--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a day passes, it is no longer there…" description: "\"“When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren't told or books weren't written, man would l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/isaac-bashevis-singer-2215_human-life_when-a-day-passes-it-is-no-longer-there_2230397.jpg" --- # When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of… ![“When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren't told or books weren't written, man would live like the beasts, only for the day. The whole world, all human life, is one long story.” quote by Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/isaac-bashevis-singer-2215_human-life_when-a-day-passes-it-is-no-longer-there_2230397.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/isaac-bashevis-singer-2215_human-life_when-a-day-passes-it-is-no-longer-there_2230397.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/750/isaac-bashevis-singer-2215_human-life_when-a-day-passes-it-is-no-longer-there_2230397.jpg) > ““When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren't told or books weren't written, man would live like the beasts, only for the day. The whole world, all human life, is one long story.”” [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time disappears once it passes; only the narratives we create preserve its meaning. **In simple terms:** Stories give lasting meaning to fleeting days. Key Takeaway Preserve moments by telling stories. Themes memory storytelling human experience Mood reflective nostalgic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - journaling - teaching - writing memoirs - family histories Key Concepts Narrative impermanence existential meaning Questions to Reflect On - How do you choose which moments to record? - What stories shape your identity? A Different Perspective Stories can be biased or incomplete, shaping memory unfairly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) ## Related quotes > [When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. If stories weren't told or books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/when-a-day-passes-it-is-no-longer-there-what-remains-of-it-nothing-2/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [I don't tell a story unless I have a very deep bench. If you tell an idiosyncratic story, there's no resonance. People read it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-turkle/i-don-t-tell-a-story-unless-i-have-a-very-deep-bench-if-you-tell-an/) [Sherry Turkle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-turkle/) > [People wanted the world to be a story, because stories had to sound right and they had to make sense. People wanted the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/people-wanted-the-world-to-be-a-story-because-stories-had-to-sound/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“It's hard to do, to tell one story, when there are so many stories to tell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mcgill/it-s-hard-to-do-to-tell-one-story-when-there-are-so-many-stories-to/) [Bernie Mcgill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mcgill/) > [“By Aladdin's lamplit scrotum, man! Everything is a story. What is there but stories? Stories are the only truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/by-aladdin-s-lamplit-scrotum-man-everything-is-a-story-what-is-there/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [A story? No. No stories, never again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-blanchot/a-story-no-no-stories-never-again/) [Maurice Blanchot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-blanchot/) > [“What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-macintyre/what-am-i-to-do-if-i-can-answer-the-prior-question-of-what-story-or/) [Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-macintyre/) > [“Humans, however, can’t live very long without some sense of a continuing story. Such stories go beyond the limited rational system (or the systematic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/humans-however-can-t-live-very-long-without-some-sense-of-a/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [There's always a story. It's all stories, really. The sun coming up every day is a story. Everything's got a story in it. Change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-s-always-a-story-it-s-all-stories-really-the-sun-coming-up/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Stories are bulls. Writers come of age full of vigor, and they feel the need to drive the old stories from the herd. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-walter/stories-are-bulls-writers-come-of-age-full-of-vigor-and-they-feel-the/) [Jess Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-walter/) > [“As I look at the human story I see two stories. They run parallel and never meet. One is of people who live, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-anderson/as-i-look-at-the-human-story-i-see-two-stories-they-run-parallel-and/) [Margaret Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-anderson/) > [“Nobody’s story is written only by himself. In our story, we can always find the stories written by others!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/nobody-s-story-is-written-only-by-himself-in-our-story-we-can-always/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The story was the important thing and little changes here and there were really part of the story. There were even stories about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-marmon-silko/the-story-was-the-important-thing-and-little-changes-here-and-there/) [Leslie Marmon Silko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-marmon-silko/) > [Someday an opportunity will come. Think about Harry Potter. His life is terrible, but then a letter arrives, he gets on a train, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/someday-an-opportunity-will-come-think-about-harry-potter-his-life-is/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [“History, in the end, is only another kind of story, and stories are different from the truth. The truth is messy and chaotic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-murray/history-in-the-end-is-only-another-kind-of-story-and-stories-are/) [Paul Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-murray/) ## More by Isaac Bashevis Singer > [Every