--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were beginning to understand why, in…" description: "\"“We were beginning to understand why, in pre-anaesthetic days, the Bible had stipulated that suicide was a sin. Anything other than the prospect of ete..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/kate-griffin-13970_bible_we-were-beginning-to-understand-why-in-p_282800.jpg" --- # We were beginning to understand why, in pre-anaesthetic… ![“We were beginning to understand why, in pre-anaesthetic days, the Bible had stipulated that suicide was a sin. Anything other than the prospect of eternal damnation, and the human race would probably have done away with itself at the first sign of the dentist.” quote by Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/kate-griffin-13970_bible_we-were-beginning-to-understand-why-in-p_282800.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/kate-griffin-13970_bible_we-were-beginning-to-understand-why-in-p_282800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac7/kate-griffin-13970_bible_we-were-beginning-to-understand-why-in-p_282800.jpg) > ““We were beginning to understand why, in pre-anaesthetic days, the Bible had stipulated that suicide was a sin. Anything other than the prospect of eternal damnation, and the human race would probably have done away with itself at the first sign of the dentist.”” [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously links fear of death, especially dental pain, to religious prohibitions against suicide, suggesting pain drives self‑preservation. **In simple terms:** Pain and fear prevent suicide. Key Takeaway Recognize how fear influences choices. Themes psychology humor religion mortality Mood wry reflective Type satirical observational When to use this quote - medical anxiety - religious doctrine - personal decision making Key Concepts existential dread cultural norms Questions to Reflect On - How does fear shape moral decisions? - Can humor reveal deeper truths about survival? A Different Perspective Pain may be overstated as a deterrent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suicide/) ## Related quotes > [Noone would care if I ceased to exist i have no real friends so I wouldn't be missed I think about dying each and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/im-nothing/noone-would-care-if-i-ceased-to-exist-i-have-no-real-friends-so-i/) Im Nothing > [I want to kill the sexiest person in the world, but suicide is a sin. :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-want-to-kill-the-sexiest-person-in-the-world-but-suicide-is-a-sin-d/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are thousands of them to fight. Even going after the Dimme in there is suicide. (Sin) Who wants to live forever? 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Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) ## More by Kate Griffin > [“Paranoia seems more reasonable when you've got twelve stitches in your side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/paranoia-seems-more-reasonable-when-you-ve-got-twelve-stitches-in/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“So...I suggest you try and get control over your more unusual nature, see if you can't coax those claws away, and I'll try very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/so-i-suggest-you-try-and-get-control-over-your-more-unusual-nature/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“Are you aware, Mr Mayor, then when casually scrying the streets of London, you stand out like a giraffe on roller skates, yes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/are-you-aware-mr-mayor-then-when-casually-scrying-the-streets-of/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“We...find it hard to conceive of...of a consciousness whose power, intellect and capacity can be both infinite and capable of caring," we replied. 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We sing electric flame, we rumble underground wind, we dance heaven! Come be we and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/we-be-light-we-be-life-we-be-fire-we-sing-electric-flame-we-rumble/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“Because you had to see it, to believe it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-griffin/because-you-had-to-see-it-to-believe-it/) [Kate Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-griffin/) > [“There was almost a flicker of humanity in the man. 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