---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like everybody, I'm making up my life as…"
description: "\"Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.\" — Jerry Cantrell"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png"
---

#  Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.

![“Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.” quote by Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png)

> “Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.”

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

## About This Quote

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

Life is improvised, and we create our path as we experience it, embracing uncertainty.

**In simple terms:** We make up life as we go.

Key Takeaway

Embrace improvisation.

Themes

self‑discovery creativity uncertainty

Mood

thoughtful hopeful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- relationships
- artistic projects
- personal development

Key Concepts

existentialism adaptive learning

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance spontaneity with planning?
- What guides your choices when uncertain?

A Different Perspective

Improvisation can lead to chaos without reflection.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [“Do you ever have the feeling that everybody's making everything up, all the time?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-ryan/do-you-ever-have-the-feeling-that-everybody-s-making-everything-up/)

[Sara Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-ryan/)

> [I go to conventions and universities and talk to young filmmakers and everybody's making a zombie movie! It's because it's easy to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/i-go-to-conventions-and-universities-and-talk-to-young-filmmakers-and/)

[George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/)

> [I think my stuff's kind of obsolete now, you know? I'm making Model Ts or something, and everybody else is making spaceships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/i-think-my-stuff-s-kind-of-obsolete-now-you-know-i-m-making-model-ts/)

[Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/)

> [The best part of breaking up... is when you're making up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-spector/the-best-part-of-breaking-up-is-when-you-re-making-up/)

[Phil Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-spector/)

> [I had spent my childhood making up adventures in my head. Then I realized when I went to acting school that there were adventures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-marchand/i-had-spent-my-childhood-making-up-adventures-in-my-head-then-i/)

[Nancy Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-marchand/)

> [I have been a journalist, off and on, since I was 17. I was a copy boy for the 'New York Times,' when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/i-have-been-a-journalist-off-and-on-since-i-was-17-i-was-a-copy-boy/)

[Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/)

> [“Baking is...Life. So when you describe what you're making, you must describe life. Do you see? It's not just recipes..”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-colgan/baking-is-life-so-when-you-describe-what-you-re-making-you-must/)

[Jenny Colgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-colgan/)

> [“By making yourself a life-long leaner you’ll keep discovering new and exciting things about yourself and others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-robins/by-making-yourself-a-life-long-leaner-you-ll-keep-discovering-new-and/)

Rachel Robins

> [“It's making life important, making a single life important, rather than having a prescription for the global ills which afflict us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bharati-mukherjee/it-s-making-life-important-making-a-single-life-important-rather-than/)

[Bharati Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bharati-mukherjee/)

> [Baking isLife. So when you describe what you're making, you must describe life. Do you see? It's not just recipes..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-colgan/baking-islife-so-when-you-describe-what-you-re-making-you-must/)

[Jenny Colgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-colgan/)

> [The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-arts-are-not-a-way-to-make-a-living-they-are-a-very-human-way-of/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [“It's the process of making-do, of the life I've lived between breakdowns and break-ups, that has made life worth living. I could not bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-santiago-baca/it-s-the-process-of-making-do-of-the-life-i-ve-lived-between/)

[Jimmy Santiago Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-santiago-baca/)

> [Learning to live what you're born with is the process, the involvement, the making of a life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-wakoski/learning-to-live-what-you-re-born-with-is-the-process-the-involvement/)

[Diane Wakoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-wakoski/)

> [I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-tell-a-lot-about-a-person-by-the-way-he-she/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/)

[Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/)

## More by Jerry Cantrell

> [Success has a lot to do with luck, but it also involves a lot of real hard work. The thing about success is you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/success-has-a-lot-to-do-with-luck-but-it-also-involves-a-lot-of-real/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [In '98, I locked myself in my house, went out of my mind and wrote 25 songs. I rarely bathed during that period of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/in-98-i-locked-myself-in-my-house-went-out-of-my-mind-and-wrote-25/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [Times change and you have to adapt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/times-change-and-you-have-to-adapt/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [I've never been a big soloist; I just put in what needs to be there. I'm more of a rhythm player who plays lead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/i-ve-never-been-a-big-soloist-i-just-put-in-what-needs-to-be-there-i/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [That's always been a dream for me, to be able to collaborate and make music with the people that inspired you to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/that-s-always-been-a-dream-for-me-to-be-able-to-collaborate-and-make/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [Bands don't last. Bands don't last forever - it's a rarity when they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/bands-don-t-last-bands-don-t-last-forever-it-s-a-rarity-when-they-do/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [To me not one thing is better than anything else, I'm completely proud of everything I've written and recorded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/to-me-not-one-thing-is-better-than-anything-else-i-m-completely-proud/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [There's not a word that describes us. We’re not alternative, metal or grunge - we’re not any of that. We’re just what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/there-s-not-a-word-that-describes-us-we-re-not-alternative-metal-or/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [Part of the healing process is sharing with other people who care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/part-of-the-healing-process-is-sharing-with-other-people-who-care/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [I can sing fine and I can play guitar fine, but put 'em together and it becomes a thoughtful effort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/i-can-sing-fine-and-i-can-play-guitar-fine-but-put-em-together-and-it/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [I didn't really know Kurt that well, but there was a guy I always admired. We didn't spend much time together, but the few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/i-didn-t-really-know-kurt-that-well-but-there-was-a-guy-i-always/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [Every record that you do man, is sooo different in every way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/every-record-that-you-do-man-is-sooo-different-in-every-way/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [One thing that you hope for when you want to be a musician is that you have that recognizable sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/one-thing-that-you-hope-for-when-you-want-to-be-a-musician-is-that/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [Every record, you've got more experiences to draw on as a writer and a musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/every-record-you-ve-got-more-experiences-to-draw-on-as-a-writer-and-a/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

> [When power ballads come back, we'll get big hair again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/when-power-ballads-come-back-we-ll-get-big-hair-again/)

[Jerry Cantrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

[Explore all 26 Jerry Cantrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/)

## More Life quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [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/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/)

[Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/)

> [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/)

[Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/)

> [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/)

[Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/)

> [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/)

Deanna L. Lawlis

> [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/)

[Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/)

> [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/)

[Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/)

> [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/)

[Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/)

[Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/)

> [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/)

[Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/)

> [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

[Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jerry Cantrell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as-i-go-along/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Life"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as-i-go-along/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/55e/jerry-cantrell-23468_life_like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as_449421.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Like everybody, I'm making up my life as I go along.” — Jerry Cantrell",
                "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": "Jerry Cantrell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-cantrell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Like everybody, I'm making up my...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as-i-go-along/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-cantrell/like-everybody-i-m-making-up-my-life-as-i-go-along/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
