--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What lingered after them was not life…" description: "\"What lingered after them was not life, which always overcomes natural death, but the most trivial list of mundane facts: a clock ticking on a wall, a r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_clock_what-lingered-after-them-was-not-life-wh_1115869.jpg" --- # What lingered after them was not life, which always… ![“What lingered after them was not life, which always overcomes natural death, but the most trivial list of mundane facts: a clock ticking on a wall, a room dim at noon, and the outrageousness of a human being thinking only of herself.” quote by Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_clock_what-lingered-after-them-was-not-life-wh_1115869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_clock_what-lingered-after-them-was-not-life-wh_1115869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fa/jeffrey-eugenides-462_clock_what-lingered-after-them-was-not-life-wh_1115869.jpg) > “What lingered after them was not life, which always overcomes natural death, but the most trivial list of mundane facts: a clock ticking on a wall, a room dim at noon, and the outrageousness of a human being thinking only of herself.” [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even after death, mundane details of daily life continue, highlighting human self‑absorption and the contrast between ordinary moments and profound existential themes. **In simple terms:** Life’s trivialities persist beyond death. Key Takeaway Notice everyday details amid larger truths. Themes mortality mundanity self‑absorption existentialism Mood reflective somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - philosophical reflection - daily mindfulness Key Concepts Narrative focus human condition psychology Questions to Reflect On - Why do we cling to mundane details? - How does self‑absorption affect our perception of death? A Different Perspective The focus on trivialities may overlook deeper grief. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Clock ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-ticking/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [“Death by Trivial Pursuits”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/death-by-trivial-pursuits/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [“It is like the wrath of God, minus God: every action is weighed in some unfathomable balance, and at any time, the most trivial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-hertmans/it-is-like-the-wrath-of-god-minus-god-every-action-is-weighed-in-some/) Stefan Hertmans > [She lost much of her appetite. At night, an invisible hand kept shaking her awake every few hours. Grief was physiological, a disturbance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-lost-much-of-her-appetite-at-night-an-invisible-hand-kept-shaking/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I was happy to carry on without children because I was completely immersed in my work and my career. I only heard the clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/i-was-happy-to-carry-on-without-children-because-i-was-completely/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [“I'm not sure why, but when a person expects something to last forever, they don't notice the little things. It's only when the clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-wiersbitzky/i-m-not-sure-why-but-when-a-person-expects-something-to-last-forever/) [Shannon Wiersbitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-wiersbitzky/) > [“TIL KINGDOM COME you'll be the one. FOR YOU theres NO MORE KEEPING MY FEET ON THE GROUND. My head is in the clouds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhyan-roads/til-kingdom-come-you-ll-be-the-one-for-you-theres-no-more-keeping-my/) Rhyan Roads > [I thought of something in mind; a feeling that I couldn't define, the past that I left behind, the problems that are falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romeo-huerbana/i-thought-of-something-in-mind-a-feeling-that-i-couldn-t-define-the/) [Romeo Huerbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romeo-huerbana/) > [When I go up, especially if I'm paying for a small helicopter and pilot, I'm on. 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Memories re remaining”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annisa-ninggorkasih/clock-is-ticking-the-night-turns-into-a-morning-and-here-i-am/) Annisa Ninggorkasih > [There is only one thing about which I shall have no regrets when my life ends. I have savored to the full all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-sligh-turnbull/there-is-only-one-thing-about-which-i-shall-have-no-regrets-when-my/) [Agnes Sligh Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-sligh-turnbull/) > [That awkward moment when silence fills the room, and the only thing you can hear is the sound of a clock ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-dawn/that-awkward-moment-when-silence-fills-the-room-and-the-only-thing/) [Anne Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-dawn/) > [You get 15 minutes of fame, I hear, and I've had 14 minutes. The clock's ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/you-get-15-minutes-of-fame-i-hear-and-i-ve-had-14-minutes-the-clock-s/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) ## More by Jeffrey Eugenides > [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. 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"Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) [Explore all 516 Jeffrey Eugenides quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) ## More Clock quotes > [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/) [Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/) > [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. 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I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/) [Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/) > [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/) [Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/) > [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/) [Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/) > [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/) Levi Keely > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. 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