---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse…"
description: "\"“That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse, attempting to wash away all the foul smells and filth of yesterday. And one day we look, still ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg"
---

#  That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse…

![“That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse, attempting to wash away all the foul smells and filth of yesterday. And one day we look, still green behind the ears, thinking we could become something brand new in a world that’s centuries old, and the spot that should have been long gone…” quote by Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg)

> ““That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse, attempting to wash away all the foul smells and filth of yesterday. And one day we look, still green behind the ears, thinking we could become something brand new in a world that’s centuries old, and the spot that should have been long gone still exists. It becomes a constant reminder about the mess we made.””

[Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

## 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 reflects on humanity’s endless attempts to purge past mistakes, yet the lingering remnants of those errors persist, reminding us of our ongoing messiness.

**In simple terms:** We try to clean our past, but its stains remain.

Key Takeaway

Accept that some past flaws linger and focus on present growth.

Themes

reflection remembrance growth

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- creative writing
- philosophical essay

Key Concepts

Human nature impermanence historical continuity

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you confront lingering past mistakes?
- Can you transform past mess into learning?

A Different Perspective

It may overemphasize pessimism, ignoring capacity for renewal.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [Curiously, light-loving green plants reject the Sun's green light, reflecting it back at you, which is why they look green.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/curiously-light-loving-green-plants-reject-the-sun-s-green-light/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [You look green, immature. A young boy playing at business, dressing up in the manner in which he believes an actual grown-up would. Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/you-look-green-immature-a-young-boy-playing-at-business-dressing-up/)

[Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/)

> [“Green is made of yellow and blue, nothing else, but when you look at green, where’ve the yellow and the blue gone? Somehow this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/green-is-made-of-yellow-and-blue-nothing-else-but-when-you-look-at/)

[David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/)

> [When I looked at you, my life made sense. Even the bad things made sense. They were necessary to make you possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/when-i-looked-at-you-my-life-made-sense-even-the-bad-things-made/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Life has a sense even if its purpose is senseless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/life-has-a-sense-even-if-its-purpose-is-senseless/)

[Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/)

> [To me, in life, if you have a sense of humor about it, that's how you deal with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-macchio/to-me-in-life-if-you-have-a-sense-of-humor-about-it-that-s-how-you/)

[Ralph Macchio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-macchio/)

> [I have been in many countries, and I have found there people examining their own love of life, sense of peril, their own common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-have-been-in-many-countries-and-i-have-found-there-people-examining/)

[William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/)

> [“Be it as it may, if we are not ready to break new ground and get to grips with the recurrent challenges of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/be-it-as-it-may-if-we-are-not-ready-to-break-new-ground-and-get-to/)

[Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/)

> [There is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/there-is-one-purpose-to-life-and-one-only-to-bear-witness-to-and-2/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [Faith is the sense of life, that sense by virtue of which man does not destroy himself, but continues to live on. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/faith-is-the-sense-of-life-that-sense-by-virtue-of-which-man-does-not/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [The life of sense begins by assuming that we can only fitfully live the life of reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/the-life-of-sense-begins-by-assuming-that-we-can-only-fitfully-live/)

[Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/)

> [Life lives on life. This is the sense of the symbol of the Ouroboros, the serpent biting its tail. Everything that lives lives on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/life-lives-on-life-this-is-the-sense-of-the-symbol-of-the-ouroboros/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [Once you learn what life is about, there is no way to erase that knowledge. If you try to do something else with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/once-you-learn-what-life-is-about-there-is-no-way-to-erase-that/)

[James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/)

> [Can I live a life, daily life, without sense of self-concern?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/can-i-live-a-life-daily-life-without-sense-of-self-concern/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [“He comes where we are, and he brings us the life we hunger for. An early report reads, “Life was in him, life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/he-comes-where-we-are-and-he-brings-us-the-life-we-hunger-for-an/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

## More by Malik Will

> [“Soon that feeling of nothingness returned and the beautiful mind that once loved like a child became again so lost in itself that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/soon-that-feeling-of-nothingness-returned-and-the-beautiful-mind-that/)

[Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

> [“It was better that way because sad stories don’t belong in Neverland, only happy thoughts, pretty horses, and free moonshine, with not a cop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/it-was-better-that-way-because-sad-stories-don-t-belong-in-neverland/)

[Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

> [“Sometimes hell just comes to you,” I said. “And ain’t nothing you can do about that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/sometimes-hell-just-comes-to-you-i-said-and-ain-t-nothing-you-can-do/)

[Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

> [“How would life be if we just existed without being altered, or if all our faults were the exact thing that made us beautiful?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/how-would-life-be-if-we-just-existed-without-being-altered-or-if-all/)

[Malik Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

[Explore all 5 Malik Will quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/)

## More Cleanse quotes

> [I cleanse, tone and moisturize, and always take off my make-up before I go to bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisy-lowe/i-cleanse-tone-and-moisturize-and-always-take-off-my-make-up-before-i/)

[Daisy Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisy-lowe/)

> [“Laugh now, and laugh hard. For laughter is the bell. And when it rings, it cleanses the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/laugh-now-and-laugh-hard-for-laughter-is-the-bell-and-when-it-rings/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

> [God will cleanse your sins if you yourself are dissatisfied with yourself and will keep on changing until you are perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/god-will-cleanse-your-sins-if-you-yourself-are-dissatisfied-with/)

[Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/)

> [The best way to cleanse the heart and prepare for the stilling of the mind is to lead a normal, worldly life. Living in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meher-baba/the-best-way-to-cleanse-the-heart-and-prepare-for-the-stilling-of-the/)

[Meher Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meher-baba/)

> [As most doctors will tell you, cleansing is ridiculous. You know what's been around longer than that state-of-the-art juicer? Your kidneys. And your liver.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/as-most-doctors-will-tell-you-cleansing-is-ridiculous-you-know-what-s/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [“If you are having mysterious sickness for years that doctors have had little success in treating, an intestinal parasite cleanse is always worth a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/if-you-are-having-mysterious-sickness-for-years-that-doctors-have-had/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [While they trace their history back to wars that helped to ethnically cleanse Native Americans and to their exploits in the Civil War fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-sexton-iii/while-they-trace-their-history-back-to-wars-that-helped-to-ethnically/)

[Brendan Sexton III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-sexton-iii/)

> [I like a good cleanse in the morning, and I use 'Cetaphil', which is cheap but really works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsa-hosk/i-like-a-good-cleanse-in-the-morning-and-i-use-cetaphil-which-is/)

[Elsa Hosk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsa-hosk/)

> [I cleanse, tone and moisturize twice a day. I exfoliate once a week and carry makeup wipes in the car for freshening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-jackson/i-cleanse-tone-and-moisturize-twice-a-day-i-exfoliate-once-a-week-and/)

[Sasha Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-jackson/)

> [My mother taught me to cleanse, tone, and moisturize twice a day, so I always do that - I could be partying or working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/my-mother-taught-me-to-cleanse-tone-and-moisturize-twice-a-day-so-i/)

[Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/)

> [“Just as one goes on a fast or a body cleanse you owe it to yourselves to detox your mind, it will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aysha-taryam/just-as-one-goes-on-a-fast-or-a-body-cleanse-you-owe-it-to-yourselves/)

[Aysha Taryam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aysha-taryam/)

> [There is no such thing as a healthy cleanse. It's the worst thing you can do for your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-pasternak/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-healthy-cleanse-it-s-the-worst-thing-you/)

[Harley Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-pasternak/)

> [“The only thing better than a happy Heart is a clear mind to keep it pumping. Cleanse yourself from within and you’re bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stabley-victor-paskavich/the-only-thing-better-than-a-happy-heart-is-a-clear-mind-to-keep-it/)

Stabley Victor Paskavich

> [Cleanse my heart... Give me the ability to rage correctly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-orton/cleanse-my-heart-give-me-the-ability-to-rage-correctly/)

[Joe Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-orton/)

> [I have sinned against You, my Lord, and I would ask that your precious blood would wash and cleanse every stain until it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-swaggart/i-have-sinned-against-you-my-lord-and-i-would-ask-that-your-precious/)

[Jimmy Swaggart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-swaggart/)

Browse all 64 Cleanse quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse, attempting to wash away all the foul smells and filth of yesterday. And one day we look, still green behind the ears, thinking we could become something brand new in a world that’s centuries old, and the spot that should have been long gone still exists. It becomes a constant reminder about the mess we made.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Malik Will"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse-and-cleanse-attempting-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cleanse"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse-and-cleanse-attempting-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f8/malik-will-62375_life_that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse_247931.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“That’s how life is in a sense. We cleanse and cleanse, attempting to wash away all the foul smells and filth…” — Malik Will",
                "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": "Malik Will",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-will/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“That’s how life is in a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse-and-cleanse-attempting-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-will/that-s-how-life-is-in-a-sense-we-cleanse-and-cleanse-attempting-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
