--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If life is so meaningless, then why are…" description: "\"If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?\" — Lily Tomlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png" --- # If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing… ![“If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?” quote by Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png) > “If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?” [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning the purpose of repeatedly discussing life's meaning. **In simple terms:** Why discuss meaning? Key Takeaway Reflect on life's purpose. Themes meaning existence reflection Mood contemplative curious Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - journaling - therapy - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism philosophy self‑inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What gives your life meaning? - How do you act on meaning? A Different Perspective Constant questioning may lead to paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bringing/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life Meaningless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-meaningless/) [Meaningless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningless/) [Meaningless Bringing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningless-bringing-3811241/) ## Related quotes > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [The point is this: If God does not exist, then life is objectively meaningless; but man cannot live consistently and happily knowing that life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/the-point-is-this-if-god-does-not-exist-then-life-is-objectively/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [To feel that life is meaningless unless “I” can be permanent is like having fallen desperately in love with an inch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/to-feel-that-life-is-meaningless-unless-i-can-be-permanent-is-like/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [“Life is so meaningless without trouble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/life-is-so-meaningless-without-trouble/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [The only way I can experience my life as meaningless is to work as hard as I possibly can to tell myself it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jaworski/the-only-way-i-can-experience-my-life-as-meaningless-is-to-work-as/) [Joseph Jaworski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jaworski/) > [Life is meaningless; man's biggest challenge is to make it meaningful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/life-is-meaningless-man-s-biggest-challenge-is-to-make-it-meaningful/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Life is empty. Life is meaningless. When we take a life, we arn't taking anything of value. Wetboys are killers. Thats all we do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/life-is-empty-life-is-meaningless-when-we-take-a-life-we-arn-t-taking/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“The human animal needs meaning as well as food and air and sex and water. 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It is a story that can never be told. A song that could never be sung. For how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/without-death-life-is-meaningless-it-is-a-story-that-can-never-be/) [Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/) > [“Everyday as we die, we must be reborn. If there were no death, life would be meaningless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boep-joeng/everyday-as-we-die-we-must-be-reborn-if-there-were-no-death-life/) [Boep Joeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boep-joeng/) > [“So it is official. Life is meaningless. The intellectuals have debated it, and produced conclusions that your feeble brain cannot understand, but only accepts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hwee-hwee-tan/so-it-is-official-life-is-meaningless-the-intellectuals-have-debated/) [Hwee Hwee Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hwee-hwee-tan/) ## More by Lily Tomlin > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“So if you've had a good time tonight, or if you've had a good time any night, for gosh sake's why not drop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/so-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-tonight-or-if-you-ve-had-a-good-time-any/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/forgiveness-means-giving-up-all-hope-for-a-better-past/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I bought a box of animal crackers, but there was nothing inside. They'd eaten each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-bought-a-box-of-animal-crackers-but-there-was-nothing-inside-they-d/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Wouldn't it be great if we all grew up to be what we wanted to be? The world would be full of nurses, firemen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-we-all-grew-up-to-be-what-we-wanted-to-be-the/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [You know being relevant or coming up with something interesting, funny to say about what's current is just as hard as it might ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/you-know-being-relevant-or-coming-up-with-something-interesting-funny/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [I wanted to be a stage actress. I wanted to be a New York actress and have a community with other actors. