---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like everyone else, I am going to die…"
description: "\"Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to see them, audiences to hear them. It is im..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg"
---

#  Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the…

![“Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to see them, audiences to hear them. It is immortality by proxy. It is not really a bad deal, all things considered.” quote by J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg)

> “Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to see them, audiences to hear them. It is immortality by proxy. It is not really a bad deal, all things considered.”

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Words outlive their creators; through readers and listeners, a writer achieves a form of indirect immortality.

**In simple terms:** Stories survive through audiences.

Key Takeaway

Write to be remembered.

Themes

legacy mortality artistic immortality

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- publishing
- public speaking
- teaching writing

Key Concepts

memory culture impact

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a work endure?
- How do readers keep a writer alive?

A Different Perspective

Not all works reach an audience, limiting their lasting power.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Immortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [“Would you be immortal, Master?' I would live long enough to see my work completed. True immortality is a burden, and I scarcely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-reynolds/would-you-be-immortal-master-i-would-live-long-enough-to-see-my-work/)

Josh Reynolds

> [I do write about people who are complex and are striving with something and can't quite get past their own stuff, which would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bogosian/i-do-write-about-people-who-are-complex-and-are-striving-with/)

[Eric Bogosian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bogosian/)

> [We don't know how to identify intelligence over interstellar distances, so what we do instead is use technology for a proxy,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-tarter/we-don-t-know-how-to-identify-intelligence-over-interstellar/)

[Jill Tarter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-tarter/)

> [We had a world dominated by the Soviet Union on the one hand, and the Americans on the other hand. They called it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/we-had-a-world-dominated-by-the-soviet-union-on-the-one-hand-and-the/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [The data set of proxies of past climate used in Mann...for the estimation of temperature from 1400 to 1980 contains collation errors, unjustifiable truncation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcintyre/the-data-set-of-proxies-of-past-climate-used-in-mann-for-the/)

Steve McIntyre

> [Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/do-you-young-people-want-a-sure-way-to-eliminate-the-influence-of-the/)

[Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/)

> [Living by proxy is always a precarious expedient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/living-by-proxy-is-always-a-precarious-expedient/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [“Why do you read all the details of divorce cases in the newspapers? ... you are enjoying it. You would not dream of doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-martyn-lloyd-jones/why-do-you-read-all-the-details-of-divorce-cases-in-the-newspapers/)

[David Martyn Lloyd-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-martyn-lloyd-jones/)

> [Even as we implement the nuclear deal and welcome our Americans home, we recognize that there remain about differences between the United States and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/even-as-we-implement-the-nuclear-deal-and-welcome-our-americans-home/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Mia Farrow was the person I was really excited about getting to know because Woody Allen is one of my heroes and, just by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bartha/mia-farrow-was-the-person-i-was-really-excited-about-getting-to-know/)

[Justin Bartha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bartha/)

> [No matter your situation, you can make family history a part of your life right now. Primary children can draw a family tree. Youth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/no-matter-your-situation-you-can-make-family-history-a-part-of-your/)

[Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/)

> [“at least a proxy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/at-least-a-proxy/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [if human justice is to supplement Nature's provisions, all family duties must be shared equitably, in person or by proxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-brown-blackwell/if-human-justice-is-to-supplement-nature-s-provisions-all-family/)

[Antoinette Brown Blackwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-brown-blackwell/)

> [I think it is to the advantage of my state to have the opportunity to come to meetings occasionally and to vote in person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/i-think-it-is-to-the-advantage-of-my-state-to-have-the-opportunity-to/)

[Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/)

> [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/)

Frank B. Wilderson III

## More by J. Michael Straczynski

> [“Sometimes the pain they wish to spare is their own because if you can be convinced to set aside your own dreams, they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/sometimes-the-pain-they-wish-to-spare-is-their-own-because-if-you-can/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [A movie is a movie and a book is a book, and they have different rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/a-movie-is-a-movie-and-a-book-is-a-book-and-they-have-different-rules/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Never follow somebody else's path; it doesn't work the same way twice for anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/never-follow-somebody-else-s-path-it-doesn-t-work-the-same-way-twice/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [“If you're going to have delusions, you might as well go for the really satisfying ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/if-you-re-going-to-have-delusions-you-might-as-well-go-for-the-really/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks the use of an angelic (or seemingly angelic character), whose likes have been written about for, oh, about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-sorry-but-anyone-who-thinks-the-use-of-an-angelic-or-seemingly/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm a big believer in the idea that while we are the sum of our tears, we are also the product of our choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-idea-that-while-we-are-the-sum-of-our-tears/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [On a certain level, I don't think there is an answer to what the American way is, because it is constantly being re-defined. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/on-a-certain-level-i-don-t-think-there-is-an-answer-to-what-the/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I always knew that I was going to be a writer. There was no question in my mind about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-always-knew-that-i-was-going-to-be-a-writer-there-was-no-question/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [I'm delirious with joy. It proves that if you confront the universe with good intentions in your heart, it will reflect that and reward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/i-m-delirious-with-joy-it-proves-that-if-you-confront-the-universe/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/you-know-i-used-to-think-it-was-awful-that-life-was-so-unfair-then-i/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [“We have an obligation to one another, responsibilities and trusts. That does not mean we must be pigeons, that we must be exploited. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/we-have-an-obligation-to-one-another-responsibilities-and-trusts-that/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Whenever you can bring your chops in as a reporter to unearth a cool story, that's always a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/whenever-you-can-bring-your-chops-in-as-a-reporter-to-unearth-a-cool/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [Everyone in the entertainment business gets crappy contracts when we start out, and into the middle of our careers. It's the nature of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/everyone-in-the-entertainment-business-gets-crappy-contracts-when-we/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/when-the-mob-and-the-press-and-the-whole-world-tell-you-to-move-your/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

> [“We're more RESILIENT. Takes a LOT to destroy a human spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/we-re-more-resilient-takes-a-lot-to-destroy-a-human-spirit/)

[J. Michael Straczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

[Explore all 161 J. Michael Straczynski quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/)

## More Audience quotes

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/)

[Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/)

> [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/)

[Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/)

> [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/)

[Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/)

> [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/)

[An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/)

> [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/)

[Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/)

> [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/)

[Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/)

> [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/)

[Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/)

> [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/)

[Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/)

> [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/)

[Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/)

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/)

[J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/)

> [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/)

[Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/)

> [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/)

[John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/)

[Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to see them, audiences to hear them. It is immortality by proxy. It is not really a bad deal, all things considered.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "J. Michael Straczynski"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but-the-words-the-words-live-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Audience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but-the-words-the-words-live-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/j-michael-straczynski-2548_audience_like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but_274836.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Like everyone else, I am going to die. But the words - the words live on for as long as there are readers to…” — J. Michael Straczynski",
                "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": "J. Michael Straczynski",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-michael-straczynski/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Like everyone else, I am going...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but-the-words-the-words-live-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-michael-straczynski/like-everyone-else-i-am-going-to-die-but-the-words-the-words-live-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
