--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We all have to ask ourselves, \"What would…" description: "\"“We all have to ask ourselves, \"What would I have done?\". I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the organizers of ZEGOTA, who said, \"Only the de..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg" --- # We all have to ask ourselves, "What would I have done?". I… ![“We all have to ask ourselves, "What would I have done?". I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the organizers of ZEGOTA, who said, "Only the dead have done enough.” quote by Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg) > ““We all have to ask ourselves, "What would I have done?". I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the organizers of ZEGOTA, who said, "Only the dead have done enough.”” [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Sendler reflects on moral responsibility, quoting that only the dead have truly done enough, urging living people to act. **In simple terms:** Living must act; dead have done enough. Key Takeaway Take moral action now. Themes ethics responsibility history Mood somber inspirational Type historical motivational When to use this quote - teaching history - volunteering - community service Key Concepts humanitarianism memory Questions to Reflect On - How can we honor past sacrifices? - What actions can we take today? A Different Perspective May feel overwhelming to live up to such standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree Wladyslaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree-wladyslaw-5175520/) [Bartofszewski Organizers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bartofszewski-organizers-5175519/) [Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) [Life-in-a-jar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-in-a-jar-107210/) [Organizers Zegota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizers-zegota-5175518/) [Said Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-dead/) [Zegota Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zegota-said-5175517/) ## Related quotes > [“You see a man drowning, you must try to save him even if you cannot swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/you-see-a-man-drowning-you-must-try-to-save-him-even-if-you-cannot/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“To save one Jewish child, ten Poles and two Jews had to risk death. To betray that same child and the family that hid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/to-save-one-jewish-child-ten-poles-and-two-jews-had-to-risk-death-to/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“But it is not so simple as to merely blame the Communists for Poland's state of denial (of World War II atrocities and heroes)Curiously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zofia-zaks/but-it-is-not-so-simple-as-to-merely-blame-the-communists-for-poland/) [Zofia Zaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zofia-zaks/) > [“Every time you walk into church, the first thing you see is a man on a cross. He died to save us-not to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mayer/every-time-you-walk-into-church-the-first-thing-you-see-is-a-man-on-a/) [Jack Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mayer/) > [“Did you mean what you said before? About the dead hanging around? You really believe it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-walkup/did-you-mean-what-you-said-before-about-the-dead-hanging-around-you/) [Jennifer Walkup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-walkup/) > [The way is shut. Then they halted and looked at him and saw that he lived still; but he did not look at them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-way-is-shut-then-they-halted-and-looked-at-him-and-saw-that-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Cody?” I said. “Why are you dead?” Tact. I got it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-monk/cody-i-said-why-are-you-dead-tact-i-got-it/) [Devon Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-monk/) > [“she said, these dead petals, honey, brought me here”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/she-said-these-dead-petals-honey-brought-me-here/) [tori amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [“It is said that the dead are infinitely patient, although it is usually said by the living, and how would they know?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-battersby/it-is-said-that-the-dead-are-infinitely-patient-although-it-is/) [Lee Battersby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-battersby/) > [It has been said that to write is to live forever. The man who said that is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/it-has-been-said-that-to-write-is-to-live-forever-the-man-who-said/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [You ARE Zaphod Beeblebrox?' 'Yeah,' said Zaphod, 'but don't shout it out or they'll all want one.' 'THE Zaphod Beeblebrox?' 'No, just A Zaphod…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-are-zaphod-beeblebrox-yeah-said-zaphod-but-don-t-shout-it-out-or/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I would have picked up the artificial heart and thrown it on the floor and walked out and said he's dead if the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-devries/i-would-have-picked-up-the-artificial-heart-and-thrown-it-on-the/) [William DeVries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-devries/) > [“He said in a deadly serious tone, ‘Momma, am I dead?’ And I said ‘no honey, you’re not dead’, and he shook his head,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsty-moseley/he-said-in-a-deadly-serious-tone-momma-am-i-dead-and-i-said-no-honey/) [Kirsty Moseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsty-moseley/) > [“Oh, God,” Magnus said. “They’re dead. They’re all dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/oh-god-magnus-said-they-re-dead-they-re-all-dead/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The newspapers at one time said that I was dead but after carefully examining the evidence I came to the conclusion that this statement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-newspapers-at-one-time-said-that-i-was-dead-but-after-carefully/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) ## More by Irena Sendler > [Heroes do extraordinary things. What I did was not an extraordinary thing. It was normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/heroes-do-extraordinary-things-what-i-did-was-not-an-extraordinary/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [The world can be better if there's love, tolerance and humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/the-world-can-be-better-if-there-s-love-tolerance-and-humility/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“Every child saved with my help is the justification of my existence on this Earth, and not a title to glory.