---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't make a date in death's dateless…"
description: "\"“You can't make a date in death's dateless night.”\" — Joe Haldeman"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg"
---

#  You can't make a date in death's dateless night.

![“You can't make a date in death's dateless night.” quote by Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg)

> ““You can't make a date in death's dateless night.””

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

## 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 and timeless, making any attempt to schedule it futile.

**In simple terms:** You can't schedule death.

Key Takeaway

Accept life's unpredictability.

Themes

mortality time inevitability

Mood

thoughtful somber

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- life planning
- grief counseling
- spiritual practice

Key Concepts

philosophy existentialism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this say about how you value time?
- How can you live more presently?

A Different Perspective

Focusing on dates may distract from living fully.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/)

## Related quotes

> [For precious friends hid in death's dateless night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-precious-friends-hid-in-death-s-dateless-night/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [When you have kids, it can be hard sometimes because you've got to find creative ways to spend time with each other. So with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-james-decker/when-you-have-kids-it-can-be-hard-sometimes-because-you-ve-got-to/)

[Jessie James Decker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-james-decker/)

> [You can't make a date with enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/you-can-t-make-a-date-with-enlightenment/)

[Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/)

> [The best thing a man can do on a first date is be a friend. I think that's the biggest mistake men make on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-bailon/the-best-thing-a-man-can-do-on-a-first-date-is-be-a-friend-i-think/)

[Adrienne Bailon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-bailon/)

> [“Excuse me? Tonight you represent every dateless woman in this city, every woman who's about to sit down to a lonely meal of Weight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/excuse-me-tonight-you-represent-every-dateless-woman-in-this-city/)

[Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/)

> [New Rule: You're never going to pick up women at a coffee shop pretending to be working on your laptop. You don't look like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-you-re-never-going-to-pick-up-women-at-a-coffee-shop/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [“If he only knew how often she and Eileen had discussed the benefits of Netflix on dateless weekend nights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-billerbeck/if-he-only-knew-how-often-she-and-eileen-had-discussed-the-benefits/)

[Kristin Billerbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-billerbeck/)

> [“Susan Alexie died of tuberculosis on August 30, 1945. I don't know why the exact date of her death is not on her gravestone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/susan-alexie-died-of-tuberculosis-on-august-30-1945-i-don-t-know-why/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Sometimes I went and looked at my grave. The stone was up already. It was a simple Latin cross, white. I wanted to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/sometimes-i-went-and-looked-at-my-grave-the-stone-was-up-already-it/)

[Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/)

> [“What will be left of all the fearing and wanting associated with your problematic life situation that every day takes up most of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/what-will-be-left-of-all-the-fearing-and-wanting-associated-with-your/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [We live on the dash between our birth date and our death date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/we-live-on-the-dash-between-our-birth-date-and-our-death-date/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [We all know our dates of birth but . . . every year there is another date that we pass over without knowing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/we-all-know-our-dates-of-birth-but-every-year-there-is-another-date/)

[Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/)

> [What will be left of all the fearing and wanting associated with your problematic life situation that every day takes up most of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/what-will-be-left-of-all-the-fearing-and-wanting-associated-with-your-2/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [Our lives consist of two numbers: date of birth and date of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javad-alizadeh/our-lives-consist-of-two-numbers-date-of-birth-and-date-of-death/)

[Javad Alizadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javad-alizadeh/)

> [I am not sure of anything, I know nothing . . . can you imagine that I don't even know the date of my own death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-am-not-sure-of-anything-i-know-nothing-can-you-imagine-that-i-don-t/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

