--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry…" description: "\"I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry for me after I'm gone; cry for me now.\" — Marlene Dietrich" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/marlene-dietrich-4460_alive_i-m-worth-more-dead-than-alive-don-t-cry_2134414.jpg" --- # I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry for me after I'm… ![“I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry for me after I'm gone; cry for me now.” quote by Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/marlene-dietrich-4460_alive_i-m-worth-more-dead-than-alive-don-t-cry_2134414.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/marlene-dietrich-4460_alive_i-m-worth-more-dead-than-alive-don-t-cry_2134414.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/597/marlene-dietrich-4460_alive_i-m-worth-more-dead-than-alive-don-t-cry_2134414.jpg) > “I'm worth more dead than alive. Don't cry for me after I'm gone; cry for me now.” [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life’s value is heightened when lived fully now, urging immediate appreciation rather than posthumous mourning. **In simple terms:** Live fully now, not after death. Key Takeaway Cherish the present moment. Themes life mortality urgency Mood dramatic poetic Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - personal health - relationships - career milestones Key Concepts Existentialism carpe diem Questions to Reflect On - What does living fully mean to you? - How can you honor yourself today? A Different Perspective Focusing on mortality can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worth/) ## Related quotes > [“Never be worth more dead than alive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wright/never-be-worth-more-dead-than-alive/) Terry Wright > [After all the highways, and the trains, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/after-all-the-highways-and-the-trains-and-the-appointments-and-the/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [Nothing is worth anything to dead men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arya/nothing-is-worth-anything-to-dead-men/) [Arya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arya/) > [Dead or alive, interesting people are interesting people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-riley-fitch/dead-or-alive-interesting-people-are-interesting-people/) Noel Riley Fitch > [“Unlike a snake or a bear, a dead nigger could not be skinned for profit and was not worth his own dead weight in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/unlike-a-snake-or-a-bear-a-dead-nigger-could-not-be-skinned-for/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“With her, and only with her, the dead in me is alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-ritchie/with-her-and-only-with-her-the-dead-in-me-is-alive/) [Becca Ritchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-ritchie/) > [i'm sure i'm worth a lot more dead than alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-m-sure-i-m-worth-a-lot-more-dead-than-alive/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Zombies sort of typify this ambiguity, that they're not dead and not alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baena/zombies-sort-of-typify-this-ambiguity-that-they-re-not-dead-and-not/) [Jeff Baena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baena/) > [Half dead isn't dead, but half dead is still alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kells/half-dead-isn-t-dead-but-half-dead-is-still-alive/) Kells > [Dear, if you are dead or alive, I will still love you no matter what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-earl/dear-if-you-are-dead-or-alive-i-will-still-love-you-no-matter-what/) Graham Earl > [“Urgent Story" When the oracle said, ‘If you keep pigeons you will never lose home.’ I kept pigeons. They flicked their red eyes over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gallagher/urgent-story-when-the-oracle-said-if-you-keep-pigeons-you-will-never/) [Tess Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gallagher/) > [Depression is about as close as you get to somewhere between dead and alive, and it's the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/depression-is-about-as-close-as-you-get-to-somewhere-between-dead-and/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [There are some dead who are more alive than the living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-rolland/there-are-some-dead-who-are-more-alive-than-the-living/) [Romain Rolland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-rolland/) > [There is no more foul or relentless enemy of man in the occult world than this dead-alive creature spewed up from the grave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-endore/there-is-no-more-foul-or-relentless-enemy-of-man-in-the-occult-world/) Guy Endore > [I know why we try to keep the dead alive: we try to keep them alive in order to keep them with us. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-know-why-we-try-to-keep-the-dead-alive-we-try-to-keep-them-alive-in/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) ## More by Marlene Dietrich > [What a man notices first about a woman is whether she notices him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/what-a-man-notices-first-about-a-woman-is-whether-she-notices-him/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [ \[The lover says:\] How beautiful you are, now that you love me. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/the-lover-says-how-beautiful-you-are-now-that-you-love-me/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [To lose your prejudices you must travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/to-lose-your-prejudices-you-must-travel/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [“There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich" Under a picture of a mom holding a baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-is-a-gigantic-difference-between-earning-a-great-deal-of-money/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [one should be afraid of life, not of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/one-should-be-afraid-of-life-not-of-death/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Tenderness is greater proof of love than the most passionate of vows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/tenderness-is-greater-proof-of-love-than-the-most-passionate-of-vows/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [There's something about an American soldier you can't explain. They're so grateful for anything, even a film actress coming to see them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/there-s-something-about-an-american-soldier-you-can-t-explain-they-re/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Writers, Composers, Painters, - also artists like directors and actors fall into the same category. They have to be handled with kid gloves, mentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/writers-composers-painters-also-artists-like-directors-and-actors/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Lover's words: “How beautiful you are, now that you love me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/lover-s-words-how-beautiful-you-are-now-that-you-love-me/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Love affairs are the real only education in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/love-affairs-are-the-real-only-education-in-life/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [ \[On Orson Welles:\] When I talk to him, I feel like a plant that's been watered. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/on-orson-welles-when-i-talk-to-him-i-feel-like-a-plant-that-s-been/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [It is my private life which no one knows anything about, nor ever will. It needs more than half my time if it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/it-is-my-private-life-which-no-one-knows-anything-about-nor-ever-will/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Habit: Often mistaken for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/habit-often-mistaken-for-love/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Love for the joy of loving, and not for the offerings of someone else's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/love-for-the-joy-of-loving-and-not-for-the-offerings-of-someone-else/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) > [Gentleman. A man who buys two of the same morning paper from the doorman of his favorite nightclub when he leaves with his girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/gentleman-a-man-who-buys-two-of-the-same-morning-paper-from-the/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) [Explore all 110 Marlene Dietrich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm worth more dead than alive. 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