body resisted (the slaughterer) in its own fashion, tried to escape and seemed to argue with the Creator to its last breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/every-body-resisted-the-slaughterer-in-its-own-fashion-tried-to/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [People often say that humans have always eaten animals, as if this is a justification for continuing the practice. According to this logic, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/people-often-say-that-humans-have-always-eaten-animals-as-if-this-is/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people. Slaughter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/as-long-as-people-will-shed-the-blood-of-innocent-creatures-there-can/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [There must be a way for man to attain all possible pleasures, all the powers and knowledge that nature can grant him, and still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/there-must-be-a-way-for-man-to-attain-all-possible-pleasures-all-the/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [What nature creates has eternity in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/what-nature-creates-has-eternity-in-it/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [“The rabbi thought he saw an expression of perplexity in the golem's eyes. It seemed to the rabbi that his eyes were asking, Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/the-rabbi-thought-he-saw-an-expression-of-perplexity-in-the-golem-s/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [“If you hear I'm dead, don't come to my funeral.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/if-you-hear-i-m-dead-don-t-come-to-my-funeral/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [If you keep saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of being a prophet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/if-you-keep-saying-things-are-going-to-be-bad-you-have-a-good-chance/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Men want all women to lie down as whores and get up as virgins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/men-want-all-women-to-lie-down-as-whores-and-get-up-as-virgins/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise... Because this is how life is full of surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/a-story-to-me-means-a-plot-where-there-is-some-surprise-because-this/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Night is a time of rigor, but also of mercy. There are truths which one can see only when it’s dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/night-is-a-time-of-rigor-but-also-of-mercy-there-are-truths-which-one/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [No doubt the world is entirely an imaginary world, but it is only once removed from the true world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/no-doubt-the-world-is-entirely-an-imaginary-world-but-it-is-only-once/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [It is a general rule that when the grain of truth cannot be found, men will swallow great helpings of falsehood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/it-is-a-general-rule-that-when-the-grain-of-truth-cannot-be-found-men/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [As often as Herman had witnessed the slaughter of animals and fish, he always had the same thought: in their behaviour towards creatures, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/as-often-as-herman-had-witnessed-the-slaughter-of-animals-and-fish-he/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) > [Sometimes love is stronger than a man's convictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bashevis-singer/sometimes-love-is-stronger-than-a-man-s-convictions/) [Isaac Bashevis Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) [Explore all 169 Isaac Bashevis Singer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bashevis-singer/) ## More Human life quotes > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Conception is the beginning of human life. From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Art is not a pleasure, a solace, or an amusement; art is great matter. Art is an organ of human life, transmitting man's reasonable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/art-is-not-a-pleasure-a-solace-or-an-amusement-art-is-great-matter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/) [Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [There seems to be a kind of order in the universe…in the movement of the stars and the turning of the Earth and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/there-seems-to-be-a-kind-of-order-in-the-universe-in-the-movement-of/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I think we are not spend our life as it pick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankit-narwal/i-think-we-are-not-spend-our-life-as-it-pick/) ANKIT NARWAL > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [To all conservative women out there: If you are so sure the embryo needed for stem cell research are precious human life that can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/to-all-conservative-women-out-there-if-you-are-so-sure-the-embryo/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [Anyone who thinks science is trying to make human life easier or more pleasant is utterly mistaken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/anyone-who-thinks-science-is-trying-to-make-human-life-easier-or-more/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Human life is created in God's image, and that makes it sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-s-smith/human-life-is-created-in-god-s-image-and-that-makes-it-sacred/) [Colin S. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-s-smith/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [In these years we are witnessing the gigantic spectacle of innumerable human lives wandering about lost in their own labyrinths, through not having anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/in-these-years-we-are-witnessing-the-gigantic-spectacle-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) [Browse all 2,309 Human life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When a day passes, it is no longer there. What remains of it? Nothing more than a story. 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