--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's silly to keep people alive who have…" description: "\"It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.\" — Imogen Cunningham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png" --- # It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease. ![“It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.” quote by Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png) > “It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.” [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement questions the ethics of prolonging life when suffering is severe, suggesting a compassionate view on ending suffering. **In simple terms:** Questioning the morality of extending life in severe disease. Key Takeaway Consider quality of life in medical decisions. Themes ethics life compassion Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - end‑of‑life care - patient autonomy - pain management Key Concepts palliative care medical ethics terminal illness Questions to Reflect On - When is it appropriate to prioritize quality over quantity of life? - Who should decide when to cease life‑sustaining treatment? A Different Perspective Balancing respect for life with alleviating suffering is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Alive Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive-terrible-1929388/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Silly people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly-people/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Terrible Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-disease-344065/) ## Related quotes > [I'm childish and silly. Most people tease me because I'm a bit daft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-m-childish-and-silly-most-people-tease-me-because-i-m-a-bit-daft/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [People in Los Angeles are more used to acting silly than other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-hakuta/people-in-los-angeles-are-more-used-to-acting-silly-than-other-people/) [Ken Hakuta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-hakuta/) > [Take time to remember those who have passed and those who still fight this terrible disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-time-to-remember-those-who-have-passed-and-those-who-still-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Jealousy is a terrible disease please Get well soon bitch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie/jealousy-is-a-terrible-disease-please-get-well-soon-bitch/) [Stephanie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie/) > [Jealousy is a terrible disease¦what can I say…huh!!! just Get well soon!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/jealousy-is-a-terrible-disease-what-can-i-say-huh-just-get-well-soon/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Jealousy is a terrible disease¦Get well soon!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aisha/jealousy-is-a-terrible-disease-get-well-soon/) [Aisha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aisha/) > [Jealousy is a terrible disease please get well soon :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/jealousy-is-a-terrible-disease-please-get-well-soon/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [I suffer the terrible disease of low self-esteem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-bowen/i-suffer-the-terrible-disease-of-low-self-esteem/) [Julie Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-bowen/) > [Egotism is such a terrible disease, he dies, to be reincarnated he continues coming and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-gobind-singh/egotism-is-such-a-terrible-disease-he-dies-to-be-reincarnated-he/) [Guru Gobind Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-gobind-singh/) > [“I was more afraid that in a few words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. What if his words had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-more-afraid-that-in-a-few-words-thrown-out-he-might-destroy/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [There are so many people getting dementia. It is like an epidemic now. It is a terrible disease because once you get it, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/engelbert-humperdinck/there-are-so-many-people-getting-dementia-it-is-like-an-epidemic-now/) [Engelbert Humperdinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/engelbert-humperdinck/) > [Jealousy is a terrible disease. Get well soon, sweetie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/jealousy-is-a-terrible-disease-get-well-soon-sweetie/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We shall immunize every child in Africa to get rid of this terrible disease forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-shall-immunize-every-child-in-africa-to-get-rid-of-this-terrible/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [I'll never go so far to call cancer a gift. It's a really terrible disease. It's taken the lives of so many of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suleika-jaouad/i-ll-never-go-so-far-to-call-cancer-a-gift-it-s-a-really-terrible/) [Suleika Jaouad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suleika-jaouad/) > [“If love is a terrible disease, please give me seven doses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/if-love-is-a-terrible-disease-please-give-me-seven-doses/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) ## More by Imogen Cunningham > [I never divide photographers into creative and uncreative, I just call them photographers. Who is creative? How do you know who is creative or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-never-divide-photographers-into-creative-and-uncreative-i-just-call/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I never stopped photographing. There were a couple of years when I didn't have a darkroom, but that didn't stop me from photographing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-never-stopped-photographing-there-were-a-couple-of-years-when-i/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I wasn't very ambitious. I think that's the solution. I just took things as they came. I wouldn't say I didn't have any problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-wasn-t-very-ambitious-i-think-that-s-the-solution-i-just-took/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I don't think there's any such thing as teaching people photography, other than influencing them a little. People have to be their own learners.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-such-thing-as-teaching-people-photography/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [Some people say to me, Isn't it too bad that people discovered you so late? I never thought that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/some-people-say-to-me-isn-t-it-too-bad-that-people-discovered-you-so/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [You see, I became kind of a drop-out in science after I came back to America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/you-see-i-became-kind-of-a-drop-out-in-science-after-i-came-back-to/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [When People magazine called me, I did the job on Ansel. I'm older than Ansel and he has to mind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/when-people-magazine-called-me-i-did-the-job-on-ansel-i-m-older-than/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [When you do portraits professionally it's not a desire, it's for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/when-you-do-portraits-professionally-it-s-not-a-desire-it-s-for-money/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [Suppose Cartier-Bresson asked the man who jumped the puddle to do it again --- it never would have been the same. Start stealing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/suppose-cartier-bresson-asked-the-man-who-jumped-the-puddle-to-do-it/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [There are certain things you don't discuss with Ansel, especially if you don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/there-are-certain-things-you-don-t-discuss-with-ansel-especially-if/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [Oh, you ask me, what is the greatest torture of a person who does portraits for a living? I could fill several volumes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/oh-you-ask-me-what-is-the-greatest-torture-of-a-person-who-does/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [So many people dislike themselves so thoroughly that they never see any reproduction of themselves that suits. None of us is born with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/so-many-people-dislike-themselves-so-thoroughly-that-they-never-see/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I was poor. When you're poor you work, and when you're rich you expect somebody to hand it to you. So I think being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-was-poor-when-you-re-poor-you-work-and-when-you-re-rich-you-expect/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [I became kind of a drop-out in science after I came back to America. I wanted to photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/i-became-kind-of-a-drop-out-in-science-after-i-came-back-to-america-i/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) > [ ...There are too many people studying it \[photography\] now who are never going to make it. You can't give them a formula for making… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/there-are-too-many-people-studying-it-photography-now-who-are-never/) [Imogen Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) [Explore all 42 Imogen Cunningham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Imogen Cunningham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have-a-terrible-disease/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have-a-terrible-disease/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/imogen-cunningham-15682_alive_it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have_2599232.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's silly to keep people alive who have a terrible disease.” — Imogen Cunningham", "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": "Imogen Cunningham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imogen-cunningham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's silly to keep people alive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have-a-terrible-disease/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imogen-cunningham/it-s-silly-to-keep-people-alive-who-have-a-terrible-disease/#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 } } ] } ```