--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because there is no glory in illness…" description: "\"Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.\" — John Green" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg" --- # Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning… ![“Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg) > “Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Illness lacks glory, meaning, or honor; it is merely suffering. **In simple terms:** Illness is not noble. Key Takeaway Accept suffering without romanticizing. Themes health existence philosophy Mood somber contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - medical ethics - palliative care - personal reflection Key Concepts mortality human condition Questions to Reflect On - How can we find purpose amid illness? - What gives meaning beyond health? A Different Perspective May dismiss coping mechanisms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Glory Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory-illness-2909610/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Honor Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor-dying-791394/) [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Illness Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness-meaning-2368272/) ## Related quotes > [“There is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-is-no-glory-in-illness-there-is-no-meaning-to-it-there-is-no/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Nobody biting it from the plague or smallpox or yellow fever or whatever, because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nobody-biting-it-from-the-plague-or-smallpox-or-yellow-fever-or/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you were to go, and hopefully someday you will, you would see a lot of paintings of dead people. You'd see Jesus on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-you-were-to-go-and-hopefully-someday-you-will-you-would-see-a-lot/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Meaninglessnes s inhibits fullness of life and is therefore the equivalent to illness. Meaning makes a great many things endurable--perh aps everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/meaninglessnes-s-inhibits-fullness-of-life-and-is-therefore-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [“Meaninglessness inhibits fullness of life and is therefore equivalent to illness. Meaning makes a great many things endurable-perhaps everything."-Memories, Dreams, Reflections”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung-2/meaninglessness-inhibits-fullness-of-life-and-is-therefore-equivalent/) [C. G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung-2/) > [“Nostalgia is a side effect of cancer," I told him. "Nah, nostalgia is a side effect of dying," he answered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nostalgia-is-a-side-effect-of-cancer-i-told-him-nah-nostalgia-is-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Throughout the book, she refers to herself as "the side effect," which is just totally correct. Cancer kids are essentially side effects of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/throughout-the-book-she-refers-to-herself-as-the-side-effect-which-is/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“What am I at war with? My cancer. And what is my cancer? My cancer is me. The tumors are made of me. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-am-i-at-war-with-my-cancer-and-what-is-my-cancer-my-cancer-is-me/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [That smile could end wars and cure cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/that-smile-could-end-wars-and-cure-cancer/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I told Augustus the broad outline of my miracle: diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer when I was thirteen. (I didn’t tell him that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-told-augustus-the-broad-outline-of-my-miracle-diagnosed-with-stage/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Isaac out of surgery. It went well. He's officially NEC. NEC meant "no evidence of cancer." A second text came a few seconds later.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/isaac-out-of-surgery-it-went-well-he-s-officially-nec-nec-meant-no/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Don't tell me you're one of those people who becomes their disease. I know so many people like that disheartening. Like, cancer is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/don-t-tell-me-you-re-one-of-those-people-who-becomes-their-disease-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Augustus asked if I wanted to go with him to Support Group, but I was really tired from my busy day of Having Cancer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/augustus-asked-if-i-wanted-to-go-with-him-to-support-group-but-i-was/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm just reveling in the glory of not having to hear the neediness and impotence of my own voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-just-reveling-in-the-glory-of-not-having-to-hear-the-neediness/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [To go to hospitals and see people fight and overcome cystic fibrosis or cancer or any number of illnesses is to see courage that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/to-go-to-hospitals-and-see-people-fight-and-overcome-cystic-fibrosis/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I just want to stay away from people and read books and think”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-just-want-to-stay-away-from-people-and-read-books-and-think/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She smiled with all the delight of a kid on Christmas morning and said, "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Traffic's not too bad on Sheridan, and I'm cornering the car like it's the Indy 500, and we're listening to my favorite NMH song,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/traffic-s-not-too-bad-on-sheridan-and-i-m-cornering-the-car-like-it-s/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So I was ugly. I was never fat, really, and I never wore headgear or had zits or anything. But I was ugly. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/imagining-the-future-is-a-kind-of-nostalgia-you-spend-your-whole-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) [Explore all 3,614 John Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More Cancer quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [If one truly has lost hope, one would not be on hand to say so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/if-one-truly-has-lost-hope-one-would-not-be-on-hand-to-say-so/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Historically, more people have died of religion than cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-francis/historically-more-people-have-died-of-religion-than-cancer/) [Dick Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-francis/) > [“Our kind of love can go into remission, but it's always waiting to return. Like the world sweetest cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/our-kind-of-love-can-go-into-remission-but-it-s-always-waiting-to/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Bollywood is a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-banerjee/bollywood-is-a-cancer/) [Victor Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-banerjee/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [When people go get chemo, they're not injecting themselves with will - I have lost various loved ones to cancer, and I certainly don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall/when-people-go-get-chemo-they-re-not-injecting-themselves-with-will-i/) [Michael C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall/) > [“the doctor hesitated before breaking the news to her. "those aren't stars. it's cancer." - forty years a smoker”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lovelace/the-doctor-hesitated-before-breaking-the-news-to-her-those-aren-t/) [Amanda Lovelace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-lovelace/) > [I loved you to the moon and back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/i-loved-you-to-the-moon-and-back/) [Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) [Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/) > [I would do away with super PACs. I think it's a cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-conrad/i-would-do-away-with-super-pacs-i-think-it-s-a-cancer/) [Kent Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-conrad/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/) [Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) [Browse all 3,177 Cancer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-there-is-no-meaning-to-it-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cancer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-there-is-no-meaning-to-it-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/john-green-12_cancer_because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-the_1915339.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because there is no glory in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-there-is-no-meaning-to-it-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/because-there-is-no-glory-in-illness-there-is-no-meaning-to-it-there/#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 } } ] } ```