--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Take not away the life you cannot give…" description: "\"Take not away the life you cannot give: For all things have an equal right to live.\" — John Dryden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b48/john-dryden-491_all-things_take-not-away-the-life-you-cannot-give-f_1295954.jpg" --- # Take not away the life you cannot give: For all things… ![“Take not away the life you cannot give: For all things have an equal right to live.” quote by John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b48/john-dryden-491_all-things_take-not-away-the-life-you-cannot-give-f_1295954.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b48/john-dryden-491_all-things_take-not-away-the-life-you-cannot-give-f_1295954.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b48/john-dryden-491_all-things_take-not-away-the-life-you-cannot-give-f_1295954.jpg) > “Take not away the life you cannot give: For all things have an equal right to live.” [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The line asserts that all beings have an equal right to existence, urging respect for life beyond personal ability to give. **In simple terms:** All life deserves equal respect. Key Takeaway Respect every living thing. Themes ethics equality life rights morality Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - activism - policy making - personal conduct Key Concepts philosophy environmental ethics humanism Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice respect for all life? - What conflicts arise when rights clash? A Different Perspective Balancing rights with resource limits is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Equal Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-right/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-things/) [Live life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-life/) [Things Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-equal-362453/) ## Related quotes > [The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen in his person and property and in their management.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-true-foundation-of-republican-government-is-the-equal-right-of/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-sawyer/whatever-you-want-in-life-other-people-are-going-to-want-it-too/) [Diane Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-sawyer/) > [Every man has an equal right to the necessaries of life even as birds and beasts have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/every-man-has-an-equal-right-to-the-necessaries-of-life-even-as-birds/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I try to explain to people that the only way to be cool is to be who you truly are, and the only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/i-try-to-explain-to-people-that-the-only-way-to-be-cool-is-to-be-who/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [“And since the portions of both the large and the small are equal in amount, in this way too all things would be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anaxagoras/and-since-the-portions-of-both-the-large-and-the-small-are-equal-in/) [Anaxagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anaxagoras/) > [“God also is truly perfect in all things, Himself equal and similar to Himself, as He is all light, and all mind, and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/god-also-is-truly-perfect-in-all-things-himself-equal-and-similar-to/) [The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-church-fathers/) > [Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-of-ockham/of-two-equivalent-theories-or-explanations-all-other-things-being/) [William of Ockham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-of-ockham/) > [Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euclid/things-which-are-equal-to-the-same-thing-are-also-equal-to-one-another/) [Euclid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euclid/) > [All things being equal, I would just rather be in charge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-things-being-equal-i-would-just-rather-be-in-charge/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All things being equal, attitude wins. 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Life is an adventure in forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/reason-to-rule-mercy-to-forgive-the-first-is-law-the-last-prerogative/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Stiff opinion, always in the wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/stiff-opinion-always-in-the-wrong/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [He with a graceful pride, While his rider every hand survey'd, Sprung loose, and flew into an escapade; Not moving forward, yet with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/he-with-a-graceful-pride-while-his-rider-every-hand-survey-d-sprung/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Men's virtues I have commended as freely as I have taxed their crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/men-s-virtues-i-have-commended-as-freely-as-i-have-taxed-their-crimes/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virtue without success is a fair picture shown by an ill light; but lucky men are favorites of heaven; all own the chief, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virtue-without-success-is-a-fair-picture-shown-by-an-ill-light-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/zeal-the-blind-conductor-of-the-will/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“Night came, but unattended with repose. Alone she came, no sleep their eyes to close. Alone and black she came; no friendly stars arose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/night-came-but-unattended-with-repose-alone-she-came-no-sleep-their/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) [Explore all 520 John Dryden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More All things quotes > [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/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... 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That's my motto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bretton/moderation-honey-in-all-things-but-love-and-chocolate-that-s-my-motto/) [Barbara Bretton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bretton/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. 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