---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our sages say burying someone is…"
description: "\"“Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest form of kindness and respect, as the deceased will not be able to thank you for it.\" That’s kin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg"
---

#  Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest…

![“Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest form of kindness and respect, as the deceased will not be able to thank you for it.&quot; That’s kind of funny, actually, since Dad was not exactly prone to expressing gratitude to his children when he was still alive. You were either screwing up…” quote by Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg)

> ““Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest form of kindness and respect, as the deceased will not be able to thank you for it." That’s kind of funny, actually, since Dad was not exactly prone to expressing gratitude to his children when he was still alive. You were either screwing up, or you were invisible. He was quiet and stern in a way that led you to expect an Eastern European accent. He had soft blue eyes and unusually thick forearms, and when he made a fist it looked like he could punch through anything. He mowed his own lawn, washed his own car, and painted his own house. He did all these things capably, painstakingly, and in a way that silently passed judgment on anyone who paid for someone else to do it. He rarely laughed at jokes, just nodded his understanding, as if it was all pretty much what he’d expected. Of course, there was a lot more to him that that, it’s just that none of it is coming to me right now. At some point you lose sight of your actual parents; you just see a basketful of history and unresolved issues.””

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker reflects on a stoic father whose silent, self‑reliant work ethic conveyed respect, while also acknowledging unresolved familial tensions and the difficulty of fully understanding parents.

**In simple terms:** A father's quiet hard work shows respect, but leaves emotional gaps.

Key Takeaway

Recognize both respect and emotional distance.

Themes

family respect generational trauma silence work ethic

Mood

nostalgic reflective

Type

familial psychological

When to use this quote

- parent‑child relationships
- caregiving
- legacy building
- grief processing

Key Concepts

psychology cultural expectations

Questions to Reflect On

- How does silent work affect family dynamics?
- What can be done to bridge emotional gaps with stoic parents?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize the father's traits, ignoring flaws.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Burying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burying/) [Burying Considered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burying-considered-1807393/) [Expressing gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing-gratitude/) [Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Kindness And Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness-and-respect/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Respect Deceased](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-deceased-1807391/) [Right now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-now/) [Say Burying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-burying-1807392/) [Unresolved issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unresolved-issues/)

## Related quotes

> [“At some point you lose sight of your actual parents; you just see a basketful of history and unresolved issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/at-some-point-you-lose-sight-of-your-actual-parents-you-just-see-a/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you not because they are nice, but because you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/treat-everyone-with-kindness-and-respect-even-those-who-are-rude-to-2/)

[Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/)

> [Kindness and Respect for others has fulfilled my inner being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neo-moate/kindness-and-respect-for-others-has-fulfilled-my-inner-being/)

[Neo Moate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neo-moate/)

> [Openness reflects ones inner beauty of kindness and respect for all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/openness-reflects-ones-inner-beauty-of-kindness-and-respect-for-all/)

[Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/)

> [Set an example. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you not because they are nice, but because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhatsprincess/set-an-example-treat-everyone-with-kindness-and-respect-even-those/)

[ZhatsPrincess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhatsprincess/)

> [“We cannot know for certain how long we have here. We cannot foresee the trials or misfortunes that will test us along the way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-cannot-know-for-certain-how-long-we-have-here-we-cannot-foresee/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“KEY TAKEAWAYS •Believe in yourself—make it your daily mantra. •Find a mentor—you can always learn something new. •Always be on time. The early bird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-green/key-takeaways-believe-in-yourself-make-it-your-daily-mantra-find-a/)

[Bill Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-green/)

> [“Today is a day, like every other day, brimming with possibility. A day to treat people with kindness and respect. A day to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/today-is-a-day-like-every-other-day-brimming-with-possibility-a-day/)

[Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/)

> [What we can do is to live out our lives as best we can with purpose, and love, and joy. We can use each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-can-do-is-to-live-out-our-lives-as-best-we-can-with-purpose/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I came from the theater. It takes a team. We need everyone. It's not just No. 1 on the call sheet. I love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-mixon/i-came-from-the-theater-it-takes-a-team-we-need-everyone-it-s-not/)

