--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is short, though I keep this from my…" description: "\"“Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand delic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/maggie-smith-8377_children_life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my_572516.jpg" --- # Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life… ![“Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep…” quote by Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/maggie-smith-8377_children_life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my_572516.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/maggie-smith-8377_children_life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my_572516.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f33/maggie-smith-8377_children_life-is-short-though-i-keep-this-from-my_572516.jpg) > ““Life is short, though I keep this from my children. Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children. For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird. For every loved child, a child broken, bagged, sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world is at least half terrible, and for every kind stranger, there is one who would break you, though I keep this from my children. I am trying to sell them the world. Any decent realtor, walking you through a real shithole, chirps on about good bones: This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.”” [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## 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 acknowledges life's brevity and the world's harshness, yet urges optimism and effort to improve surroundings. **In simple terms:** Life is short and often cruel, but we can try to make things better. Key Takeaway Seek to improve despite adversity. Themes mortality optimism realism hope responsibility Mood reflective determined hopeful Type advice philosophical motivational When to use this quote - parenting - real estate - personal growth - community building Key Concepts existentialism resilience ethical responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance realism with hope? - What small actions can you take to improve your environment? A Different Perspective Not everyone will share your optimism; effort can be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-short/) [Life Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-short/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Raising children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raising-children/) [Real Shithole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-shithole-4721583/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Shortened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortened/) [World Decent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-decent-1246520/) ## Related quotes > [Don't try to be fancy. Shoot for the center of mass. The world is full of decent people. Criminals we can do without.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/don-t-try-to-be-fancy-shoot-for-the-center-of-mass-the-world-is-full/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give youth a future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/let-us-fight-for-a-new-world-a-decent-world-that-will-give-men-a/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [One of the fellows called me 'Cyclone' but finally shortened it to 'Cy' and its been that ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cy-young/one-of-the-fellows-called-me-cyclone-but-finally-shortened-it-to-cy/) [Cy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cy-young/) > [Work divided is in that manner shortened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/work-divided-is-in-that-manner-shortened/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [“Little Dick’ or ‘Big Dick’ depends on how tall Richard is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/little-dick-or-big-dick-depends-on-how-tall-richard-is/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I married Miss Right, but didn't know at the time she had shortened her name from Righteouspainintheass”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-stern/i-married-miss-right-but-didn-t-know-at-the-time-she-had-shortened/) [Josh Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-stern/) > [Black Court vampires. I just shortened it some." Ebenezar tsked. "Blampires. That's the problem with you young people. Shortening all the words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/black-court-vampires-i-just-shortened-it-some-ebenezar-tsked/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [“And by habit they shortened their thoughts so that they would not wander out into the darkness beyond tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/and-by-habit-they-shortened-their-thoughts-so-that-they-would-not/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [I'm coming out with my line of shoes and my very first shoe is called 'The Nethia.' How we came up with the name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nene-leakes/i-m-coming-out-with-my-line-of-shoes-and-my-very-first-shoe-is-called/) [NeNe Leakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nene-leakes/) > [I was looking for a name with an old English sound, very easy to pronounce in every language and easy to remember. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-della-valle/i-was-looking-for-a-name-with-an-old-english-sound-very-easy-to/) [Diego Della Valle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-della-valle/) > [The World Wide Web is the only thing I know of whose shortened form takes three times longer to say than what it's short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-world-wide-web-is-the-only-thing-i-know-of-whose-shortened-form/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“I’ve shortened this sentence’s length, in order to reduce the need for it. I’ve also shortened my penis (as impossible as that sounds), in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-ve-shortened-this-sentence-s-length-in-order-to-reduce-the-need-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Meek Mill - my homies used to call me 'Meek Millions,' and at the time I didn't have no millions, so I ain't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meek-mill/meek-mill-my-homies-used-to-call-me-meek-millions-and-at-the-time-i/) [Meek Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meek-mill/) > [My sister married an American and took his name, and my brother has shortened Sayrafiezadeh to Sayraf. So now he's Jacob Sayraf, or sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/my-sister-married-an-american-and-took-his-name-and-my-brother-has/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [We then took a shortened version of what we'd been doing in the pubs, with the best gags and things like that, out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-innes/we-then-took-a-shortened-version-of-what-we-d-been-doing-in-the-pubs/) [Neil Innes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-innes/) ## More by Maggie Smith > [If someone is going to talk about the process of making a film, it should be the director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/if-someone-is-going-to-talk-about-the-process-of-making-a-film-it/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [There were male colleges, and there were very few female colleges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-were-male-colleges-and-there-were-very-few-female-colleges/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Try not to cry too much because it can be pretty heart-breaking and pretty hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/try-not-to-cry-too-much-because-it-can-be-pretty-heart-breaking-and/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [There's a difference between solitude and loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/there-s-a-difference-between-solitude-and-loneliness/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I know there is something out there and like most people, I tend to believe in it more when things go bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-know-there-is-something-out-there-and-like-most-people-i-tend-to/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [When you get into the granny era, you're lucky to get anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/when-you-get-into-the-granny-era-you-re-lucky-to-get-anything/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Sort of what you do in drama school when asked to play something way out of your reach. Anyway, we used to laugh a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/sort-of-what-you-do-in-drama-school-when-asked-to-play-something-way/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I think lots of actors are very nervous and shy. I know lots of them who are, and some who aren't of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/i-think-lots-of-actors-are-very-nervous-and-shy-i-know-lots-of-them/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Little girls, I am in the business of putting old heads on young shoulders, and all my pupils are the crème de la crème.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/little-girls-i-am-in-the-business-of-putting-old-heads-on-young/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [The drama school was in Oxford - and it's funny to think of it, but in those days when I started out the University…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/the-drama-school-was-in-oxford-and-it-s-funny-to-think-of-it-but-in/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [Chris and Toby are far too sane to be upset any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/chris-and-toby-are-far-too-sane-to-be-upset-any-more/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [We can't escape the shadow, so the best thing we can do is notice the light and be open to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/we-can-t-escape-the-shadow-so-the-best-thing-we-can-do-is-notice-the/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) > [I find it very difficult to do anything on my own now because people recognize me. 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And I did do that, but I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-smith/which-is-strange-i-ve-always-thought-of-myself-as-someone-who-writes/) [Maggie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) [Explore all 81 Maggie Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-smith/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. 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The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children. For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird. For every loved child, a child broken, bagged, sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world is at least half terrible, and for every kind stranger, there is one who would break you, though I keep this from my children. I am trying to sell them the world. Any decent realtor, walking you through a real shithole, chirps on about good bones: This place could be beautiful, right? 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