--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was the first time I had ever seen…" description: "\"“It was the first time I had ever seen someone die, and it wasn't what I expected...I stood there waiting for something momentous to happen, for someon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/michael-j-collins-43795_death_it-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-seen-so_1540876.jpg" --- # It was the first time I had ever seen someone die, and it… ![“It was the first time I had ever seen someone die, and it wasn't what I expected...I stood there waiting for something momentous to happen, for someone to say something profound, but there was nothing...I still had the childish notion that since my life was so important, all lives were so…” quote by Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/michael-j-collins-43795_death_it-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-seen-so_1540876.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/michael-j-collins-43795_death_it-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-seen-so_1540876.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/michael-j-collins-43795_death_it-was-the-first-time-i-had-ever-seen-so_1540876.jpg) > ““It was the first time I had ever seen someone die, and it wasn't what I expected...I stood there waiting for something momentous to happen, for someone to say something profound, but there was nothing...I still had the childish notion that since my life was so important, all lives were so important. Since my death would be so cataclysmic, all deaths would be so cataclysmic.”” [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Witnessing death shattered the expectation of dramatic meaning, revealing life's inherent fragility and the falsehood of personal centrality. **In simple terms:** Death is often anticlimactic and challenges self‑importance. Key Takeaway Accept life's unpredictability. Themes mortality existentialism psychology Mood somber introspective Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - funeral experiences - health crises - personal loss - creative writing Key Concepts meaninglessness self‑importance grief Questions to Reflect On - What does this experience teach about personal significance? - How can we find meaning after loss? A Different Perspective The perspective may be overly nihilistic, ignoring moments of genuine meaning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Thought provoking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-provoking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Typical Xochi, leaving out important, death-related details.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-bock/typical-xochi-leaving-out-important-death-related-details/) [J.T. Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-bock/) > [“I will take a new approach to death, because what is important about death is not the dead. It’s the living. Those of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jael-mchenry/i-will-take-a-new-approach-to-death-because-what-is-important-about/) [Jael McHenry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jael-mchenry/) > [“For the moment, death is spoiling life for you, that’s all. But life is more important than death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/for-the-moment-death-is-spoiling-life-for-you-that-s-all-but-life-is/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [I've never seen anyone die. It's hard to imagine what it would be like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gleeson/i-ve-never-seen-anyone-die-it-s-hard-to-imagine-what-it-would-be-like/) [Jack Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gleeson/) > [“She could say that she teaches because she is grateful to be alive, and she is: she has seen too many die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/she-could-say-that-she-teaches-because-she-is-grateful-to-be-alive/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I ask why, why do I have seen people understand only tho'I have seen yesterday! Instead of wasting the lives of these innocent children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/i-ask-why-why-do-i-have-seen-people-understand-only-tho-i-have-seen/) Mak\_786 > [“I have never seen anyone die for the ontological argument.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-have-never-seen-anyone-die-for-the-ontological-argument/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I saw Hollywood born and I've seen it die...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-pickford/i-saw-hollywood-born-and-i-ve-seen-it-die/) [Mary Pickford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-pickford/) > [It's Fucked up on this side of the fence, I've seen them die just tryin' to get rich, seen them die just tryin' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-blevins/it-s-fucked-up-on-this-side-of-the-fence-i-ve-seen-them-die-just/) [Billy Blevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-blevins/) > [Yes, it is God who works in you. And, yes, there is work for you to do. Yes, the Spirit empowers you to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/yes-it-is-god-who-works-in-you-and-yes-there-is-work-for-you-to-do/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“For their never-ending endeavours to obtain or retain wealth, countries desperately need companies, because they—unlike most human beings—have the means of production, and human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/for-their-never-ending-endeavours-to-obtain-or-retain-wealth/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [My son even if you want to fall, at least fall where your bones can be gathered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/my-son-even-if-you-want-to-fall-at-least-fall-where-your-bones-can-be/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Self-pity is the worst disability a person can have, Callie. It's crippling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-terrell/self-pity-is-the-worst-disability-a-person-can-have-callie-it-s/) Shelley Terrell > [As the generalization goes about the art industry, people can be really challenging and thought-provoking in their thinking and questioning the status quo, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/as-the-generalization-goes-about-the-art-industry-people-can-be/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) > [“It is the transience of life which proves its inestimable worth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-harrop/it-is-the-transience-of-life-which-proves-its-inestimable-worth/) [D.B. Harrop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-harrop/) ## More by Michael J. Collins > [“We, who should know better, reinforce every patient's desire to hide from the reality of his own mortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/we-who-should-know-better-reinforce-every-patient-s-desire-to-hide/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“And of course she's sad about losing her leg, but she says it's made her realise how many things she hasn't lost...it's like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/and-of-course-she-s-sad-about-losing-her-leg-but-she-says-it-s-made/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“At times it felt like I was killing myself. And yet the only thing I could recall at that moment was how much fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/at-times-it-felt-like-i-was-killing-myself-and-yet-the-only-thing-i/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“We were learning that all the training and all the caring in the world were not going to solve every problem. This wasn't medical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/we-were-learning-that-all-the-training-and-all-the-caring-in-the/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“I'm starting to realize that I can't be a child forever, that I don't want to be a child forever. I've had my turn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/i-m-starting-to-realize-that-i-can-t-be-a-child-forever-that-i-don-t/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“How long have you two been married?” I asked her. “One month—today!” she answered with a little smile. “Well,” I said, “you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/how-long-have-you-two-been-married-i-asked-her-one-month-today-she/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“I'm taking inorganic chem and physics not because I want to but because I have to. Not every doctor wants to be a scientist.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/i-m-taking-inorganic-chem-and-physics-not-because-i-want-to-but/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) > [“Why do we always think our pain will be less if we can make others suffer more?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-collins/why-do-we-always-think-our-pain-will-be-less-if-we-can-make-others/) [Michael J. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) [Explore all 9 Michael J. Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-collins/) ## 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. 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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": "“It was the first time I had ever seen someone die, and it wasn't what I expected...I stood there waiting for something momentous to happen, for someone to say something profound, but there was nothing...I still had the childish notion that since my life was so important, all lives were so important. 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