Papa, he used to tell me his opinion about everything, and so I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/nora-it-s-true-torvald-when-i-lived-at-home-with-papa-he-used-to-tell/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Each bird must sing with his own throat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/each-bird-must-sing-with-his-own-throat/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [I propose to raise a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/i-propose-to-raise-a-revolution-against-the-lie-that-the-majority-has/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [But I almost think we are all of us ghosts. It is not only what we have inherited from our father and mother that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/but-i-almost-think-we-are-all-of-us-ghosts-it-is-not-only-what-we/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/a-thousand-words-leave-not-the-same-deep-impression-as-does-a-single/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [Home life ceases to be free and beautiful as soon as it is founded on borrowing and debt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/home-life-ceases-to-be-free-and-beautiful-as-soon-as-it-is-founded-on/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [“You see, the fact is that the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/you-see-the-fact-is-that-the-strongest-man-upon-earth-is-he-who/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) [Explore all 229 Henrik Ibsen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) ## More Buried quotes > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [A classic is like a hidden treasure. Its core is buried under so many layers of varnish that it can be reached only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-barrault/a-classic-is-like-a-hidden-treasure-its-core-is-buried-under-so-many/) [Jean-Louis Barrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-barrault/) > [We're going to be buried out here. I like the idea because I may just want to get up some day and stroll into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/we-re-going-to-be-buried-out-here-i-like-the-idea-because-i-may-just/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/it-is-the-client-who-knows-what-hurts-what-directions-to-go-what/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [“Sienna swallowed down her hurt and added it to the growing infestation of pain placed it in that beating glass jar of hers, concealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-harper/sienna-swallowed-down-her-hurt-and-added-it-to-the-growing/) [Ali Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-harper/) > [“There is nothing so difficult to arrive at as the nature and personality of one's parents. Death, about which so much mystery is made,is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-maxwell/there-is-nothing-so-difficult-to-arrive-at-as-the-nature-and/) [William Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-maxwell/) > [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I think it's important not to grow up too fast. I'm 26 now, and I still can't wait for Christmas Day. The inner seven-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-haddock/i-think-it-s-important-not-to-grow-up-too-fast-i-m-26-now-and-i-still/) [Laura Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-haddock/) > [As soon as I turned the key I saw it hanging, the color of fire and sunset. the colour of flamboyant flowers. ‘If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rhys/as-soon-as-i-turned-the-key-i-saw-it-hanging-the-color-of-fire-and/) [Jean Rhys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rhys/) > [While the prosecution has said this is about the defendants lies, one worries that those lies already have been buried under too much discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/while-the-prosecution-has-said-this-is-about-the-defendants-lies-one/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [With every rising of the sun Think of your life as just begun. The past has shrived and buried deep All yesterdays— there let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/with-every-rising-of-the-sun-think-of-your-life-as-just-begun-the/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I've just got this huge chip on my shoulder because I've been out for three years and people think I'm dead and buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-ve-just-got-this-huge-chip-on-my-shoulder-because-i-ve-been-out-for/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [As I write, Johnny Rotten's first moments in "Anarchy in the U.K." - a rolling earthquake of a laugh, a buried shout, then hoary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/as-i-write-johnny-rotten-s-first-moments-in-anarchy-in-the-u-k-a/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) Browse all 1,295 Buried quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henrik Ibsen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themselves-healthy-ought-to-have/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buried" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themselves-healthy-ought-to-have/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f74/henrik-ibsen-1419_buried_people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themse_1162556.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People who don't know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and…” — Henrik Ibsen", "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": "Henrik Ibsen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People who don't know how to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themselves-healthy-ought-to-have/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/people-who-don-t-know-how-to-keep-themselves-healthy-ought-to-have/#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 } } ] } ```