--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Dying,\" Morrie suddenly said, \"is the…" description: "\"“Dying,\" Morrie suddenly said, \"is the only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/mitch-albom-187_death_dying-morrie-suddenly-said-is-the-only-o_324668.png" --- # Dying," Morrie suddenly said, "is the only one thing to be… ![“Dying," Morrie suddenly said, "is the only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy.” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/mitch-albom-187_death_dying-morrie-suddenly-said-is-the-only-o_324668.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/mitch-albom-187_death_dying-morrie-suddenly-said-is-the-only-o_324668.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/mitch-albom-187_death_dying-morrie-suddenly-said-is-the-only-o_324668.png) > ““Dying," Morrie suddenly said, "is the only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy.”” [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Morrie suggests that death is a natural, inevitable event worthy of sorrow, while unhappiness in life is a choice that can be addressed. **In simple terms:** Death is inevitable; unhappiness is avoidable. Key Takeaway Focus on living well rather than fearing death. Themes mortality happiness acceptance Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal reflection - caregiver support - life coaching Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you transform unhappiness into purposeful action? - What does it mean to accept mortality? A Different Perspective Unhappiness may stem from external circumstances beyond personal control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [“Dying,” Morris suddenly said, “is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is something else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/dying-morris-suddenly-said-is-only-one-thing-to-be-sad-over-mitch/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Dying is only one thing to be sad over... Living unhappily is something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morrie-schwartz/dying-is-only-one-thing-to-be-sad-over-living-unhappily-is-something/) [Morrie Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morrie-schwartz/) > [“Dying is one thing to be sad over. Living unhappily is something else.' ‘For one thing, the culture we have does not make people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/dying-is-one-thing-to-be-sad-over-living-unhappily-is-something-else/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Dying is only one thing to be sad over, Mitch. Living unhappily is Something else. So many of the people who came to visit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/dying-is-only-one-thing-to-be-sad-over-mitch-living-unhappily-is/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do”; “Accept the past as past without denying it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/accept-what-you-are-able-to-do-and-what-you-are-not-able-to-do-accept/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [House of Fools,' that was the first thing I was sad that we couldn't do any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mortimer/house-of-fools-that-was-the-first-thing-i-was-sad-that-we-couldn-t-do/) [Bob Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mortimer/) > [For a moment, I thought of the word happy and it was a word that just, well, it felt like it was visiting me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/for-a-moment-i-thought-of-the-word-happy-and-it-was-a-word-that-just/) [Benjamin Alire Saenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white-2/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-replied-merlin-beginning-to-puff-and/) [T. H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white-2/) > [“The best thing for being sad," replied Merlyn, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-replied-merlyn-is-to-learn-something/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [“The best thing for being sad ... is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-is-to-learn-something-that-s-the-only/) [T.H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white/) > [It's sad how you think that I don't care about you, but the thing that's even more sad, is that you're the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-sad-how-you-think-that-i-don-t-care-about-you-but-the-thing-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best thing for being sad ... is to learn something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-is-to-learn-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That is the only thing that never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-replied-merlyn-beginning-to-puff-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The best thing for being sad, is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails ... Learning is the only thing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-white-2/the-best-thing-for-being-sad-is-to-learn-something-that-s-the-only-2/) [T. H. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-white-2/) > [Dying is one thing to be sad about, but living a sad life is another thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/movie/dying-is-one-thing-to-be-sad-about-but-living-a-sad-life-is-another/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/movie/) ## More by Mitch Albom > [“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/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [the words people do not speak are louder than the ones they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-words-people-do-not-speak-are-louder-than-the-ones-they-do/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Once, lovers on faraway shores sat by candlelight and dipped ink to parchment, writing words that could not be erased. They took an evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/once-lovers-on-faraway-shores-sat-by-candlelight-and-dipped-ink-to/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Life goes quickly, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-goes-quickly-doesn-t-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [As children grow, they gravitate to their fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/as-children-grow-they-gravitate-to-their-fates/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“If the only thing wrong with Moses is that he's not yours; if the only thing wrong with Jesus is that he's not yours;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/if-the-only-thing-wrong-with-moses-is-that-he-s-not-yours-if-the-only/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“whisper their good-byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/whisper-their-good-byes/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“I had also developed my own culture. Work. Over the years, I had taken labor as my companion and had moved everything else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-had-also-developed-my-own-culture-work-over-the-years-i-had-taken/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When we are most alone is when we embrace another's loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/when-we-are-most-alone-is-when-we-embrace-another-s-loneliness/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-didn-t-get-it-sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on the good things still in my life. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-give-myself-a-good-cry-if-i-need-it-but-then-i-concentrate-on-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [It was sad, the imbalance of it all. Why do kids assume so much from one parent and hold the other to a lower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/it-was-sad-the-imbalance-of-it-all-why-do-kids-assume-so-much-from/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) [Explore all 962 Mitch Albom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## 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. 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