---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live our lives, do whatever we do, and…"
description: "\"“We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep. It’s as simple and ordinary as that. A few jump out windows, or drown themselves, or take pil..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/michael-cunningham-1120_life_we-live-our-lives-do-whatever-we-do-and_1116919.jpg"
---

#  We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep…

![“We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep. It’s as simple and ordinary as that. A few jump out windows, or drown themselves, or take pills; more die by accident; and most of us are slowly devoured by some disease, or, if we’re very fortunate, by time itself. There’s just this for…” quote by Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/michael-cunningham-1120_life_we-live-our-lives-do-whatever-we-do-and_1116919.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/michael-cunningham-1120_life_we-live-our-lives-do-whatever-we-do-and_1116919.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/michael-cunningham-1120_life_we-live-our-lives-do-whatever-we-do-and_1116919.jpg)

> ““We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep. It’s as simple and ordinary as that. A few jump out windows, or drown themselves, or take pills; more die by accident; and most of us are slowly devoured by some disease, or, if we’re very fortunate, by time itself. There’s just this for consolation: an hour here or there when our lives seem, against all odds and expectations, to burst open and give us everything we’ve ever imagined, though everyone but children (and perhaps even they) know these hours will inevitably be followed by others, far darker and more difficult.””

[Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/)

## About This Quote

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

Life is fleeting, ordinary, and often marred by tragedy, yet occasional moments of profound clarity can feel like a fulfillment of our deepest hopes, though they are inevitably followed by darker times.

**In simple terms:** Life is short, ordinary, with rare moments of deep meaning.

Key Takeaway

Cherish rare moments of clarity.

Themes

mortality hope transience

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- grief
- creative inspiration
- personal crisis
- health challenges

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize a moment of true clarity?
- What can you do to extend its impact?

A Different Perspective

Such moments can be fleeting and may not lead to lasting change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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

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