--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...fairness,\" he said, \"does not govern…" description: "\"...fairness,\" he said, \"does not govern life and death. if it did, no good person would ever die.\" \"Strangers,\" the Blue Man said, \"are just family you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mitch-albom-187_art-of-life_fairness-he-said-does-not-govern-life-an_1508551.png" --- # ...fairness," he said, "does not govern life and death. if… ![“...fairness," he said, "does not govern life and death. if it did, no good person would ever die." "Strangers," the Blue Man said, "are just family you have yet to come to know." "sacrifice is a part of life. it is supposed to be. it's not something to regret. it's something to aspire to. little…” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mitch-albom-187_art-of-life_fairness-he-said-does-not-govern-life-an_1508551.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mitch-albom-187_art-of-life_fairness-he-said-does-not-govern-life-an_1508551.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mitch-albom-187_art-of-life_fairness-he-said-does-not-govern-life-an_1508551.png) > “...fairness," he said, "does not govern life and death. if it did, no good person would ever die." "Strangers," the Blue Man said, "are just family you have yet to come to know." "sacrifice is a part of life. it is supposed to be. it's not something to regret. it's something to aspire to. little sacrifices. big sacrifices. a mother works so her son can go to school. a daughter moves home to take care of her sick father. Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. you're just passing it on to someone else.” [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. The quote links fairness, family, and sacrifice, suggesting that life’s inequities are inevitable, strangers become family, and sacrifices are purposeful acts that benefit others rather than losses. **In simple terms:** Life isn’t always fair; strangers can become family; sacrifices help others. Key Takeaway Accept life’s unfairness, cherish new connections, value purposeful sacrifice. Themes fairness family sacrifice purpose connection Mood reflective hopeful empathetic Type philosophical inspirational narrative When to use this quote - caring for a sick parent - mentoring a youth - community volunteering - supporting a friend in crisis Key Concepts existentialism humanism altruism Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn personal sacrifice into broader social good? - When can a sacrifice become harmful? A Different Perspective It may overlook systemic injustices that require more than personal sacrifice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-of-life/) [Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blue/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fairness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairness/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Good person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-person/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Part of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part-of-life/) [Parts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parts-of-life/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Sacrifices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifices/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) ## Related quotes > [Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to. Little sacrifices. Big sacrifices.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it-s-not-something-to/) [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-3/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Sacrifice,” The Captain said. “You made one. I made one. We all make them. But you were angry over yours. You kept thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sacrifice-the-captain-said-you-made-one-i-made-one-we-all-make-them/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Sacrfice," the captain said. "You made one. I made one. We all made them. But you were angry over yours. You kept thinking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sacrfice-the-captain-said-you-made-one-i-made-one-we-all-made-them/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [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/sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it-s-not-something-to-2/) [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/) > [“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-2/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“unfortunately, these young men do not understand that the sacrifice of life is, perhaps, the easiest of all sacrifices in many cases, while to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/unfortunately-these-young-men-do-not-understand-that-the-sacrifice-of/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The sacrifice of life is, in many cases, the easiest of all sacrifices”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-sacrifice-of-life-is-in-many-cases-the-easiest-of-all-sacrifices/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [My family made big sacrifices but little gestures mean a lot. My sister took me to training when she was pregnant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reiss-nelson/my-family-made-big-sacrifices-but-little-gestures-mean-a-lot-my/) [Reiss Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reiss-nelson/) > [“You thought if you were good. If you gave up the things that made you different. The world you know. That it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deirdre-sullivan/you-thought-if-you-were-good-if-you-gave-up-the-things-that-made-you/) [Deirdre Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deirdre-sullivan/) > [“No Sacrifice No Victory Know Sacrifice Know Victory”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/no-sacrifice-no-victory-know-sacrifice-know-victory/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/those-who-understand-the-eternal-blessings-which-come-from-the-temple/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [Maybe you actually do need to face obstacles with someone to know that they're the one you'd sacrifice for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-flinn/maybe-you-actually-do-need-to-face-obstacles-with-someone-to-know/) [Alex Flinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-flinn/) > [I will do my duty no matter what the price, I've counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice. Oh, and I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-keith/i-will-do-my-duty-no-matter-what-the-price-i-ve-counted-up-the-cost-i/) [Toby Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-keith/) ## 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. 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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. 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