--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do survive every moment, after all…" description: "\"We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.\" — John Updike" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png" --- # We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one. ![“We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png) > “We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We survive each moment except the final one, highlighting life's fragility. **In simple terms:** Every moment ends except the last. Key Takeaway Live fully now. Themes mortality presence impermanence Mood reflective somber Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - daily routines - health decisions - legacy planning Key Concepts existentialism humanism Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of mortality shape your actions? - What does “the last one” symbolize for you? A Different Perspective Focusing on the present can cause anxiety about the future. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“I have to stop this cascade of memories, or at least take them out of their drawer only for a moment, have a brief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/i-have-to-stop-this-cascade-of-memories-or-at-least-take-them-out-of/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Hold your head up, there's a light in the sky I know your fed up but you must try to survive Each moment's precious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/hold-your-head-up-there-s-a-light-in-the-sky-i-know-your-fed-up-but/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [As a human being, you find a way to survive, moment by moment, every single day of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keala-settle/as-a-human-being-you-find-a-way-to-survive-moment-by-moment-every/) [Keala Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keala-settle/) > [I'm trying to be better for my son. And regretting every moment that I'm not spending with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-barlog/i-m-trying-to-be-better-for-my-son-and-regretting-every-moment-that-i/) [Cory Barlog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-barlog/) > [Every situation--nay, every moment--is of infinite worth; for it is the representative of a whole eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/every-situation-nay-every-moment-is-of-infinite-worth-for-it-is-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Time is so precious. Make every moment counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/time-is-so-precious-make-every-moment-counts/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [The focus in the Western pictorial tradition is on the body of Christ, the bit you can paint, the Nativity and the infancy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/the-focus-in-the-western-pictorial-tradition-is-on-the-body-of-christ/) [Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/) > [“Everything you do in every moment matters. A single thought can change your world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/everything-you-do-in-every-moment-matters-a-single-thought-can-change/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [Every moment is a test. Right now is a test - either be grateful or be patient. Make sure you pass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/every-moment-is-a-test-right-now-is-a-test-either-be-grateful-or-be/) [Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/) > [I've loved every moment and feel privileged to have enjoyed the career I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green/i-ve-loved-every-moment-and-feel-privileged-to-have-enjoyed-the/) [Robert Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green/) > [Can You see that as soon as the day breaks I think of You? As evening comes, I am near You. I am near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-galgani/can-you-see-that-as-soon-as-the-day-breaks-i-think-of-you-as-evening/) [Gemma Galgani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-galgani/) > [I am not sorry for a moment . It was worth every moment, every second we were together. I would not change it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-de-la-cruz/i-am-not-sorry-for-a-moment-it-was-worth-every-moment-every-second-we/) [Melissa de la Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-de-la-cruz/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You'll never see me coming around the corner not smiling... I mean, I enjoy every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/you-ll-never-see-me-coming-around-the-corner-not-smiling-i-mean-i/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [“Will you destroy something in order to make it beautiful? Will you avoid something in order to fall in love with it? Will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/will-you-destroy-something-in-order-to-make-it-beautiful-will-you/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. Only when the mind moves unwatched and becomes absorbed in images that tug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-mind-cannot-fall-asleep-as-long-as-it-watches-itself-only-when/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“it was somehow wonderful of her to be, in every detail, herself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/it-was-somehow-wonderful-of-her-to-be-in-every-detail-herself/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [In fiction, imaginary people become realer to us than any named celebrity glimpsed in a series of rumored events, whose causes and subtler ramifications…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/in-fiction-imaginary-people-become-realer-to-us-than-any-named/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Her hair had been going gray as long as he could remember; she bundled it behind in a bun held with hairpins that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/her-hair-had-been-going-gray-as-long-as-he-could-remember-she-bundled/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Possession diminishes perception of value, immediately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/possession-diminishes-perception-of-value-immediately/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I can't bear to finish things, beyond a certain point they get heavy. There's something so dead about a finished painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-can-t-bear-to-finish-things-beyond-a-certain-point-they-get-heavy/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“Some people find fall depressing, others hate spring. I've always been a spring person myself. All that growth, you can feel Nature groaning, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/some-people-find-fall-depressing-others-hate-spring-i-ve-always-been/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) [Explore all 592 John Updike quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## More Every moment quotes > [“Will you destroy something in order to make it beautiful? Will you avoid something in order to fall in love with it? Will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/will-you-destroy-something-in-order-to-make-it-beautiful-will-you/) [Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/) > [“His expression is inscrutable. His eyes look strange with their pulsing pupils. “You’re not like other girls. You’re special.” Intoxicating warmth crawls over my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-jordan/his-expression-is-inscrutable-his-eyes-look-strange-with-their/) [Sophie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-jordan/) > [ “\[Roger\] “Do you know how amazingly beautiful you are to me?” “As beautiful as you are to me.” She slid her gaze down then… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-l-saint/roger-do-you-know-how-amazingly-beautiful-you-are-to-me-as-beautiful/) [J.L. Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-l-saint/) > [“Are you sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Because if I had the chance... I would spend every moment of every day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/are-you-sure-he-asked-in-a-low-voice-because-if-i-had-the-chance-i/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [This moment in which you experience stillness is every moment. Don't let the mind seduce you into the past or future. Stay in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/this-moment-in-which-you-experience-stillness-is-every-moment-don-t/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [You'll never see me coming around the corner not smiling... I mean, I enjoy every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquem-griffin/you-ll-never-see-me-coming-around-the-corner-not-smiling-i-mean-i/) [Shaquem Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquem-griffin/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [“You must enjoy and treasure every moment of your journey on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-must-enjoy-and-treasure-every-moment-of-your-journey-on-earth/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Being a full-time mother is one of the biggest jobs in the world; it's like another career for me. I love every moment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/being-a-full-time-mother-is-one-of-the-biggest-jobs-in-the-world-it-s/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The length of the journey has to be borne with, for every moment is necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-length-of-the-journey-has-to-be-borne-with-for-every-moment-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can say that I love you every moment of my life but it doesn't mean I love you every second of my life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/just-me/i-can-say-that-i-love-you-every-moment-of-my-life-but-it-doesn-t-mean/) [Just Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/just-me/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) [Browse all 2,606 Every moment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Updike" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-except-the-last-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Every moment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-except-the-last-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/feb/john-updike-396_every-moment_we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-exc_348311.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We do survive every moment, after all, except the last one.” — John Updike", "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 Updike", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We do survive every moment, after...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-except-the-last-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/we-do-survive-every-moment-after-all-except-the-last-one/#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 } } ] } ```