## More by Joe Haldeman

> [“-I die. Before I die my body turns hair-side-in. People come from everywhere to see the insides of themselves. But the sight makes them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/i-die-before-i-die-my-body-turns-hair-side-in-people-come-from/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“love was an unstable reaction with a half-life of about eight months. Bullshit, I said, and accused him of wearing cultural blinders; thirty centuries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/love-was-an-unstable-reaction-with-a-half-life-of-about-eight-months/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“It was the cat, who had the usual talent for hiding from people who like cats and cleaving unto those who have sinus trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/it-was-the-cat-who-had-the-usual-talent-for-hiding-from-people-who/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“I die. I breathe in and breahe in and cannot exhale. I explode all over my friends. They forget my name and pretend it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/i-die-i-breathe-in-and-breahe-in-and-cannot-exhale-i-explode-all-over/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [All experience is memory, and so everything you write about is from memory-unless you're writing about typing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/all-experience-is-memory-and-so-everything-you-write-about-is-from/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [Relativity propped it up, at least gave it the illusion of being there…the way all reality becomes illusory and observer-oriented when you study general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/relativity-propped-it-up-at-least-gave-it-the-illusion-of-being-there/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“I die. O my hair falls out and my flesh rots and my bones are cracked by the hungry ta!a'an. He drops me behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/i-die-o-my-hair-falls-out-and-my-flesh-rots-and-my-bones-are-cracked/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“He's asleep in the harbor, disguised as dog shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/he-s-asleep-in-the-harbor-disguised-as-dog-shit/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“all reality becomes illusory and observer-oriented when you study general relativity. Or Buddhism. Or get drafted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/all-reality-becomes-illusory-and-observer-oriented-when-you-study/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“We're headed for Aleph-7. Panty raid." New slang term for the type of operation whose main object was to gather Tauran artifacts, and prisoners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/we-re-headed-for-aleph-7-panty-raid-new-slang-term-for-the-type-of/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [Big money seeks out the company of its own, for purposes of reproduction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/big-money-seeks-out-the-company-of-its-own-for-purposes-of/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“On Earth, we’d just use glue, but here the only fluid was helium, which has lots of interesting properties, but is definitely not sticky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/on-earth-we-d-just-use-glue-but-here-the-only-fluid-was-helium-which/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“... then unleashed Stargate's 18 sex-starved men on our women, compliant and promiscuous by military custom and law...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/then-unleashed-stargate-s-18-sex-starved-men-on-our-women-compliant/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“He had a moustache-and-beard combination that looked like a skinny white caterpillar taking a lap around his mouth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/he-had-a-moustache-and-beard-combination-that-looked-like-a-skinny/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

> [“Politicians cover their mistakes with money; cooks cover their mistakes with mayonnaise; doctors cover theirs with dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/politicians-cover-their-mistakes-with-money-cooks-cover-their/)

[Joe Haldeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

[Explore all 56 Joe Haldeman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/)

## More Date quotes

> [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/)

[Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/)

> [I once went on a date where the girl drove and so couldn't drink. I was nervous, so drank quite a bit - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-smith/i-once-went-on-a-date-where-the-girl-drove-and-so-couldn-t-drink-i/)

[Dan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-smith/)

> [Serial dating: It's not just for breakfast anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-s/serial-dating-it-s-not-just-for-breakfast-anymore/)

[Laura S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-s/)

> [I was a serious competitive figure skater and still ice-skate as much as I can. Anyway, I once brought a date to the rink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/i-was-a-serious-competitive-figure-skater-and-still-ice-skate-as-much/)

[Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/)

> [I heard recently that I used to date Patrick Swayze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/i-heard-recently-that-i-used-to-date-patrick-swayze/)

[Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/)

> [“It’s been so many years since I actually had a date that I’ve forgotten how to act. You don’t mention your ex when you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlet-blackwell/it-s-been-so-many-years-since-i-actually-had-a-date-that-i-ve/)

Scarlet Blackwell

> [I've never asked a girl out in my life, they have to ask me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-ve-never-asked-a-girl-out-in-my-life-they-have-to-ask-me/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [If we date, you should be aware that I have priorities. You may or may not be one of them. Only time will tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-we-date-you-should-be-aware-that-i-have-priorities-you-may-or-may/)

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

> [All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-that-is-not-eternal-is-eternally-out-of-date/)

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

> [I'm not allowed to date. My dad said so. Not until I'm, like, 90.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-hogan/i-m-not-allowed-to-date-my-dad-said-so-not-until-i-m-like-90/)

[Brooke Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-hogan/)

> [All men that date me have to know that their name may end up in a pop song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/all-men-that-date-me-have-to-know-that-their-name-may-end-up-in-a-pop/)

[Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/)

> [Obviously, in my past, I had a quite wild relationship with Pamela Anderson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-michaels/obviously-in-my-past-i-had-a-quite-wild-relationship-with-pamela/)

[Bret Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-michaels/)

> [Any online dating profile is about making us more human, more three-dimensional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-hussey/any-online-dating-profile-is-about-making-us-more-human-more-three/)

[Matthew Hussey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-hussey/)

> [“I'm not here to grant you the extraordinary love you never had for yourself. I'm here, on my own accord, to love you. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/i-m-not-here-to-grant-you-the-extraordinary-love-you-never-had-for/)

[Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/)

> [It's not like I'm gonna marry the guy; I'm just going on a date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrina-patridge/it-s-not-like-i-m-gonna-marry-the-guy-i-m-just-going-on-a-date/)

[Audrina Patridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrina-patridge/)

Browse all 1,620 Date quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“You can't make a date in death's dateless night.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Joe Haldeman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateless-night/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Date"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateless-night/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/joe-haldeman-12112_date_you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateles_2861780.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You can't make a date in death's dateless night.” — Joe Haldeman",
                "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": "Joe Haldeman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-haldeman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“You can't make a date in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateless-night/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-haldeman/you-can-t-make-a-date-in-death-s-dateless-night/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
