--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And how have I lived? Frankly and openly…" description: "\"And how have I lived? Frankly and openly, though crudely. I have not been afraid of life. I have not shrunk from it. I have taken it for what it was at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/jack-london-595_afraid-of-life_and-how-have-i-lived-frankly-and-openly_1567636.jpg" --- # And how have I lived? Frankly and openly, though crudely… ![“And how have I lived? Frankly and openly, though crudely. I have not been afraid of life. I have not shrunk from it. I have taken it for what it was at its own valuation. And I have not been ashamed of it. Just as it was, it was mine.” quote by Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/jack-london-595_afraid-of-life_and-how-have-i-lived-frankly-and-openly_1567636.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/jack-london-595_afraid-of-life_and-how-have-i-lived-frankly-and-openly_1567636.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/57e/jack-london-595_afraid-of-life_and-how-have-i-lived-frankly-and-openly_1567636.jpg) > “And how have I lived? Frankly and openly, though crudely. I have not been afraid of life. I have not shrunk from it. I have taken it for what it was at its own valuation. And I have not been ashamed of it. Just as it was, it was mine.” [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates embracing life fully, accepting its value, and owning one's experiences without shame. **In simple terms:** Live boldly and accept life as yours. Key Takeaway Own your life; accept all its parts. Themes courage self‑acceptance authenticity resilience Mood determined reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career challenges - personal setbacks - new opportunities Key Concepts existentialism personal responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to truly own your experiences? - How can you face fear without shrinking? A Different Perspective Life’s harshness can still be embraced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-life/) [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Frankly Openly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frankly-openly-1281985/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Shrunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-shrunk-4063617/) [Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived/) [Lived Frankly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived-frankly-5894311/) [Openly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openly/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Valuation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuation/) ## Related quotes > [I tweet, therefore my entire life has shrunk to 140 character chunks of instant event and predigested gnomic wisdom. 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One may dream, and even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/as-i-my-real-self-grew-older-i-entered-more-and-more-into-the/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [A good soldier is a blind, heartless, soulless, murderous machine. He is not a man. His is not a brute, for brutes kill only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/a-good-soldier-is-a-blind-heartless-soulless-murderous-machine-he-is/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [I would rather be ashes than dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-would-rather-be-ashes-than-dust/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [“I believe that when I am dead, I am dead. I believe that with my death I am just as much obliterated as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-believe-that-when-i-am-dead-i-am-dead-i-believe-that-with-my-death/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [“He wastes his time over his writing, trying to accomplish what geniuses and rare men with college educations sometimes accomplish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/he-wastes-his-time-over-his-writing-trying-to-accomplish-what/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [“Strength is an empty shell. One cannot violate the promptings of one’s nature without having that nature recoil upon itself. 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Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-n-harris/) > [The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-real-tragedy-of-life-is-when-men-are-afraid-of-the-light/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“Be not afraid of life believe that life is worth living and your belief will create the fact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/be-not-afraid-of-life-believe-that-life-is-worth-living-and-your/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Courage is not the absence of fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stengel/courage-is-not-the-absence-of-fear/) [Richard Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stengel/) > [“Strange. Half my years afraid of life. The other half, afraid of death. Always some kind of afraid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/strange-half-my-years-afraid-of-life-the-other-half-afraid-of-death/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) [Browse all 55 Afraid of life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "And how have I lived? Frankly and openly, though crudely. I have not been afraid of life. I have not shrunk from it. I have taken it for what it was at its own valuation. And I have not been ashamed of it. 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