--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is it life threatening?” they asked. They…" description: "\"“Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for sensation right through it: when people get a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg" --- # Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly… ![“Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for sensation right through it: when people get a chance to come close to death without having it touch them personally, they never miss the opportunity.” quote by Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg) > ““Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for sensation right through it: when people get a chance to come close to death without having it touch them personally, they never miss the opportunity.”” [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are drawn to danger, seeking thrills even when it’s not directly affecting them. **In simple terms:** People crave risky experiences even when safe. Key Takeaway Recognize and question your thrill‑seeking instincts. Themes risk human nature curiosity Mood cynical thoughtful Type analytical critical When to use this quote - media consumption - extreme sports - political scandals - viral trends Key Concepts psychology danger attraction Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek vicarious danger? - What are the costs of this attraction? A Different Perspective Such fascination can desensitize empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Close to death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-to-death/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Miss The Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miss-the-opportunity/) ## Related quotes > [“For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, undying, primeval.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sattar-memon/for-the-soul-there-is-never-birth-nor-death-nor-having-once-been-does/) Sattar Memon > [“Sir, be proud: today you came close to a happy death; and behave in the future with the same nonchalance, knowing that the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/sir-be-proud-today-you-came-close-to-a-happy-death-and-behave-in-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [What the meat industry figured out is that you don't need healthy animals to make a profit. Sick animals are more profitable... Factory farms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/what-the-meat-industry-figured-out-is-that-you-don-t-need-healthy/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [We musn't forget old people with their rotten bodies, old people who are so close to death, something that young people don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/we-musn-t-forget-old-people-with-their-rotten-bodies-old-people-who/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“... we absolutely mustn't forget it. We mustn't forget old people with their rotten bodies, old people who are so close to death, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/we-absolutely-mustn-t-forget-it-we-mustn-t-forget-old-people-with/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [“Is it not strange how quickly one can become detached from everything? How empty life appears when one is close to death!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/is-it-not-strange-how-quickly-one-can-become-detached-from-everything/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [There is nothing compared to the feeling of losing life. The moment when you are close to death is nothing but a profound experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/there-is-nothing-compared-to-the-feeling-of-losing-life-the-moment/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [You know when you read that someone has to leave a show or a tour because they had 'nervous exhaustion'? Well, I had one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/you-know-when-you-read-that-someone-has-to-leave-a-show-or-a-tour/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [I became entirely given over to extreme dread. The fear was so powerful that it seemed to make my personality completely evaporate... 'Whitley' ceased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitley-strieber/i-became-entirely-given-over-to-extreme-dread-the-fear-was-so/) [Whitley Strieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitley-strieber/) > [In Mexico, you're close to death all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/in-mexico-you-re-close-to-death-all-the-time/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [I came so close to death in the search of love...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-came-so-close-to-death-in-the-search-of-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For the first time in a long time I thought about Maman. I felt as if I understood why at the end of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-i-thought-about-maman-i-felt-as-if/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“I had never been so close to death before. For a long time, as I lay there trying to clear my mind, I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-had-never-been-so-close-to-death-before-for-a-long-time-as-i-lay/) [Andre Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“A great melancholy was hanging in the air, giving their love a more languid, more tender feeling. It was like the love one feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/a-great-melancholy-was-hanging-in-the-air-giving-their-love-a-more/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“There is lucidity inspired by the nearness of the grave:to be close to death is to see clearly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-lucidity-inspired-by-the-nearness-of-the-grave-to-be-close/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More by Herman Koch > [“We looked at each other. At that moment, I was also a hundred percent sure that Van Dieren and I were thinking the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/we-looked-at-each-other-at-that-moment-i-was-also-a-hundred-percent/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [The stupid woman is the one who thinks she doesn’t need any help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/the-stupid-woman-is-the-one-who-thinks-she-doesn-t-need-any-help/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Christ, what an asshole!" Babette said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/christ-what-an-asshole-babette-said/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Some people might say it's not smart to be so insecure about what you wear. But that's not how I see it. The stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/some-people-might-say-it-s-not-smart-to-be-so-insecure-about-what-you/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“… when Michel came home from school, for example, and everything was as it should be. My own voice, above all, asking him what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/when-michel-came-home-from-school-for-example-and-everything-was-as/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“They all had to do something: they had to make a start in life; they had to go through life. Even though a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/they-all-had-to-do-something-they-had-to-make-a-start-in-life-they/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [In one way or another, every parent is curious what their children... what are they doing when we don't see?... What double lives are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/in-one-way-or-another-every-parent-is-curious-what-their-children/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Life as a widow, she thinks, will always be like this. The