--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Death cannot be avoided forever, but it…" description: "\"“Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed - in that respect it's very like the washing up.”\" — Jasper Fforde" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png" --- # Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed… ![“Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed - in that respect it's very like the washing up.” quote by Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png) > ““Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed - in that respect it's very like the washing up.”” [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Death is inevitable but can be delayed, similar to postponing chores like washing dishes. **In simple terms:** Death can be delayed like chores. Key Takeaway Accept mortality, enjoy life now. Themes mortality humor philosophy Mood wry thoughtful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - daily routines - life planning - health decisions - legacy projects Key Concepts existentialism temporal perspective Questions to Reflect On - What does postponing death reveal about priorities? - How can we live meaningfully now? A Different Perspective Delaying death isn’t a true solution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoided Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoided-forever-5084316/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Avoided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-avoided-3292922/) [Forever Postponed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever-postponed-5084317/) [Like Washing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-washing-439677/) [Postponed Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postponed-respect-5084318/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [“I know his death could have been avoided with a doctor who was really on top of it. He had so much life in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-know-his-death-could-have-been-avoided-with-a-doctor-who-was-really/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Problems are like washing machines. They twist, spin & knock us around..but in the end we come out cleaner, brighter & better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhat/problems-are-like-washing-machines-they-twist-spin-knock-us-around/) [Zhat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhat/) > [It's a vicious cycle. It's like a washing machine with the lid jammed down. -Christina Kratovac (pg 53)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-moriarty/it-s-a-vicious-cycle-it-s-like-a-washing-machine-with-the-lid-jammed/) [Jaclyn Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaclyn-moriarty/) > [Difficult times in life are like washing machines; they twist us, spin us and knock us around, but in the end we come out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xashif-shah/difficult-times-in-life-are-like-washing-machines-they-twist-us-spin/) [Xashif Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xashif-shah/) > [Problems are like washing machines . they twist us , spin us and knock us but in the end we came out cleaner ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-roldan/problems-are-like-washing-machines-they-twist-us-spin-us-and-knock-us-3/) [Jerome Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-roldan/) > [Baking is like washing--the results are equally temporary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/baking-is-like-washing-the-results-are-equally-temporary/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Problems are like washing machines. they twist us, spin us and knock us around but in the end we come out cleaner, brighter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/problems-are-like-washing-machines-they-twist-us-spin-us-and-knock-us-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Hallo! A great deal of steam! the pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing-day! That was the cloth. A smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/hallo-a-great-deal-of-steam-the-pudding-was-out-of-the-copper-a-smell/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Hard Times Are Like a Washing Machine. They Twist, Turn and Knock Us Around, But In The End we Come Out Cleaner, Brighter and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/hard-times-are-like-a-washing-machine-they-twist-turn-and-knock-us/) [Pacifiersucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pacifiersucker/) > [Hard Times Are Like a Washing Machine, They Twist, Turn & Knock Us Around, But In The End we Come Out Cleaner, Brighter &…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/hard-times-are-like-a-washing-machine-they-twist-turn-knock-us-around/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Problem is like washing machine.They twist us,spin us,& knock around but in the end we come cleaner & brighter & better than before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/problem-is-like-washing-machine-they-twist-us-spin-us-knock-around/) [DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/) > [Splash water on your face, like washing away your pain. Wipe out your tears, like removing your fears. Take your stand, like this world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubhanshu-tiwari/splash-water-on-your-face-like-washing-away-your-pain-wipe-out-your/) [Shubhanshu Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubhanshu-tiwari/) > [Problems are like washing machine. They twist, they spin and knock us around. But in the end we come out cleaner, brighter and better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/problems-are-like-washing-machine-they-twist-they-spin-and-knock-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In a way it was like washing your laundry in public and, yep, there you go, you've seen my underwear. And now I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-law/in-a-way-it-was-like-washing-your-laundry-in-public-and-yep-there-you/) [Jude Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-law/) > [Problems are like washing machines. They twist us, spin us and knock us around. But we come out cleaner, brighter & better than before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/problems-are-like-washing-machines-they-twist-us-spin-us-and-knock-us/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More by Jasper Fforde > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Ill-fitting grammar are like ill-fitting shoes. You can get used to it for a bit, but then one day your toes fall off and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/ill-fitting-grammar-are-like-ill-fitting-shoes-you-can-get-used-to-it/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Agents and publishers only want one thing - good writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/agents-and-publishers-only-want-one-thing-good-writing/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Take no heed of her… She reads a lot of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/take-no-heed-of-her-she-reads-a-lot-of-books/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Our own dimension was coded ID-11 and was the only League member with diphtheria, David Hasselhoff and the French, which amused the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/our-own-dimension-was-coded-id-11-and-was-the-only-league-member-with/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Don't ever call me mad, Mycroft. I'm not mad. I'm just ... well, differently moraled, that's all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/don-t-ever-call-me-mad-mycroft-i-m-not-mad-i-m-just-well-differently/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“They had just digested a recent meal of prepositions and were happily farting out apostrophes and ampersands; the air was heav'y with th'em&.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/they-had-just-digested-a-recent-meal-of-prepositions-and-were-happily/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [After all, reading is arguably a far more creative and imaginative process than writing; when the reader creates emotion in their head, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/after-all-reading-is-arguably-a-far-more-creative-and-imaginative/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Sometimes your destiny takes you to dark places where you'd rather not be, but destiny, as they say, is destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/sometimes-your-destiny-takes-you-to-dark-places-where-you-d-rather/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“Whoever controls the supply of metaphor controls fiction! . . . Metaphor should be controlled. A glut on the market would make fiction overtly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/whoever-controls-the-supply-of-metaphor-controls-fiction-metaphor/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“A sloppy half-Windsor is the first symptom of serial indolence' she replied in the patronizing voice that Yellows reserved for Rule-breakers, 'and ignoring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/a-sloppy-half-windsor-is-the-first-symptom-of-serial-indolence-she/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [The universe always moves from an ordered state to a disordered one; that a glass may fall to the ground and shatter yet you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-universe-always-moves-from-an-ordered-state-to-a-disordered-one/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [To espresso or to latte, that is the question...whether 'tis tastier on the palate to choose white mocha over plain...or to take a cup…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/to-espresso-or-to-latte-that-is-the-question-whether-tis-tastier-on/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [I've got six months to sort out the hackers, get the Japanese knotweed under control and find an acceptable form of narcissus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/i-ve-got-six-months-to-sort-out-the-hackers-get-the-japanese-knotweed/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [“They keep an eye on forgery, illegal dealing and overtly free thespian interpretations. The actor in with them was Graham Huxtable. He was putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/they-keep-an-eye-on-forgery-illegal-dealing-and-overtly-free-thespian/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) [Explore all 356 Jasper Fforde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed - in that respect it's very like the washing up.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jasper Fforde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-can-be-postponed-in-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-can-be-postponed-in-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/jasper-fforde-797_death_death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-c_2241660.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Death cannot be avoided forever, but it can be postponed - in that respect it's very like the washing up.” — Jasper Fforde", "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": "Jasper Fforde", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Death cannot be avoided forever, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-can-be-postponed-in-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/death-cannot-be-avoided-forever-but-it-can-be-postponed-in-that/#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 } } ] } ```