--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think pandemics make us afraid of…" description: "\"I don't think pandemics make us afraid of death, I think they make us afraid of oblivion. They force us to grapple with the futility of effort. Also th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/john-green-12_afraid_i-don-t-think-pandemics-make-us-afraid-o_293798.jpg" --- # I don't think pandemics make us afraid of death, I think… ![“I don't think pandemics make us afraid of death, I think they make us afraid of oblivion. They force us to grapple with the futility of effort. Also they make us barf which isn't fun either... Wash your hands, cover your coughs, and find a way to hold in balance the futility of effort with the…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/john-green-12_afraid_i-don-t-think-pandemics-make-us-afraid-o_293798.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/john-green-12_afraid_i-don-t-think-pandemics-make-us-afraid-o_293798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d06/john-green-12_afraid_i-don-t-think-pandemics-make-us-afraid-o_293798.jpg) > “I don't think pandemics make us afraid of death, I think they make us afraid of oblivion. They force us to grapple with the futility of effort. Also they make us barf which isn't fun either... Wash your hands, cover your coughs, and find a way to hold in balance the futility of effort with the necessity to struggle.” [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. Pandemics highlight our fear of being forgotten and the seeming pointlessness of effort, yet they also demand practical health actions and a balanced struggle. **In simple terms:** Pandemics fear us of being forgotten and effort’s futility, but we must act responsibly. Key Takeaway Balance awareness with action. Themes mortality meaning health balance Mood reflective determined Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal health - community safety - mental resilience - daily routines Key Concepts existentialism public health psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you find purpose during crises? - What small habits sustain you? A Different Perspective Effort may feel futile, but small actions still matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid/) [Afraid Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-death/) [Afraid of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-death/) [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Oblivion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oblivion/) [Pandemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pandemics/) [Pandemics Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pandemics-make-2821589/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Think Pandemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-pandemics-1214234/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [As a nation, we are not good at long-term planning, and no wonder: Our political system insists that every president be allowed to appoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/as-a-nation-we-are-not-good-at-long-term-planning-and-no-wonder-our/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. 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Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [To me, man means awareness of death. I am not saying become afraid of death; that is not awareness. Just be aware of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/to-me-man-means-awareness-of-death-i-am-not-saying-become-afraid-of/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Why would you be afraid of death? It would be an inconvenience. I have a lot of undone things and it's bound to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/why-would-you-be-afraid-of-death-it-would-be-an-inconvenience-i-have/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) ## More by John Green > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. 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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 Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. 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I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. 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