--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's as if we spend our entire lives…" description: "\"It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but it is always there at the end, waiting.\" — John Grisham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg" --- # It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but… ![“It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but it is always there at the end, waiting.” quote by John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg) > “It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but it is always there at the end, waiting.” [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s inevitable end is often overlooked while we avoid minor anxieties, yet the conclusion remains constant. **In simple terms:** Avoiding small fears, end stays. Key Takeaway Accept life’s end to reduce trivial worries. Themes mortality avoidance humor Mood contemplative lighthearted Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - health decisions - risk assessment - legacy planning Key Concepts existentialism psychology life’s finitude Questions to Reflect On - What minor anxieties distract you from larger truths? - How can you use this perspective to live more fully? A Different Perspective Focusing on death can cause anxiety; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Avoiding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding/) [Avoiding Jell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding-jell-3282890/) [End Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-waiting-480037/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Jell End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jell-end-3282892/) [Lives Avoiding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-avoiding-3282891/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [“Everyone is terrified of death, as we spend our whole lives avoiding it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-zygmunt/everyone-is-terrified-of-death-as-we-spend-our-whole-lives-avoiding-it/) [Kelly Zygmunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-zygmunt/) > [“Patience Is Not the Ability to Wait: Patience is not the ability to wait. Patience is to be calm no matter what happens, constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/patience-is-not-the-ability-to-wait-patience-is-not-the-ability-to/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [Each beginning is the end of a waiting. We are each given exactly one chance to be. Each of us is both impossible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hope-jahren/each-beginning-is-the-end-of-a-waiting-we-are-each-given-exactly-one/) [Hope Jahren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hope-jahren/) > [The only reason I dont end it all is because I keep waiting for it to get better, to make friends, and be prettier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-reason-i-dont-end-it-all-is-because-i-keep-waiting-for-it-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People who wait for the right moment end up waiting forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-bridges/people-who-wait-for-the-right-moment-end-up-waiting-forever/) [Chloe Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-bridges/) > [“Remember it is your choice; you can either wait for someone or end someone’s waiting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/remember-it-is-your-choice-you-can-either-wait-for-someone-or-end/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [I can't give up that quick My life is a candle and a wick You can put it out, but you can't break it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/i-can-t-give-up-that-quick-my-life-is-a-candle-and-a-wick-you-can-put/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [“would not sit waiting for some vague tomorrow, nor for something tohappen. One could wait a lifetime, and find nothing at the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/would-not-sit-waiting-for-some-vague-tomorrow-nor-for-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything has an end; Fri-end Boyfri-end Girlfri-end But at the end you will see who was waiting for the end to start .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jannnethh/everything-has-an-end-fri-end-boyfri-end-girlfri-end-but-at-the-end/) [Jannnethh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jannnethh/) > [“Waiting for the end, boys, waiting for the end. What is there to be or do? What's become of me or you? Are we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-empson/waiting-for-the-end-boys-waiting-for-the-end-what-is-there-to-be-or/) [William Empson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-empson/) > [I would not sit waiting for some vague tomorrow, nor for something to happen. One could wait a lifetime, and find nothing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/i-would-not-sit-waiting-for-some-vague-tomorrow-nor-for-something-to/) [Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/) > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More by John Grisham > [“Do you read them? Faulkner, Hemingway, Fitzgerald?" "Only if I have to. I try to avoid old dead white men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/do-you-read-them-faulkner-hemingway-fitzgerald-only-if-i-have-to-i/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“Cuando duermes, engañas al sistema. El tiempo del sueño te pertenece a ti y no al Estado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/cuando-duermes-enga-as-al-sistema-el-tiempo-del-sue-o-te-pertenece-a/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“The Senator did not know who owned the jet, nor had he ever met Mr. Trudeau, which in most cultures would seem odd since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/the-senator-did-not-know-who-owned-the-jet-nor-had-he-ever-met-mr/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“What kind of name is Siler-Spence? I mean, what's wrong with these women who use hyphens? What if her name was Skowinski and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/what-kind-of-name-is-siler-spence-i-mean-what-s-wrong-with-these/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“In that case, the truck driver took the stand, swore to tell the truth, then lied for three hours. He said Gretchen crossed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-that-case-the-truck-driver-took-the-stand-swore-to-tell-the-truth/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [I'm being followed so much I'm causing traffic jams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/i-m-being-followed-so-much-i-m-causing-traffic-jams/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Quite often I can be in a bookshop, standing beneath a great big picture of myself and paying for a