--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want what everybody wants, that's how I…" description: "\"I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still breathing...\" — Mark Doty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg" --- # I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still… ![“I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still breathing...” quote by Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg) > “I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still breathing...” [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet equates wanting what everyone desires with a sign of being alive, suggesting social desire reflects vitality. **In simple terms:** Wanting common things shows you’re alive. Key Takeaway Desire for shared goals signals life. Themes desire social conformity existence Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily life - career goals - personal aspirations - mental health Key Concepts existential affirmation collective identity Questions to Reflect On - What does your desire reveal about you? - Do you pursue wants for self or others? A Different Perspective Desire may mask deeper needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) ## Related quotes > [America is so special, everybody wants to go there. And there's not a thought given to how it got special. 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Of all the things we take for granted, breathing has to be number one - even though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/people-don-t-think-much-about-breathing-of-all-the-things-we-take-for/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [I wish," Jared began, and stopped, breathing in. "Do you remember how you used to believe I wasn't real? Sometimes I wish that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-wish-jared-began-and-stopped-breathing-in-do-you-remember-how-you/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [Breathing is give(carbon dioxide) and take(oxygen), such is life, find balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-williams/breathing-is-give-carbon-dioxide-and-take-oxygen-such-is-life-find/) Marcel Williams > [I'll probably be writing as long as I'm breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/i-ll-probably-be-writing-as-long-as-i-m-breathing/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [He’d moved toward me again. 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It would have been effortless for us — comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-m-exactly-right-for-you-bella-it-would-have-been-effortless-for-us/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) [Browse all 1,666 Breathing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still breathing...", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Doty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i-know-i-m-still-breathing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breathing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i-know-i-m-still-breathing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mark-doty-11557_breathing_i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i_898475.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want what everybody wants, that's how I know I'm still breathing...” — Mark Doty", "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": "Mark Doty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want what everybody wants, that's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i-know-i-m-still-breathing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/i-want-what-everybody-wants-that-s-how-i-know-i-m-still-breathing/#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 } } ] } ```