--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Esther was uncommon not because she was…" description: "\"“Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because she was Esther, and she did not exist so that the rest of us could learn Important Lessons ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg" --- # Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because… ![“Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because she was Esther, and she did not exist so that the rest of us could learn Important Lessons about Life.The meaning of her life-likethe meaning of any life- is a maddeningly ambiguous question shrouded in uncertainty” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg) > ““Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because she was Esther, and she did not exist so that the rest of us could learn Important Lessons about Life.The meaning of her life-likethe meaning of any life- is a maddeningly ambiguous question shrouded in uncertainty”” [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. The passage reflects on Esther’s uniqueness, emphasizing that her significance lies in being herself, and questions the ambiguous purpose of life. **In simple terms:** Esther’s value is in being herself; life’s meaning is unclear. Key Takeaway Embrace individuality, accept life’s mystery. Themes identity existence meaning Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - teaching moments - writing prompts Key Concepts philosophy literature Questions to Reflect On - What does “being Esther” mean to you? - How do you cope with life’s ambiguity? A Different Perspective Interpretations may vary widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Esther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esther/) ## Related quotes > [“Esther did not rely on her own strength. She called on God, and she asked others to mobilize prayer on her behalf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lee-grady/esther-did-not-rely-on-her-own-strength-she-called-on-god-and-she/) [J. Lee Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lee-grady/) > [In these pages, and in my memories, she reminds me that a short life can also be a good and rich life, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/in-these-pages-and-in-my-memories-she-reminds-me-that-a-short-life/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Esther Rantzen, like me, is an egomaniac of the highest order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-street-porter/esther-rantzen-like-me-is-an-egomaniac-of-the-highest-order/) [Janet Street-Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-street-porter/) > [“This is God's beauty! The Elegant nature of Esther, The Meek nature of Moses, The Pius nature of Paul, The Passionate nature of Peter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/this-is-god-s-beauty-the-elegant-nature-of-esther-the-meek-nature-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Don’t you touch her,’ threatened Esther, ‘or I’ll claw your face off.’ Steven turned away from Abigail and eyed Esther instead. ‘I’d like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-croxall/don-t-you-touch-her-threatened-esther-or-i-ll-claw-your-face-off/) [Jack Croxall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-croxall/) > [“Promise me something,' she said. 'I'll promise you anything I can without lying to you again.' Pearl nodded. 'If magic really does exist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-t-rzs/promise-me-something-she-said-i-ll-promise-you-anything-i-can-without/) [Emma Törzs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-t-rzs/) > [“All of those different strands, the hard and the sweet, were being used in the unfolding of this extraordinary moment: Amestris offering peace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-afshar/all-of-those-different-strands-the-hard-and-the-sweet-were-being-used/) [Tessa Afshar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-afshar/) > [“Esther's voice softened. 'Please, we're begging you ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-croxall/esther-s-voice-softened-please-we-re-begging-you/) [Jack Croxall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-croxall/) > [“There was a truth there. A wound just like she said. One that ran deep across the soul and stung the air as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-stanfield/there-was-a-truth-there-a-wound-just-like-she-said-one-that-ran-deep/) Christopher Stanfield > [“What's going on here?" Miles demanded, pushing his way past the last of the stampeding throng. "And why is Santa worshiping that elf?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-resnick/what-s-going-on-here-miles-demanded-pushing-his-way-past-the-last-of/) [Laura Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-resnick/) > [Are you really going to catch us and take us back to Esther? We don’t belong to her, you know.” Embarrassed, Victor stared at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/are-you-really-going-to-catch-us-and-take-us-back-to-esther-we-don-t/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“The young woman almost lost control of the emotions that flooded her. "...I'm terrified of the king!" "Why," Esther asked trying to encourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-n-wallace/the-young-woman-almost-lost-control-of-the-emotions-that-flooded-her/) Bethany N. Wallace > [I never saw Esther as scary and was never afraid of her either. Esther's dream is to find love and a perfect family that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-fuhrman/i-never-saw-esther-as-scary-and-was-never-afraid-of-her-either-esther/) [Isabelle Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-fuhrman/) > [Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/life-is-not-a-straight-line-leading-from-one-blessing-to-the-next-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Esther