--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our own death wish is our only real…" description: "\"Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.\" — Mario Puzo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png" --- # Our own death wish is our only real tragedy. ![“Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.” quote by Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png) > “Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.” [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Our own desire for death is the true tragedy, emphasizing self‑destruction over external loss. **In simple terms:** Self‑destructive wishes cause real tragedy. Key Takeaway Seek life‑affirming purpose. Themes mortality psychology tragedy Mood somber introspective serious Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - personal crises - addiction recovery - therapy sessions - creative burnout Key Concepts existentialism self‑sabotage mental health Questions to Reflect On - What drives self‑destructive wishes? - How can purpose replace death wishes? A Different Perspective Stigma may hinder open discussion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-wish/) [Sensitivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitivity/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [What we think of as our sensitivity is only the higher evolution of terror in a poor dumb beast. We suffer for nothing. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/what-we-think-of-as-our-sensitivity-is-only-the-higher-evolution-of/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“I have the soul of a private jet owner, and the life of a public transportation rider. It's a real tragedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-have-the-soul-of-a-private-jet-owner-and-the-life-of-a-public/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [In the presence of real tragedy you feel neither pain nor joy nor hatred, only a sense of enormous space and time suspended, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mervyn-peake/in-the-presence-of-real-tragedy-you-feel-neither-pain-nor-joy-nor/) [Mervyn Peake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mervyn-peake/) > [“Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly forever. Conventional tragedy is too easy. The hero dies and we feel a purging of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/real-tragedy-is-never-resolved-it-goes-on-hopelessly-forever/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I wish my real life could be as simple and scripted as it is on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-travis/i-wish-my-real-life-could-be-as-simple-and-scripted-as-it-is-on/) [Nancy Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-travis/) > [I wish we were the real thing, but so far you're just not falling for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-chiar/i-wish-we-were-the-real-thing-but-so-far-you-re-just-not-falling-for/) [Francine Chiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-chiar/) > [In our hearts,there are things we wish were real and things we wish were alive..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-our-hearts-there-are-things-we-wish-were-real-and-things-we-wish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know how easy it is to be swept away by stories, by things you wish were real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/i-know-how-easy-it-is-to-be-swept-away-by-stories-by-things-you-wish/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [Harry Potter's like Santa Clause: something you can't see but wish was real so badly that you end up believing in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/harry-potter-s-like-santa-clause-something-you-can-t-see-but-wish-was/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [I'm not going to hurt you like she did. I wish you would give me a real chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-going-to-hurt-you-like-she-did-i-wish-you-would-give-me-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish what I do was all real. Some of it's real, some of it's an illusion and I try to blur the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/i-wish-what-i-do-was-all-real-some-of-it-s-real-some-of-it-s-an/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [I wish I was someone real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biggie-smalls/i-wish-i-was-someone-real/) [Biggie Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biggie-smalls/) > [I DREAM OF YOU BUT HOW I WISH THERE WERE REAL :/](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-bella/i-dream-of-you-but-how-i-wish-there-were-real/) Ana Bella > [I wish they would see the real person in me. One day, they will know I'm not here for the show. My mind do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herschel-walker/i-wish-they-would-see-the-real-person-in-me-one-day-they-will-know-i/) [Herschel Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herschel-walker/) > [“I get out my hairbrush and wish for her—the real Lillian, and not the worst, most selfish parts of her. I wish for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenna-yovanoff/i-get-out-my-hairbrush-and-wish-for-her-the-real-lillian-and-not-the/) [Brenna Yovanoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenna-yovanoff/) ## More by Mario Puzo > [“There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them.They can't be justified.You just do them.Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/there-are-things-that-have-to-be-done-and-you-do-them-and-you-never/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/he-had-long-ago-learned-that-society-imposes-insults-that-must-be/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“going to the mattresses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/going-to-the-mattresses/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [I want to tell you a story. I have no other vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/i-want-to-tell-you-a-story-i-have-no-other-vanity/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Wasn't it true that Sometimes the greatest misfortunes brought unforseen rewards? -Don Corleone”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/wasn-t-it-true-that-sometimes-the-greatest-misfortunes-brought/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Pope Alexander smiled. He seemed more amused with the story than horrified. "The Baglioni are true believers," he said. "They believe in paradise. Such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/pope-alexander-smiled-he-seemed-more-amused-with-the-story-than/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [It was a lie but he believed in telling lies to people. Truth telling and medicine just didn't go together except in dire emergencies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/it-was-a-lie-but-he-believed-in-telling-lies-to-people-truth-telling/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [God seemed to be having a hard time killing him, and he'd be damned if he was going to make the job easy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/god-seemed-to-be-having-a-hard-time-killing-him-and-he-d-be-damned-if/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Everything you do in life use percentage as your god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/everything-you-do-in-life-use-percentage-as-your-god/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“But up until that time I want you just to follow my lead and don’t worry. There are negotiations going on that will solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/but-up-until-that-time-i-want-you-just-to-follow-my-lead-and-don-t/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“My dear Guiliano," he said, "how is it that you and Don Croce do not join together to rule Sicily? He has the wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/my-dear-guiliano-he-said-how-is-it-that-you-and-don-croce-do-not-join/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“It pleased him to see the hurt look on her face, the tears springing into her eyes. She might be a daughter of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/it-pleased-him-to-see-the-hurt-look-on-her-face-the-tears-springing/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“We are not responsible to the .90 calibers the pezzonovantis who take it upon themselves to decide what we shall do with out lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/we-are-not-responsible-to-the-90-calibers-the-pezzonovantis-who-take/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“I do not seek it or desire it. If I must, I will accept the punishment for all my sins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/i-do-not-seek-it-or-desire-it-if-i-must-i-will-accept-the-punishment/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/friendship-is-everything-friendship-is-more-than-talent-it-is-more/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) [Explore all 171 Mario Puzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mario Puzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-tragedy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-tragedy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/mario-puzo-2187_death_our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-trag_2126162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.” — Mario Puzo", "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": "Mario Puzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our own death wish is our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-tragedy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/our-own-death-wish-is-our-only-real-tragedy/#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 } } ] } ```