[Katy Mixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-mixon/)

> [Show kindness and respect to everyone. Pure intentions make the biggest difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-keibler/show-kindness-and-respect-to-everyone-pure-intentions-make-the/)

[Stacy Keibler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-keibler/)

> [My friends at PeTA India and I encourage everyone to treat animals with kindness and respect, just as we all want to be treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dutee-chand/my-friends-at-peta-india-and-i-encourage-everyone-to-treat-animals/)

[Dutee Chand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dutee-chand/)

> [Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you not because theyre nice, but because you are. Its important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/treat-everyone-with-kindness-and-respect-even-those-who-are-rude-to/)

[Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/)

> [There is a way to live by treating each other with love, kindness, and respect, where those who are loved give you that love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-a-way-to-live-by-treating-each-other-with-love-kindness-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“the easiest way to open a close door is with kindness and respect”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-corazzari/the-easiest-way-to-open-a-close-door-is-with-kindness-and-respect/)

[Manuel Corazzari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-corazzari/)

## More by Jonathan Tropper

> [The thing about living alone is that it gives you a lot of time to think. You don't necessarily reach any conclusions, because wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/the-thing-about-living-alone-is-that-it-gives-you-a-lot-of-time-to/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Phillip, who is congenitally incapable of moderation,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/phillip-who-is-congenitally-incapable-of-moderation/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“There's always a last time. If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/there-s-always-a-last-time-if-you-could-remember-every-last-time-you/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“In my family, we don’t so much air our grievances as wallow in them. Anger and resentment are cumulative.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/in-my-family-we-don-t-so-much-air-our-grievances-as-wallow-in-them/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Do I really look so pathetic to all of you? Like I couldn't possibly meet someone on my own? Half the people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/do-i-really-look-so-pathetic-to-all-of-you-like-i-couldn-t-possibly/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I still enjoy the tactile sensation of holding a book. But when I need to read fast for work, I use the Kindle App…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-still-enjoy-the-tactile-sensation-of-holding-a-book-but-when-i-need/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Being gay is like taking a crash course in human nature,” he says. “Your first real glimpse at the dirty underbelly of routine social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/being-gay-is-like-taking-a-crash-course-in-human-nature-he-says-your/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“It's just hard to see people from your past when your present is so cataclysmically fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/it-s-just-hard-to-see-people-from-your-past-when-your-present-is-so/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“Few things are more pathetic than an unemployed man with a business card. P.15”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/few-things-are-more-pathetic-than-an-unemployed-man-with-a-business/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“We knew marriage could be difficult in the same way that we knew there were starving children in Africa. It was a tragic fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/we-knew-marriage-could-be-difficult-in-the-same-way-that-we-knew/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“attractive women in the early stages of disrepair, fighting to keep age at bay with facials, compression undergarments, and aggressively fashionable skirts bought off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/attractive-women-in-the-early-stages-of-disrepair-fighting-to-keep/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [As far as rapprochements go, it's awkward and vague, but the advantage of being as emotionally inarticulate as we are is that it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/as-far-as-rapprochements-go-it-s-awkward-and-vague-but-the-advantage/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [I'm a big action junkie. I grew up on the '80s action movies - the bad ones and the good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-m-a-big-action-junkie-i-grew-up-on-the-80s-action-movies-the-bad/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

> [“shudders and seems to sink a bit further. “And the contractor is running two other jobs in the neighborhood. The Jacobsons, he’s redoing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/shudders-and-seems-to-sink-a-bit-further-and-the-contractor-is/)

[Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

[Explore all 222 Jonathan Tropper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/)

## More Burying quotes

> [“...our loves ones truly are ever-present. We may bury their bodies or scatter their ashes, but their spirits are boundless and do not accompany…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-slaughter/our-loves-ones-truly-are-ever-present-we-may-bury-their-bodies-or/)