be the one that shoots a machine gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-top-21087/esther-be-the-one-that-shoots-a-machine-gun/) ZZ Top ## 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 Esther quotes > [Esther be the one that shoots a machine gun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zz-top-21087/esther-be-the-one-that-shoots-a-machine-gun/) ZZ Top > [Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/life-is-not-a-straight-line-leading-from-one-blessing-to-the-next-and/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [I never saw Esther as scary and was never afraid of her either. Esther's dream is to find love and a perfect family that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-fuhrman/i-never-saw-esther-as-scary-and-was-never-afraid-of-her-either-esther/) [Isabelle Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-fuhrman/) > [“The young woman almost lost control of the emotions that flooded her. "...I'm terrified of the king!" "Why," Esther asked trying to encourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-n-wallace/the-young-woman-almost-lost-control-of-the-emotions-that-flooded-her/) Bethany N. Wallace > [Are you really going to catch us and take us back to Esther? We don’t belong to her, you know.” Embarrassed, Victor stared at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/are-you-really-going-to-catch-us-and-take-us-back-to-esther-we-don-t/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [“What's going on here?" Miles demanded, pushing his way past the last of the stampeding throng. "And why is Santa worshiping that elf?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-resnick/what-s-going-on-here-miles-demanded-pushing-his-way-past-the-last-of/) [Laura Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-resnick/) > [“There was a truth there. A wound just like she said. One that ran deep across the soul and stung the air as well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-stanfield/there-was-a-truth-there-a-wound-just-like-she-said-one-that-ran-deep/) Christopher Stanfield > [“Esther's voice softened. 'Please, we're begging you ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-croxall/esther-s-voice-softened-please-we-re-begging-you/) [Jack Croxall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-croxall/) > [“All of those different strands, the hard and the sweet, were being used in the unfolding of this extraordinary moment: Amestris offering peace to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-afshar/all-of-those-different-strands-the-hard-and-the-sweet-were-being-used/) [Tessa Afshar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-afshar/) > [“Promise me something,' she said. 'I'll promise you anything I can without lying to you again.' Pearl nodded. 'If magic really does exist, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-t-rzs/promise-me-something-she-said-i-ll-promise-you-anything-i-can-without/) [Emma Törzs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-t-rzs/) > [“Don’t you touch her,’ threatened Esther, ‘or I’ll claw your face off.’ Steven turned away from Abigail and eyed Esther instead. ‘I’d like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-croxall/don-t-you-touch-her-threatened-esther-or-i-ll-claw-your-face-off/) [Jack Croxall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-croxall/) > [“This is God's beauty! The Elegant nature of Esther, The Meek nature of Moses, The Pius nature of Paul, The Passionate nature of Peter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/this-is-god-s-beauty-the-elegant-nature-of-esther-the-meek-nature-of/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Esther Rantzen, like me, is an egomaniac of the highest order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-street-porter/esther-rantzen-like-me-is-an-egomaniac-of-the-highest-order/) [Janet Street-Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-street-porter/) > [“In the world of my imagination, Esther was still my companion, and her love gave me the strength to go forward and explore all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/in-the-world-of-my-imagination-esther-was-still-my-companion-and-her/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“There's one thing I don't want you to forget,' she said to Pearl. 'Even with your concussion. I don't want you to forget that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-t-rzs/there-s-one-thing-i-don-t-want-you-to-forget-she-said-to-pearl-even/) [Emma Törzs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-t-rzs/) [Browse all 64 Esther quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esther/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because she was Esther, and she did not exist so that the rest of us could learn Important Lessons about Life.The meaning of her life-likethe meaning of any life- is a maddeningly ambiguous question shrouded in uncertainty”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was-sick-but-because-she-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Esther" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was-sick-but-because-she-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fae/john-green-12_esther_esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was_2388140.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Esther was uncommon not because she was sick but because she was Esther, and she did not exist so that the…” — 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": "“Esther was uncommon not because she...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was-sick-but-because-she-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/esther-was-uncommon-not-because-she-was-sick-but-because-she-was/#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 } } ] } ```