---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we can't face death, we'll never…"
description: "\"If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light.\" —..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg"
---

#  If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have…

![“If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light.” quote by Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg)

> “If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light.”

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Confronting death directly enables overcoming fear and moving toward hope.

**In simple terms:** Facing death helps you overcome it.

Key Takeaway

Look death, then move forward.

Themes

mortality courage resilience

Mood

thoughtful hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- grief counseling
- personal growth
- leadership training

Key Concepts

psychology of fear acceptance

Questions to Reflect On

- What fears do you avoid?
- How does confronting fear change your actions?

A Different Perspective

Denial can prevent confronting reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/)

## Related quotes

> [“You have come a long way and have won many battles. Whenever you’re faced with a difficult or challenging situation, you’ll overcome it. Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/you-have-come-a-long-way-and-have-won-many-battles-whenever-you-re/)

[Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/)

> [Challenge yourself with something you know you could never do, and what you'll find is that you can overcome anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/challenge-yourself-with-something-you-know-you-could-never-do-and-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“You shouldn’t ask the girl blessed by Death whom she’ll die for. You should ask her whom she’ll kill for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-x-chang/you-shouldn-t-ask-the-girl-blessed-by-death-whom-she-ll-die-for-you/)

Molly X. Chang

> [I'll starve to death before I'll cook for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-ll-starve-to-death-before-i-ll-cook-for-myself/)

[Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/)

> [So Now You're Death: Here's What You'll Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/so-now-you-re-death-here-s-what-you-ll-need/)

[Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/)

> [I'm scared to death that I'll never be afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-scared-to-death-that-i-ll-never-be-afraid/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I will always love you, Even in death I'll never forget you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-snyder/i-will-always-love-you-even-in-death-i-ll-never-forget-you/)

Aubrey Snyder

> [Some mortals--like you--are already half in love with death. It is who you are, and I'll not make it harder on you by telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-marr/some-mortals-like-you-are-already-half-in-love-with-death-it-is-who/)

[Melissa Marr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-marr/)

> [Life or death,I'll always be there for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazzy/life-or-death-i-ll-always-be-there-for-you/)

[Jazzy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazzy/)

> [.. almost everything all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/almost-everything-all-external-expectations-all-pride-all-fear-of/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [“Braith opened her eyes and screamed at what hovered above her, “Gods! Death comes for me!” The horrifying face of death curled its lip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/braith-opened-her-eyes-and-screamed-at-what-hovered-above-her-gods/)

[G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/)

> [“I might face death any minute now! But I should try not to put myself in harms' way as long as I can live.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samad-beh-rang/i-might-face-death-any-minute-now-but-i-should-try-not-to-put-myself/)

[Samad Beh-Rang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samad-beh-rang/)

> [“Why?" he asked instead. "Why do such things when my death would have benefited you far more?" Yhalen bent over his knees, resting forehead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-l-nunn/why-he-asked-instead-why-do-such-things-when-my-death-would-have/)

P.L. Nunn

> [When I planned to ski Everest, the first thing I faced was, 'How can I return alive?' All the preparation and training was based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuichiro-miura/when-i-planned-to-ski-everest-the-first-thing-i-faced-was-how-can-i/)

[Yuichiro Miura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuichiro-miura/)

> [“If you´re not ready to face death, you´re not ready to face life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-re-not-ready-to-face-death-you-re-not-ready-to-face-life/)

[Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/)

## More by Maya Lin

> [Our lives are given meaning by our actions-accomplishments made while we are "here" that extend beyond our own time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/our-lives-are-given-meaning-by-our-actions-accomplishments-made-while/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [If you don't remember history accurately, how can you learn?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/if-you-don-t-remember-history-accurately-how-can-you-learn/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [My parents are both college professors, and it made me want to question authority, standards and traditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/my-parents-are-both-college-professors-and-it-made-me-want-to/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I had very few friends. We always ate dinner with our parents. We didn't want to go out. American adolescence was a lot wilder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-had-very-few-friends-we-always-ate-dinner-with-our-parents-we-didn/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [Math, it's a puzzle to me. I love figuring out puzzles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/math-it-s-a-puzzle-to-me-i-love-figuring-out-puzzles/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I cannot force a design; I do not see this process as being under my conscious control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-cannot-force-a-design-i-do-not-see-this-process-as-being-under-my/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [OK, it was black, it was below grade, I was female, Asian American, young, too young to have served. Yet I think none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/ok-it-was-black-it-was-below-grade-i-was-female-asian-american-young/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I can't shout out, "Do this." I don't want to be prescriptive. I want to give you facts, and that's the way I've always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-can-t-shout-out-do-this-i-don-t-want-to-be-prescriptive-i-want-to/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [Competitions are what you do as a good exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/competitions-are-what-you-do-as-a-good-exercise/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [You really can't function as a celebrity. Entertainers are celebrities. I'm an architect. I'm an artist. I make things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/you-really-can-t-function-as-a-celebrity-entertainers-are-celebrities/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [Some of your teachers are actually closer in age to you than you think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/some-of-your-teachers-are-actually-closer-in-age-to-you-than-you-think/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I think I needed to really move past my first public work as memorialist, and be equally balanced. It's a bit unusual, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-think-i-needed-to-really-move-past-my-first-public-work-as/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I didn't have anyone to play with so I made up my own world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-didn-t-have-anyone-to-play-with-so-i-made-up-my-own-world/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [To me, the American Dream is being able to follow your own personal calling. To be able to do what you want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/to-me-the-american-dream-is-being-able-to-follow-your-own-personal/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

> [I like to think of my work as creating a private conversation with each person, no matter how public each work is and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/i-like-to-think-of-my-work-as-creating-a-private-conversation-with/)

[Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

[Explore all 81 Maya Lin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/)

## 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": "If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Maya Lin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overcome-it-you-have-to-look-it/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overcome-it-you-have-to-look-it/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/maya-lin-8428_death_if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overc_622958.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn…” — Maya Lin",
                "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": "Maya Lin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If we can't face death, we'll...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overcome-it-you-have-to-look-it/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/if-we-can-t-face-death-we-ll-never-overcome-it-you-have-to-look-it/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