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-wanted-to-be-a-stage-actress-i-wanted-to-be-a-new-york-actress-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We have reason to believe that man first walked upright to free his hands for masturbation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-man-first-walked-upright-to-free-his/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/we-don-t-care-we-don-t-have-to-we-re-the-phone-company/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [No matter how cynical I get, I can't keep up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/no-matter-how-cynical-i-get-i-can-t-keep-up/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [In the depths of the night, fear grips my heart. It paralyzes my mind. But most of all, I feel very, very alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/in-the-depths-of-the-night-fear-grips-my-heart-it-paralyzes-my-mind/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. And then I realized I was somebody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/i-always-wondered-why-somebody-didn-t-do-something-about-that-and/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/sometimes-i-worry-about-being-a-success-in-a-mediocre-world/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [And yet humanity is so not evolved that how can you expect anything absolutely major to happen? Look how long, we move ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/and-yet-humanity-is-so-not-evolved-that-how-can-you-expect-anything/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [The whole idea of being in captivity in such limited space, especially in a zoo, causes elephants to suffer. They develop all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/the-whole-idea-of-being-in-captivity-in-such-limited-space-especially/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) [Explore all 135 Lily Tomlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) ## More Bringing quotes > [They have to exist or not in their own right. I mean, with kids, you don't say, 'Which is your favourite,' or 'Which did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-finney/they-have-to-exist-or-not-in-their-own-right-i-mean-with-kids-you-don/) [Albert Finney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-finney/) > [It's true, I'm the youngest, highest-grossing French director. I have a few records, but no one knows or simply doesn't care. That's good, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/it-s-true-i-m-the-youngest-highest-grossing-french-director-i-have-a/) [Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/) > [If the audience is bringing it, it always goes up 10 notches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kanal/if-the-audience-is-bringing-it-it-always-goes-up-10-notches/) [Tony Kanal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kanal/) > [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [ABC Family is really restructuring their network because there's a new kind of family, so I think they're really trying to step away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dallas/abc-family-is-really-restructuring-their-network-because-there-s-a/) [Matt Dallas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dallas/) > [The war being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq is bringing about a fundamental change to the environment that has given rise and power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-l-thomas/the-war-being-fought-in-afghanistan-and-iraq-is-bringing-about-a/) [Craig L. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-l-thomas/) > [When Gingrich attacked CNN's John King for bringing up his alleged proposal of an open marriage to his second wife, Gingrich accused him of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/when-gingrich-attacked-cnn-s-john-king-for-bringing-up-his-alleged/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [I think it was always there and it was maybe a matter of bringing it out. It was harder than I thought it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-lafleur/i-think-it-was-always-there-and-it-was-maybe-a-matter-of-bringing-it/) [Guy Lafleur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-lafleur/) > [If a director brings a guy to their movie who does improv, they've got to let him do what he does - otherwise it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/if-a-director-brings-a-guy-to-their-movie-who-does-improv-they-ve-got/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [Anytime you have a difficult encounter with your child, there is a good chance that at least one of these factors is bringing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-rindner-tempelsman/anytime-you-have-a-difficult-encounter-with-your-child-there-is-a/) [Cathy Rindner Tempelsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-rindner-tempelsman/) > [I couldn't get you to the ocean, but there was nothing stopping me bringing the ocean to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-couldn-t-get-you-to-the-ocean-but-there-was-nothing-stopping-me/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I think people need to commit to one another before they commit to bringing children into the world because that's the optimum arrangement for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-ward-sears/i-think-people-need-to-commit-to-one-another-before-they-commit-to/) [Leah Ward Sears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-ward-sears/) > [When Marvel approached me about possibly bringing back a She-Hulk solo series, a few touchstones for a take immediately popped into my head -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-soule/when-marvel-approached-me-about-possibly-bringing-back-a-she-hulk/) [Charles Soule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-soule/) > [I was bringing my attitude as a regular person 'cause this is my attitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-danzig/i-was-bringing-my-attitude-as-a-regular-person-cause-this-is-my/) [Glenn Danzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-danzig/) > [People say 'what do you mean' when you talk about 'bringing down civilization.' What I really mean is depriving the rich of the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/people-say-what-do-you-mean-when-you-talk-about-bringing-down/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) [Browse all 318 Bringing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bringing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lily Tomlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-we-always-bringing-it-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bringing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-we-always-bringing-it-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d49/lily-tomlin-3278_bringing_if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-w_432733.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If life is so meaningless, then why are we always bringing it up?” — Lily Tomlin", "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": "Lily Tomlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If life is so meaningless, then...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-we-always-bringing-it-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-life-is-so-meaningless-then-why-are-we-always-bringing-it-up/#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 } } ] } ```