[April Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-slaughter/)

> [What you try to bury just ends up burying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-wagner/what-you-try-to-bury-just-ends-up-burying-you/)

[Jane Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-wagner/)

> [“No better way to avoid making a decision than burying yourself in a big fat book.” (p. 105).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bard/no-better-way-to-avoid-making-a-decision-than-burying-yourself-in-a/)

[Elizabeth Bard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bard/)

> [I started composting in 1970 by taking my food scraps out behind where I lived and burying them in a hole next to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/i-started-composting-in-1970-by-taking-my-food-scraps-out-behind/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [One thing I think you have to do here at Wisconsin is maximize your personnel. From the standpoint of getting our best players out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-bielema/one-thing-i-think-you-have-to-do-here-at-wisconsin-is-maximize-your/)

[Bret Bielema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-bielema/)

> [I buried how much I missed you. burried to the very bottom of my heart and its still there digging the way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-buried-how-much-i-missed-you-burried-to-the-very-bottom-of-my-heart/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“One man after burying another has been laid out dead, and another buries him; and all this in a short time. To conclude, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/one-man-after-burying-another-has-been-laid-out-dead-and-another/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [You know, Hoosiers recognize pork when we see it. And they recognize what bailing out every failing business in America means - We're burying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/you-know-hoosiers-recognize-pork-when-we-see-it-and-they-recognize/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [“...burying themselves in his arm was more about feeling his love in the confusion, in the difficulty, than it was about having moved past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/burying-themselves-in-his-arm-was-more-about-feeling-his-love-in-the/)

[Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/)

> [“Each dog marks a section of our lives, and in the end, we feed them to the dark, burying them there while we carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-barlow/each-dog-marks-a-section-of-our-lives-and-in-the-end-we-feed-them-to/)

[Toby Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-barlow/)

> [Many of us have unconsciously erected barriers to protect ourselves from failing or succeeding. We may think we're protecting ourselves by denying our creative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/many-of-us-have-unconsciously-erected-barriers-to-protect-ourselves/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [“There is no point in burying the hatchet if you're going to put up a marker on the site.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-point-in-burying-the-hatchet-if-you-re-going-to-put-up-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Most men die at 25, we just don't bury them until they are 70.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/most-men-die-at-25-we-just-don-t-bury-them-until-they-are-70/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Disneyland celebrated its 40th anniversary by burying a time capsule. They say it will be dug up in 50 years - or when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/disneyland-celebrated-its-40th-anniversary-by-burying-a-time-capsule/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [The feminine mystique has succeeded in burying millions of American women alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/the-feminine-mystique-has-succeeded-in-burying-millions-of-american/)

[Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/)

[Browse all 122 Burying quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burying/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest form of kindness and respect, as the deceased will not be able to thank you for it.\" That’s kind of funny, actually, since Dad was not exactly prone to expressing gratitude to his children when he was still alive. You were either screwing up, or you were invisible. He was quiet and stern in a way that led you to expect an Eastern European accent. He had soft blue eyes and unusually thick forearms, and when he made a fist it looked like he could punch through anything. He mowed his own lawn, washed his own car, and painted his own house. He did all these things capably, painstakingly, and in a way that silently passed judgment on anyone who paid for someone else to do it. He rarely laughed at jokes, just nodded his understanding, as if it was all pretty much what he’d expected. Of course, there was a lot more to him that that, it’s just that none of it is coming to me right now. At some point you lose sight of your actual parents; you just see a basketful of history and unresolved issues.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jonathan Tropper"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-considered-the-truest-form-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Burying"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-considered-the-truest-form-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/541/jonathan-tropper-1555_expressing-gratitude_our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-conside_964364.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Our sages say burying someone is considered the truest form of kindness and respect, as the deceased will…” — Jonathan Tropper",
                "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 Tropper",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Our sages say burying someone is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-considered-the-truest-form-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/our-sages-say-burying-someone-is-considered-the-truest-form-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