friends will go on proposing toasts for months (for years!). To her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/life-as-a-widow-she-thinks-will-always-be-like-this-the-friends-will/) [Herman koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“Er was een dokter in de zaal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/er-was-een-dokter-in-de-zaal/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“The smile remained suspended on her face, but it was as though it had been disconnected from the emotion behind it – if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/the-smile-remained-suspended-on-her-face-but-it-was-as-though-it-had/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“I let go of the pump as well now. I registered a sense of fatigue. And regret. It was the same fatigue and regret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/i-let-go-of-the-pump-as-well-now-i-registered-a-sense-of-fatigue-and/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“happiness needs nothing but itself, it doesn’t have to be validated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/happiness-needs-nothing-but-itself-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-validated/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [Around here, we're as happy as God in France.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/around-here-we-re-as-happy-as-god-in-france/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“...het was van dat weer dat je niet weet of het al avond wordt of dat de dag nog moet beginnen...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/het-was-van-dat-weer-dat-je-niet-weet-of-het-al-avond-wordt-of-dat-de/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) > [“When we were still living at home, all he ever drank was cola, huge amounts of it; he had no problem knocking back an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/when-we-were-still-living-at-home-all-he-ever-drank-was-cola-huge/) [Herman Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) [Explore all 65 Herman Koch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/) ## More Close to death quotes > [“There is lucidity inspired by the nearness of the grave:to be close to death is to see clearly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-lucidity-inspired-by-the-nearness-of-the-grave-to-be-close/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“A great melancholy was hanging in the air, giving their love a more languid, more tender feeling. It was like the love one feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/a-great-melancholy-was-hanging-in-the-air-giving-their-love-a-more/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“I had never been so close to death before. For a long time, as I lay there trying to clear my mind, I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-had-never-been-so-close-to-death-before-for-a-long-time-as-i-lay/) [Andre Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [For the first time in a long time I thought about Maman. I felt as if I understood why at the end of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-i-thought-about-maman-i-felt-as-if/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I came so close to death in the search of love...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-came-so-close-to-death-in-the-search-of-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In Mexico, you're close to death all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/in-mexico-you-re-close-to-death-all-the-time/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [I became entirely given over to extreme dread. The fear was so powerful that it seemed to make my personality completely evaporate... 'Whitley' ceased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitley-strieber/i-became-entirely-given-over-to-extreme-dread-the-fear-was-so/) [Whitley Strieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitley-strieber/) > [You know when you read that someone has to leave a show or a tour because they had 'nervous exhaustion'? Well, I had one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-johansen/you-know-when-you-read-that-someone-has-to-leave-a-show-or-a-tour/) [David Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-johansen/) > [There is nothing compared to the feeling of losing life. The moment when you are close to death is nothing but a profound experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manisha-koirala/there-is-nothing-compared-to-the-feeling-of-losing-life-the-moment/) [Manisha Koirala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manisha-koirala/) > [“Is it not strange how quickly one can become detached from everything? How empty life appears when one is close to death!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-rodenbach/is-it-not-strange-how-quickly-one-can-become-detached-from-everything/) [Georges Rodenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-rodenbach/) > [“... we absolutely mustn't forget it. We mustn't forget old people with their rotten bodies, old people who are so close to death, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/we-absolutely-mustn-t-forget-it-we-mustn-t-forget-old-people-with/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [We musn't forget old people with their rotten bodies, old people who are so close to death, something that young people don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/we-musn-t-forget-old-people-with-their-rotten-bodies-old-people-who/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [What the meat industry figured out is that you don't need healthy animals to make a profit. Sick animals are more profitable... Factory farms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/what-the-meat-industry-figured-out-is-that-you-don-t-need-healthy/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [People always speak beautifully when they are in love or close to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/people-always-speak-beautifully-when-they-are-in-love-or-close-to/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [“I am at the hospital waiting for my friend with Noah. Which is a very couple-like thing to do. All you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-barnholdt/i-am-at-the-hospital-waiting-for-my-friend-with-noah-which-is-a-very/) [Lauren Barnholdt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-barnholdt/) [Browse all 51 Close to death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-to-death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for sensation right through it: when people get a chance to come close to death without having it touch them personally, they never miss the opportunity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Herman Koch" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-said-it-slightly-sotto-voce/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Close to death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-said-it-slightly-sotto-voce/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/16d/herman-koch-7856_close-to-death_is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-s_644002.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Is it life threatening?” they asked. They said it slightly sotto voce, but you could hear the thirst for…” — Herman Koch", "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": "Herman Koch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-koch/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Is it life threatening?” they asked....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-said-it-slightly-sotto-voce/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-koch/is-it-life-threatening-they-asked-they-said-it-slightly-sotto-voce/#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 } } ] } ```