--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is…" description: "\"Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely puts a limit on our life span. It would be unwise though, to try to extend life by not breath..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/jeanette-winterson-166_breathe_breathe-in-breath-out-oxygen-is-carcinog_3111928.png" --- # Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely… ![“Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely puts a limit on our life span. It would be unwise though, to try to extend life by not breathing at all. Which of us doesn't do it? Either we loll in anaerobic stupor, too afraid to fill our lungs with risky beauty, or we roll out fire like…” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/jeanette-winterson-166_breathe_breathe-in-breath-out-oxygen-is-carcinog_3111928.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/jeanette-winterson-166_breathe_breathe-in-breath-out-oxygen-is-carcinog_3111928.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66a/jeanette-winterson-166_breathe_breathe-in-breath-out-oxygen-is-carcinog_3111928.png) > “Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely puts a limit on our life span. It would be unwise though, to try to extend life by not breathing at all. Which of us doesn't do it? Either we loll in anaerobic stupor, too afraid to fill our lungs with risky beauty, or we roll out fire like dragons, destroying the world we love. I try not to burn up my world with rage. It is so hard.” [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on breathing as both essential and potentially harmful, using paradox to explore life's risks, restraint, and emotional control. **In simple terms:** Breathing sustains life but can be risky; balance is needed. Key Takeaway Balance necessity with awareness of risks. Themes paradox life control Mood introspective melancholic hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - creative writing - stress coping Key Concepts existentialism risk emotions Questions to Reflect On - What risks do you accept for vitality? - How can you channel rage constructively? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breath Oxygen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breath-oxygen-1731851/) [Breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathe/) [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Destroying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroying/) [Dragons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragons/) [Extend Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extend-life-1146059/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-breathing-718943/) [Limit Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limit-life-352564/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [Oxygen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxygen/) [Rage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Unwise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unwise/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Breathe in, breath out. Oxygen is carcinogenic and likely puts a limit on our life span. It would be unwise though, to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/breathe-in-breath-out-oxygen-is-carcinogenic-and-likely-puts-a-limit/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He gave life to the breath- oxygen, a simple gas, he transferred into words, ideas, hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/he-gave-life-to-the-breath-oxygen-a-simple-gas-he-transferred-into/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Profit for a company is like oxygen for a person. If you don't have enough of it, you're out of the game. But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/profit-for-a-company-is-like-oxygen-for-a-person-if-you-don-t-have/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [A poet writes his words into breath the oxygen moulds a relentless force stronger than death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/a-poet-writes-his-words-into-breath-the-oxygen-moulds-a-relentless/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [One reads books for knowledge, as one would breath Oxygen to survive!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/one-reads-books-for-knowledge-as-one-would-breath-oxygen-to-survive/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [As you sit there wasting your breath complaning about life someone out there is breathing there last appreciate what you have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-sit-there-wasting-your-breath-complaning-about-life-someone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steinbrenner/winning-is-the-most-important-thing-in-my-life-after-breathing/) [George Steinbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steinbrenner/) > [We are bombarded on all sides by a vast number of messages we don't want or need. More information is generated in a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/we-are-bombarded-on-all-sides-by-a-vast-number-of-messages-we-don-t/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [As You Waste Your Breath About Complaining About Life, Someone Is Out There Breathing Their Last Breath. Always Appreciate What You Have Before Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-waste-your-breath-about-complaining-about-life-someone-is-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Breathing will change your life! Breathing is the most important thing you will ever do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-williams/breathing-will-change-your-life-breathing-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Dean Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-williams/) > [“That is all life is. Breathing in, breathing out. The space between two breaths.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-raeder/that-is-all-life-is-breathing-in-breathing-out-the-space-between-two/) [Leah Raeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-raeder/) > [You should love something while you have it, love it fully and without reservation, even if you know you'll lose it someday. We lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-should-love-something-while-you-have-it-love-it-fully-and-without/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It has often been said that prayer is as basic to spiritual life as breathing is to our natural lives. It is not merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-w-osbeck/it-has-often-been-said-that-prayer-is-as-basic-to-spiritual-life-as/) [Kenneth W. Osbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-w-osbeck/) > [LIFE is breathing with purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/life-is-breathing-with-purpose/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [“There's so much more to life than breathing in and out. It's not the beat of a heart, or the brainwave pattern in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kowallis/there-s-so-much-more-to-life-than-breathing-in-and-out-it-s-not-the/) [J. Kowallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kowallis/) ## More by Jeanette Winterson > [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? 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What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) [Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More Breathe quotes > [“Well come and stand a little bit closer, breathe in and get a bit higher. You'll ever know what hit you when I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savage-garden/well-come-and-stand-a-little-bit-closer-breathe-in-and-get-a-bit/) [Savage Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savage-garden/) > [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/) [Lauren Schmidt Hissrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/) > [“Live your dreams. Breathe your dreams. Never give up on your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/live-your-dreams-breathe-your-dreams-never-give-up-on-your-dreams/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [And wheresoever, in his rich creation, Sweet music breathes--in wave, or bird, or soul-- 'Tis but the faint and far reverberation Of that great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-sargent-osgood/and-wheresoever-in-his-rich-creation-sweet-music-breathes-in-wave-or/) [Frances Sargent Osgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-sargent-osgood/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Why couldn't Jesus command us to obsess over everything, to try to control and manipulate people, to try not to breathe at all, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/why-couldn-t-jesus-command-us-to-obsess-over-everything-to-try-to/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. 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