--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To keep our hearts open is probably the…" description: "\"To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.\" — Leonard Cohen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg" --- # To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent… ![“To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg) > “To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Keeping an open heart is a vital duty as we age. **In simple terms:** Stay emotionally open as you age. Key Takeaway Practice empathy and vulnerability. Themes ageing empathy responsibility Mood thoughtful hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - family - community service Key Concepts emotional openness human connection Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain openness despite hardships? - What practices nurture a compassionate heart? A Different Perspective Older age can bring emotional fatigue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Hearts Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-open-265194/) [Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/older/) [Probably Urgent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probably-urgent-5689558/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility Older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-older-5285583/) [Urgent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urgent/) [Urgent Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urgent-responsibility-5689557/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I feel a responsibility, as I get older, to be responsible to what I've experienced, to what I've lived and been in a position…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-goldman/i-feel-a-responsibility-as-i-get-older-to-be-responsible-to-what-i-ve/) [Francisco Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-goldman/) > [We listen, we watch, we learn. We open our hearts and we open our minds, open our souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/we-listen-we-watch-we-learn-we-open-our-hearts-and-we-open-our-minds/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Our work is to keep our hearts open in hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/our-work-is-to-keep-our-hearts-open-in-hell/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [When our hearts open, when we know that we are in fact the world, when we experience the pain of others in our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/when-our-hearts-open-when-we-know-that-we-are-in-fact-the-world-when/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [“it came to him that Tara, dear though it was, and the County folk, with their open hearts and open houses, were not enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mitchell/it-came-to-him-that-tara-dear-though-it-was-and-the-county-folk-with/) [Margaret Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mitchell/) > [Friends give us the courage to lift the blinds on our hearts, to open up and show what we generally keep hidden from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friends-give-us-the-courage-to-lift-the-blinds-on-our-hearts-to-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There could have never been two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/there-could-have-never-been-two-hearts-so-open-no-tastes-so-similar/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [Friends give us the change to lift the blinds on our hearts to open up and show what we generally keep hidden from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friends-give-us-the-change-to-lift-the-blinds-on-our-hearts-to-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/there-could-have-been-no-two-hearts-so-open-no-tastes-so-similar-no-2/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“there could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/there-could-have-been-no-two-hearts-so-open-no-tastes-so-similar-no/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [When evangelizers rise from prayer, their hearts are more open; freed of self-absorption, they are desirous of doing good and sharing their lives with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/when-evangelizers-rise-from-prayer-their-hearts-are-more-open-freed/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [If our hearts are ready for anything, we will spontaneously reach out when others are hurting. Living in an ethical way can attune us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-brach/if-our-hearts-are-ready-for-anything-we-will-spontaneously-reach-out/) [Tara Brach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-brach/) > [We must look at ourselves over and over again in order to learn to love, to discover what has kept our hearts closed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/we-must-look-at-ourselves-over-and-over-again-in-order-to-learn-to/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“Joy blooms where minds and hearts are open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lockwood-huie/joy-blooms-where-minds-and-hearts-are-open/) [Jonathan Lockwood Huie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lockwood-huie/) > [Once our hearts are open, all existence appears naturally beautiful and harmonious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarthang-tulku/once-our-hearts-are-open-all-existence-appears-naturally-beautiful/) [Tarthang Tulku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarthang-tulku/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Heart quotes > [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/) [Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/) [Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/) [Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) > [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/) [Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) [Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Cohen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the-most-urgent-responsibility/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Heart" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the-most-urgent-responsibility/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b6/leonard-cohen-448_heart_to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the_2345185.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To keep our hearts open is probably the most urgent responsibility you have as you get older.” — Leonard Cohen", "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": "Leonard Cohen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To keep our hearts open is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the-most-urgent-responsibility/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/to-keep-our-hearts-open-is-probably-the-most-urgent-responsibility/#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 } } ] } ```