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/every-child-saved-with-my-help-is-the-justification-of-my-existence/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“To save one Jewish child, ten Poles and two Jews had to risk death. To betray that same child and the family that hid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/to-save-one-jewish-child-ten-poles-and-two-jews-had-to-risk-death-to/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [Humanity has understood nothing. Religious, tribal, national wars continue. The world continues to be in a sea of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/humanity-has-understood-nothing-religious-tribal-national-wars/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“I was taught by my father that when someone is drowning you don't ask if they can swim, you just jump in and help.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/i-was-taught-by-my-father-that-when-someone-is-drowning-you-don-t-ask/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [I was brought up to believe that a person must be rescued when drowning, regardless of religion and nationality. The term ‘hero’ irritates me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/i-was-brought-up-to-believe-that-a-person-must-be-rescued-when/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [After World War II, it seemed that humanity understood something, and nothing like that would happen again. Humanity has understood nothing. Religious, tribal, national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/after-world-war-ii-it-seemed-that-humanity-understood-something-and/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [I was taught that if you see a person drowning, you must jump into the water to save them, whether you can swim or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/i-was-taught-that-if-you-see-a-person-drowning-you-must-jump-into-the/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [“You see a man drowning, you must try to save him even if you cannot swim.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/you-see-a-man-drowning-you-must-try-to-save-him-even-if-you-cannot/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [Over a half-century has passed since the hell of the Holocaust, but its spectre still hangs over the world and doesn't allow us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/over-a-half-century-has-passed-since-the-hell-of-the-holocaust-but/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) > [Every child saved with my help and the help of all the wonderful secret messengers, who today are no longer living, is the justification…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/every-child-saved-with-my-help-and-the-help-of-all-the-wonderful/) [Irena Sendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) [Explore all 13 Irena Sendler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/) ## More Dead quotes > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [I can't be a legend yet. I'm not dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-can-t-be-a-legend-yet-i-m-not-dead/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [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/) > [“I’m just–” She wanted to say “not in the mood,” but that was not only a cliché but a vast understatement. She was dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-mcintosh/i-m-just-she-wanted-to-say-not-in-the-mood-but-that-was-not-only-a/) [Will McIntosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-mcintosh/) > [Library: A place where the dead lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/library-a-place-where-the-dead-lie/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [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/) > [Rather be dead than cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/rather-be-dead-than-cool/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [He was obviously dead. But since he was a vampire that wasn't as hopless a thing as it might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/he-was-obviously-dead-but-since-he-was-a-vampire-that-wasn-t-as/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [“Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’ – Ben Franklin,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/three-may-keep-a-secret-if-two-of-them-are-dead-ben-franklin/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > ['Misery' left a lasting mark on me. When I die, it will be 'Kathy 'Misery' Bates Is Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/misery-left-a-lasting-mark-on-me-when-i-die-it-will-be-kathy-misery/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [The only good Indian is a dead Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/the-only-good-indian-is-a-dead-indian/) [William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/) [Browse all 3,376 Dead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We all have to ask ourselves, \"What would I have done?\". I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the organizers of ZEGOTA, who said, \"Only the dead have done enough.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irena Sendler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would-i-have-done-i-agree-with/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dead" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would-i-have-done-i-agree-with/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82b/irena-sendler-36289_dead_we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would_2256477.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We all have to ask ourselves, \"What would I have done?\". I agree with Wladyslaw Bartofszewski, one of the…” — Irena Sendler", "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": "Irena Sendler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irena-sendler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We all have to ask ourselves,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would-i-have-done-i-agree-with/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irena-sendler/we-all-have-to-ask-ourselves-what-would-i-have-done-i-agree-with/#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 } } ] } ```