--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, there's a responsibility in…" description: "\"“You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. It's more than just taking up space where air would be.”\" — John Steinbeck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/john-steinbeck-71_person_you-see-there-s-a-responsibility-in-bein_2697600.jpg" --- # You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. It's… ![“You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. It's more than just taking up space where air would be.” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/john-steinbeck-71_person_you-see-there-s-a-responsibility-in-bein_2697600.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/john-steinbeck-71_person_you-see-there-s-a-responsibility-in-bein_2697600.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b37/john-steinbeck-71_person_you-see-there-s-a-responsibility-in-bein_2697600.jpg) > ““You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. It's more than just taking up space where air would be.”” [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being human carries an ethical duty beyond mere existence; we must act responsibly toward others and the world. **In simple terms:** Humanity entails responsibility, not just presence. Key Takeaway Act responsibly, beyond occupying space. Themes ethics responsibility humanity Mood thoughtful inspired Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - community service - leadership - daily interactions Key Concepts social duty environmental stewardship Questions to Reflect On - What small actions fulfill your duty? - How do you prioritize responsibilities? A Different Perspective Responsibility can feel overwhelming without guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Taking Up Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-up-space/) ## Related quotes > [There's a responsibility in being a person. It's more than just taking up space where air would be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/there-s-a-responsibility-in-being-a-person-it-s-more-than-just-taking/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“If I can’t figure out why I’m here, then I’m just taking up space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-mass/if-i-can-t-figure-out-why-i-m-here-then-i-m-just-taking-up-space/) [Wendy Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-mass/) > [It's really important to be conscious of how you're taking up space in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-russell/it-s-really-important-to-be-conscious-of-how-you-re-taking-up-space/) [Taylor Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-russell/) > [“This life is beautiful. It’s so goddamned beautiful I can hardly stand it. And I’m a glorious part of it! Everybody else is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beatrice-sparks/this-life-is-beautiful-it-s-so-goddamned-beautiful-i-can-hardly-stand/) [Beatrice Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beatrice-sparks/) > [The rest of ya'll just taking up space, and you don't even care. It's like you started eating Thanks Giving dinner without saying grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-grae/the-rest-of-ya-ll-just-taking-up-space-and-you-don-t-even-care-it-s/) [Jean Grae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-grae/) > [“Why do girls always feel like they have to apologize for giving an opinion or taking up space in the world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/why-do-girls-always-feel-like-they-have-to-apologize-for-giving-an/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [I don't want to be taking up space, but as long as I can make a contribution, I want to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/i-don-t-want-to-be-taking-up-space-but-as-long-as-i-can-make-a/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) > [“If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up space. -- Leonard Blake”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-blake/if-you-re-not-living-on-the-edge-you-re-taking-up-space-leonard-blake/) Leonard Blake > [“We don't live for sixty, eighty, or even a hundred years. We live for the few precious moments that happen in those sixty, eighty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-daley/we-don-t-live-for-sixty-eighty-or-even-a-hundred-years-we-live-for/) [Christina Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-daley/) > [“Books are a bad family - there are those you love, and those you are indifferent to; idiots and mad cousins who you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-mccracken/books-are-a-bad-family-there-are-those-you-love-and-those-you-are/) [Elizabeth McCracken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-mccracken/) > [“By taking up space, standing up for ourselves, and reassessing a future with crystal-clear perspectives, we gain clarity and make room for self-care, well-being,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/by-taking-up-space-standing-up-for-ourselves-and-reassessing-a-future/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [We should be teaching young girls to take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zozibini-tunzi/we-should-be-teaching-young-girls-to-take-up-space-nothing-is-as/) [Zozibini Tunzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zozibini-tunzi/) > [Stop holding on to what hurts, It's only taking up space for what feels good. Let it go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/stop-holding-on-to-what-hurts-it-s-only-taking-up-space-for-what/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [If you don't want anyone to know about your existence, you might as well kill yourself. You're taking up space, air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/if-you-don-t-want-anyone-to-know-about-your-existence-you-might-as/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [For me, boxing was a way of me exercising my frustration, anger, sense of injustice, but also a way of owning my space and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-buckman/for-me-boxing-was-a-way-of-me-exercising-my-frustration-anger-sense/) [Zoe Buckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-buckman/) ## More by John Steinbeck > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Prayer never brought in no side-meat. Takes a shoat to bring in pork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/prayer-never-brought-in-no-side-meat-takes-a-shoat-to-bring-in-pork/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“And now submarines are armed with mass murder, our silly, only way of deterring mass murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/and-now-submarines-are-armed-with-mass-murder-our-silly-only-way-of/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I’d think there are degrees of greatness,” Adam said. “I don’t think so,” said Samuel. “That would be like saying there is a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-d-think-there-are-degrees-of-greatness-adam-said-i-don-t-think-so/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“He was forever inventing a new way of doing an old thing and doing it better and quicker, but he never in his whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/he-was-forever-inventing-a-new-way-of-doing-an-old-thing-and-doing-it/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“You come back a changed man. Samuel, you don’t change him. He changes you. I can see the look of him in your face.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/you-come-back-a-changed-man-samuel-you-don-t-change-him-he-changes/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I find out of long experience that I admire all nations and hate all governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-find-out-of-long-experience-that-i-admire-all-nations-and-hate-all/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I have noticed that there is no dissatisfaction like that of the rich. Feed a man, clothe him, put him in a good house,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-have-noticed-that-there-is-no-dissatisfaction-like-that-of-the-rich/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Who in his mind has not probe the dark water?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/who-in-his-mind-has-not-probe-the-dark-water/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Sometimes, a lie is told in kindness. I don't believe it ever works kindly. The quick pain of truth can pass away, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/sometimes-a-lie-is-told-in-kindness-i-don-t-believe-it-ever-works/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [People like you to be something, preferably what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/people-like-you-to-be-something-preferably-what-they-are/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“Suddenly he knew joy and sorrow felted into one fabric. Courage and fear were one thing too. He found that he had started to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/suddenly-he-knew-joy-and-sorrow-felted-into-one-fabric-courage-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I am writing this from what we Americans call Yurrp. In Yurrp writers are taken as seriously as Lana Turner's legs are in America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-am-writing-this-from-what-we-americans-call-yurrp-in-yurrp-writers/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I write because I like to write. I find joy in the texture and tone and rhythm of words. It is a satisfaction like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-write-because-i-like-to-write-i-find-joy-in-the-texture-and-tone/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) [Explore all 1,589 John Steinbeck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More Person quotes > [“Always resemble yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-white/always-resemble-yourself/) Cynthia White > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [I think a person has to just be herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-nixon/i-think-a-person-has-to-just-be-herself/) [Pat Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-nixon/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Sometimes, the person you trust most is the one who trusts you the least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/sometimes-the-person-you-trust-most-is-the-one-who-trusts-you-the/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I sound New York. I sound East Coast much more than a blonde person from L.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/i-sound-new-york-i-sound-east-coast-much-more-than-a-blonde-person/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [If you expect the worst from a person you can never be disappointed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/if-you-expect-the-worst-from-a-person-you-can-never-be-disappointed/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [I'd love to talk to myself at 40 and see what I've achieved and what I feel... but I will just be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matty-healy/i-d-love-to-talk-to-myself-at-40-and-see-what-i-ve-achieved-and-what/) [Matty Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matty-healy/) > [I'm not the sort of person who would want to just lie on the sofa watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-would-want-to-just-lie-on-the-sofa/) [Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/) > [Just be what it is that you are, and that is just fine. You don't have to be what you're not in any way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/just-be-what-it-is-that-you-are-and-that-is-just-fine-you-don-t-have/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Be proud of who you are & who you represent.You are unique, there is no other exactly like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/be-proud-of-who-you-are-who-you-represent-you-are-unique-there-is-no/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [“if you act (and dress) as if you have a fascinating inner life, you may soon find that you actually do—and that you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/if-you-act-and-dress-as-if-you-have-a-fascinating-inner-life-you-may/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) Browse all 19,722 Person quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You see, there's a responsibility in being a person. 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