book with a credit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/quite-often-i-can-be-in-a-bookshop-standing-beneath-a-great-big/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Reading is by far the most successful pursuit of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/reading-is-by-far-the-most-successful-pursuit-of-happiness/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“We were invincible because we were eighteen and stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/we-were-invincible-because-we-were-eighteen-and-stupid/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“One good thing about jail is that it allows you to think a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/one-good-thing-about-jail-is-that-it-allows-you-to-think-a-lot/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [In my case, once you sell a lot of books and you are labeled a bestselling author, the serious critics are never gonna say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-my-case-once-you-sell-a-lot-of-books-and-you-are-labeled-a/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Twenty years on, the books are still fun to write and I've still got lots of stories I want to tell, mainly about social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/twenty-years-on-the-books-are-still-fun-to-write-and-i-ve-still-got/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [Sometimes I can tackle an issue -homelessness, tobacco litigation, insurance fraud, the death penalty - and wrap a good story around it. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/sometimes-i-can-tackle-an-issue-homelessness-tobacco-litigation/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“So why do these guys hate your guts?” “Because they believe strip-mining is a good thing. It provides jobs, and there are few jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/so-why-do-these-guys-hate-your-guts-because-they-believe-strip-mining/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“In little pockets of conversation, old men were telling stories of ancient floods. Women were talking of about how much rain there'd been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/in-little-pockets-of-conversation-old-men-were-telling-stories-of/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) [Explore all 316 John Grisham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) ## More Avoiding quotes > [Because after you've crossed some lines, you just keep crossing them. And there's no escaping from constant escape. Distracting ourselves. Avoiding confrontation. Getting past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/because-after-you-ve-crossed-some-lines-you-just-keep-crossing-them/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [I've always been a very restless person. I work hard, spend too much time looking after my son, I dance like a mad thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-ve-always-been-a-very-restless-person-i-work-hard-spend-too-much/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/) [Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/) > [I know a bit about taxation and the remarkable effort that goes in to avoiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/i-know-a-bit-about-taxation-and-the-remarkable-effort-that-goes-in-to/) [Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/) > [When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-odent/when-you-are-in-hard-labor-remember-that-the-length-of-labor-is/) [Michel Odent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-odent/) > [I don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-briggs/i-don-t-believe-in-happy-endings-children-have-got-to-face-death/) [Raymond Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-briggs/) > [Resisting and avoiding pain sucks energy-and time. The more you let yourself feel those minute-and-a-half hells, the quicker you'll start feeling those minute-and-a-half happinesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-newman/resisting-and-avoiding-pain-sucks-energy-and-time-the-more-you-let/) [Leigh Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-newman/) > [Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-helps/reading-is-sometimes-an-ingenious-device-for-avoiding-thought/) [Arthur Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-helps/) > [A day can really slip by when you're deliberately avoiding what you're supposed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/a-day-can-really-slip-by-when-you-re-deliberately-avoiding-what-you/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [When someone starts Ignoring you, just back off without staying there with them Just to know the reason for avoiding..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishak/when-someone-starts-ignoring-you-just-back-off-without-staying-there/) [Vishak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishak/) > [You know what takes effort? Being kind, being patient, being respectful, telling someone how you feel politely instead of just avoiding them for six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-tapper/you-know-what-takes-effort-being-kind-being-patient-being-respectful/) [Jake Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-tapper/) > [It's all about being flexible, and avoiding choices whenever possible. Choices suck, they are inherently limiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-armstrong/it-s-all-about-being-flexible-and-avoiding-choices-whenever-possible/) [Craig Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-armstrong/) > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) [Browse all 713 Avoiding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avoiding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but it is always there at the end, waiting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Grisham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avoiding-jell-o-but-it-is-always/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Avoiding" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avoiding-jell-o-but-it-is-always/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/john-grisham-974_avoiding_it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avo_1967373.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's as if we spend our entire lives avoiding Jell-O but it is always there at the end, waiting.” — John Grisham", "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 Grisham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's as if we spend our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avoiding-jell-o-but-it-is-always/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/it-s-as-if-we-spend-our-entire-lives-avoiding-jell-o-but-it-is-always/#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 } } ] } ```