--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So can you say life is senseless and…" description: "\"“So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make a stand and try to impose your own meaning and values on it?”\" — Jonathan Hull" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg" --- # So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make… ![“So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make a stand and try to impose your own meaning and values on it?” quote by Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg) > ““So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make a stand and try to impose your own meaning and values on it?”” [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. One can either view life as meaningless or actively create personal meaning and values. **In simple terms:** Choose to create your own meaning. Key Takeaway Decide to shape your own purpose. Themes meaning-making agency choice Mood motivational thoughtful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - career choices - relationships - creative projects - volunteering Key Concepts existentialism personal values purpose Questions to Reflect On - What values will you choose to uphold? - How can you inspire others to find meaning? A Different Perspective It may ignore systemic constraints on individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) ## Related quotes > [Life, too, is senseless unless you know who you are, what you want, and which way the wind blows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-raskin/life-too-is-senseless-unless-you-know-who-you-are-what-you-want-and/) [Ellen Raskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-raskin/) > [“Senseless, you say? Death is senseless yet makes way for the living. Life, too, is senseless unless you know who you are, what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-raskin/senseless-you-say-death-is-senseless-yet-makes-way-for-the-living/) [Ellen Raskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-raskin/) > [Human values should predominate in men's thoughts. Human life has no meaning without these values.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/human-values-should-predominate-in-men-s-thoughts-human-life-has-no/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“Frankl asserts that "the potentialities of life are not indifferent possibilities, but must be seen in the light of meaning and values." Such meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blair-gould/frankl-asserts-that-the-potentialities-of-life-are-not-indifferent/) William Blair Gould > [Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself, his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/man-cannot-live-without-love-he-remains-a-being-that-is/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [The ultimate problem confronting me all my life has been the senseless injury to and neglect of my sister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-ultimate-problem-confronting-me-all-my-life-has-been-the/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“It can't be that life is so senseless and horrible. But if it really has been so horrible and senseless, why must I die…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-can-t-be-that-life-is-so-senseless-and-horrible-but-if-it-really/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“It's as if I had been going downhill when I thought I was going uphill. That's how it was. In society's opinion I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-s-as-if-i-had-been-going-downhill-when-i-thought-i-was-going/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [The meaning of life consists in the fact that it makes no sense to say that life has no meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-bohr/the-meaning-of-life-consists-in-the-fact-that-it-makes-no-sense-to/) [Niels Bohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-bohr/) > [ “\[T\]here is nothing to say about life. It has no meaning. You make meaning. If you want a meaning in your life, find a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/t-here-is-nothing-to-say-about-life-it-has-no-meaning-you-make/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [Senseless is the breast and cold Which relenting love would fold; Bloodless are the veins and chill Which the pulse of pain did fill;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/senseless-is-the-breast-and-cold-which-relenting-love-would-fold/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath, would you be standing the the horror section?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-kennedy/if-you-were-the-only-suspect-in-a-senseless-bloodbath-would-you-be/) [Jamie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-kennedy/) > [Senseless violence is, almost by definition, hard to understand. Not that I can understand terrorists who kill from hate, but at least we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-estrich/senseless-violence-is-almost-by-definition-hard-to-understand-not/) [Susan Estrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-estrich/) > [Oh senseless man, who cannot possibly make a worm or a flea and yet will create Gods by the dozen!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/oh-senseless-man-who-cannot-possibly-make-a-worm-or-a-flea-and-yet/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“Everything’s senseless until someone makes sense of it. Life doesn’t explain itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-meyer/everything-s-senseless-until-someone-makes-sense-of-it-life-doesn-t/) [Scott Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-meyer/) ## More by Jonathan Hull > [I've known people whose faces rested naturally in a smile and I'm certain their lives were much different because of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/i-ve-known-people-whose-faces-rested-naturally-in-a-smile-and-i-m/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“I noticed how the band members watched her and how she made them smile and I realized that she was the kind of person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/i-noticed-how-the-band-members-watched-her-and-how-she-made-them/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [Maybe what life needs is a good soundtrack, especially during the long stretches when nothing interesting is being said. A soundtrack might dignify things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/maybe-what-life-needs-is-a-good-soundtrack-especially-during-the-long/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“Completely alive. I thought abut what she meant by that; about all the joy and wonder and passion that had slipped from her fingers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/completely-alive-i-thought-abut-what-she-meant-by-that-about-all-the/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“Maybe our relationships--love--can save us, at least enough so that our lives are finally worthwhile, even with all the rotten misery and dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/maybe-our-relationships-love-can-save-us-at-least-enough-so-that-our/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“What I remember most is the searing sensation of looking into her eyes for the first time,eyes that would hunt me for the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/what-i-remember-most-is-the-searing-sensation-of-looking-into-her/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“But to find it and touch it and hold it! What relief, if only briefly, until love wears off or slips through our hands.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/but-to-find-it-and-touch-it-and-hold-it-what-relief-if-only-briefly/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“Our lives feel fuller when we can weave them into stories, even if not all the stories are true and even if we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/our-lives-feel-fuller-when-we-can-weave-them-into-stories-even-if-not/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“I often wondered why men will risk almost certain death in an attempt to save other men. I decided it was because men will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/i-often-wondered-why-men-will-risk-almost-certain-death-in-an-attempt/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [Books aren’t just my defenses, the sandbags I use to fortify my position; they are also the building blocks of my soul, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/books-aren-t-just-my-defenses-the-sandbags-i-use-to-fortify-my/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [ “Was \[her\] life really better than most, or did she appreciate it more or just remember it differently? I suspect she remembers it differently,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/was-her-life-really-better-than-most-or-did-she-appreciate-it-more-or/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“The air was unusually warm and humid and I wondered if everyone else associated that sensation with childhood, with bare feet and wet grass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/the-air-was-unusually-warm-and-humid-and-i-wondered-if-everyone-else/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [Why does the longing for love have to be so acute, like a desperate thirst? Is it because love is wanting to be saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/why-does-the-longing-for-love-have-to-be-so-acute-like-a-desperate/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“Our quest for heroism is awkward. Not the obvious heroism that earns medals and applause but the heroism of daily life. Go to Princeton…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/our-quest-for-heroism-is-awkward-not-the-obvious-heroism-that-earns/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) > [“What is it about beauty that intimidates; causing us to kneel somewhere deep inside and pray and wonder just how close we might crawl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/what-is-it-about-beauty-that-intimidates-causing-us-to-kneel/) [Jonathan Hull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) [Explore all 47 Jonathan Hull quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make a stand and try to impose your own meaning and values on it?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan Hull" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cruel-or-you-can-make-a-stand/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cruel-or-you-can-make-a-stand/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/149/jonathan-hull-14193_life_so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cru_1754631.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So can you say life is senseless and cruel or you can make a stand and try to impose your own meaning and…” — Jonathan Hull", "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": "Jonathan Hull", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-hull/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“So can you say life is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cruel-or-you-can-make-a-stand/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-hull/so-can-you-say-life-is-senseless-and-cruel-or-you-can-make-a-stand/#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 } } ] } ```