--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wonder if everybody could be…" description: "\"“I wonder if everybody could be remembered. Life, if we got organized, and assigned a certain number of corpses to each living person, would there be e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/john-green-12_dead-people_i-wonder-if-everybody-could-be-remembere_1006066.jpg" --- # I wonder if everybody could be remembered. Life, if we got… ![“I wonder if everybody could be remembered. Life, if we got organized, and assigned a certain number of corpses to each living person, would there be enough living people to remember all the dead people?" "And are there?" "Sure, anyone can name fourteen dead people. But we're disorganized mourners…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/john-green-12_dead-people_i-wonder-if-everybody-could-be-remembere_1006066.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/john-green-12_dead-people_i-wonder-if-everybody-could-be-remembere_1006066.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/john-green-12_dead-people_i-wonder-if-everybody-could-be-remembere_1006066.jpg) > ““I wonder if everybody could be remembered. Life, if we got organized, and assigned a certain number of corpses to each living person, would there be enough living people to remember all the dead people?" "And are there?" "Sure, anyone can name fourteen dead people. But we're disorganized mourners, so a lot of people end up remembering Shakespeare, and no one ends up remembering the person he wrote Sonnet Fifty-five about.”” [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 quote reflects on how humanity’s chaotic remembrance of the dead leaves many forgotten, suggesting organized memory could preserve all lives. **In simple terms:** We forget many dead because we’re disorganized in remembering. Key Takeaway Create systems to honor every individual. Themes memory legacy humanity mortality Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical contemplative When to use this quote - family histories - public memorials - digital archives - educational curricula Key Concepts collective remembrance historical recordkeeping Questions to Reflect On - How could we realistically remember everyone? - What values guide who we choose to remember? A Different Perspective Organizing memory is complex and may be impractical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Remembering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembering/) ## Related quotes > [I did some research on this a couple years ago," Augustus continued. "I was wondering if everybody could be remembered. Like, if we got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-did-some-research-on-this-a-couple-years-ago-augustus-continued-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“remembered. Like, if we got organized, and assigned a certain number of corpses to each living person, would there be enough living people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/remembered-like-if-we-got-organized-and-assigned-a-certain-number-of/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Sure, anyone can name fourteen dead people. But we're disorganized mourners, so a lot of people end up remembering Shakespeare, and no one ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/sure-anyone-can-name-fourteen-dead-people-but-we-re-disorganized/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“But we’re disorganized mourners, so a lot of people end up remembering Shakespeare, and no one ends up remembering the person he wrote Sonnet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-we-re-disorganized-mourners-so-a-lot-of-people-end-up-remembering/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I tried to imagine him capital-S Somewhere as we prayed, but even then I could not quite convince myself that he and I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-tried-to-imagine-him-capital-s-somewhere-as-we-prayed-but-even-then/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I knew that I would know more dead people. The bodies pile up. Could there be a space in my memory for each of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-knew-that-i-would-know-more-dead-people-the-bodies-pile-up-could/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The world contains a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-world-contains-a-lot-of-dead-people/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“It was a long list. The world contains a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-was-a-long-list-the-world-contains-a-lot-of-dead-people/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The thing about dead people... The thing is you sound like a bastard if you don't romanticize them, but the truth is... complicated, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-thing-about-dead-people-the-thing-is-you-sound-like-a-bastard-if/) [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/) > [“If you go to the Rijksmuseum, which I really wanted to do- but who are we kidding, neither of us can walk through a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/if-you-go-to-the-rijksmuseum-which-i-really-wanted-to-do-but-who-are/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The thing about dead people,” he said, and then stopped himself. “The thing is you sound like a bastard if you don’t romanticize them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-thing-about-dead-people-he-said-and-then-stopped-himself-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [She cannot possibly be dead, people do not just die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-cannot-possibly-be-dead-people-do-not-just-die/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“I cannot stop thinking that she is dead, and I cannot stop thinking that she cannot possibly be dead. People do not just die.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-cannot-stop-thinking-that-she-is-dead-and-i-cannot-stop-thinking/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [ “Eventually they \[Sarunas Marciulionis and Don Nelson\] got a call from a representative of the Grateful Dead, whose members had been inspired by Lithuania's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mccallum/eventually-they-sarunas-marciulionis-and-don-nelson-got-a-call-from-a/) [Jack McCallum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mccallum/) ## 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 Dead people quotes > [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [“I heard you in the other room asking your mother, 'Mama, am I a Palestinian?' When she answered 'Yes' a heavy silence fell on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghassan-kanafani/i-heard-you-in-the-other-room-asking-your-mother-mama-am-i-a/) [Ghassan Kanafani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghassan-kanafani/) > [“Well, I don't know, Lina. But let's just say I've met a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/well-i-don-t-know-lina-but-let-s-just-say-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-dead/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [Of course I want to kill you," said Skulduggery. "I want to kill most people. But then where would I be? In a field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/of-course-i-want-to-kill-you-said-skulduggery-i-want-to-kill-most/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“A body can't be too partic'lar how they talk 'bout these-yer dead people, Tom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-body-can-t-be-too-partic-lar-how-they-talk-bout-these-yer-dead/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The only thing that can be expected from the next US president is more war, more murder, and more oppression of the gullible American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-only-thing-that-can-be-expected-from-the-next-us-president-is/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [“The letter said that they were two feet high, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their suction cups were on the ground, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-letter-said-that-they-were-two-feet-high-and-green-and-shaped/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“When those who name dead people have gone, there just remains the calmness of foreign cemeteries, in which nothing appears familiar and nothing frightens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-loriga/when-those-who-name-dead-people-have-gone-there-just-remains-the/) [Ray Loriga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-loriga/) > [You totally need to watch the news." "Can't." "Why?" "It's too depressing." "Right, because hanging with dead people isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/you-totally-need-to-watch-the-news-can-t-why-it-s-too-depressing/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [“she was opposed to books on strict moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/she-was-opposed-to-books-on-strict-moral-grounds-since-she-had-heard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [One thing about dead people, they're all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-starkweather/one-thing-about-dead-people-they-re-all-the-same/) [Charles Starkweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-starkweather/) > [I should write a book. I've always wanted to write a book. I should write a book about kids who see dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-noory/i-should-write-a-book-i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-i-should/) [George Noory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-noory/) > [Dolls are like small dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/dolls-are-like-small-dead-people/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) [Browse all 339 Dead people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I wonder if everybody could be remembered. Life, if we got organized, and assigned a certain number of corpses to each living person, would there be enough living people to remember all the dead people?\" \"And are there?\" \"Sure, anyone can name fourteen dead people. 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