--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time,\" the Captain said, \"is not what you…" description: "\"Time,\" the Captain said, \"is not what you think.\" He sat down next to Eddie. \"Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. But what happens on ear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/mitch-albom-187_captains_time-the-captain-said-is-not-what-you-th_3148368.png" --- # Time," the Captain said, "is not what you think." He sat… ![“Time," the Captain said, "is not what you think." He sat down next to Eddie. "Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. But what happens on earth is only the beginning.” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/mitch-albom-187_captains_time-the-captain-said-is-not-what-you-th_3148368.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/mitch-albom-187_captains_time-the-captain-said-is-not-what-you-th_3148368.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e39/mitch-albom-187_captains_time-the-captain-said-is-not-what-you-th_3148368.png) > “Time," the Captain said, "is not what you think." He sat down next to Eddie. "Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. But what happens on earth is only the beginning.” [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. Life and death are portrayed as a continuum, not a final endpoint, urging acceptance of ongoing existence beyond mortality. **In simple terms:** Death is not final; life continues. Key Takeaway Embrace the idea that existence persists after death. Themes mortality continuity spirituality Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - philosophical reflection - comforting the dying - spiritual discussions Key Concepts afterlife existential perspective Questions to Reflect On - How does believing in continuity affect how you live now? - What comforts you most about this view? A Different Perspective Some may view this as unproven belief lacking empirical evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death and dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-and-dying/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Time,' the Captain said, 'is not what you think.' He sat down next to Eddie. 'Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/time-the-captain-said-is-not-what-you-think-he-sat-down-next-to-eddie-2/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [This is a story about a man named Eddie and it begins at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/this-is-a-story-about-a-man-named-eddie-and-it-begins-at-the-end-with/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“This is the story of a man named Eddie and it starts at the end, with Eddie dying in the sun. It may seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/this-is-the-story-of-a-man-named-eddie-and-it-starts-at-the-end-with/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“But no matter what happens, the earth keeps turning. Monday always comes and eventually, sometimes excruciatingly slowly, that Monday is followed by a Friday.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-reinhardt/but-no-matter-what-happens-the-earth-keeps-turning-monday-always/) [Dana Reinhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-reinhardt/) > [“Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. But what happens on earth is only the beginning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/dying-not-the-end-of-everything-we-think-it-is-but-what-happens-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [If people in the end think that you can't do something in a way which is acceptable then it won't fly. The only way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/if-people-in-the-end-think-that-you-can-t-do-something-in-a-way-which/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [“In the end, they could think of no better solution than to put a bullet between his eyes, so they could go about their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonas-jonasson/in-the-end-they-could-think-of-no-better-solution-than-to-put-a/) [Jonas Jonasson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonas-jonasson/) > [The purposes of God point to one simple end-that we should be as he is, think the same thoughts, mean the same things, possess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/the-purposes-of-god-point-to-one-simple-end-that-we-should-be-as-he/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“When we have no reason to be happy we often think to end ourselves, We often think we have no one in this world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st221/when-we-have-no-reason-to-be-happy-we-often-think-to-end-ourselves-we/) St221 > [In the end we must, I think, somehow conclude that they have as much right to this planet as we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-philip/in-the-end-we-must-i-think-somehow-conclude-that-they-have-as-much/) [Prince Philip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-philip/) > [Not think of death as an end, but think of it more as a very effective way of cutting down on your expenses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/not-think-of-death-as-an-end-but-think-of-it-more-as-a-very-effective/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [ When you identify with an organization and you want to do stuff \[but\] you get this inexplicable 'no' - a lot of people get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goff/when-you-identify-with-an-organization-and-you-want-to-do-stuff-but/) [Bob Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goff/) > [In the end, I think everyone should be treated fairly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/in-the-end-i-think-everyone-should-be-treated-fairly/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [The term bipartisanship, that's a means to an end. That's not something that I think you run on. I think you run on solutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delaney/the-term-bipartisanship-that-s-a-means-to-an-end-that-s-not-something/) [John Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delaney/) > [People know your name,not your story . Theyve heard what youve done, but not what youve been through. So take their opinions of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/people-know-your-name-not-your-story-theyve-heard-what-youve-done-but/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) ## 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 Captains quotes > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“An interesting captain on there, McNamara. Th e United States Lines had three captains. Every company had their captains that were notorious, and U.S.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jacoby/an-interesting-captain-on-there-mcnamara-th-e-united-states-lines-had/) Robert Jacoby > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [In the Sacramento of the 1950s, it was as though White simply hadn't had time enough to figure Brown out. It was a busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/in-the-sacramento-of-the-1950s-it-was-as-though-white-simply-hadn-t/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [It's really a pity that there are observers who view political events like comic strips. There has to be a Zorro, there has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sankara/it-s-really-a-pity-that-there-are-observers-who-view-political-events/) [Thomas Sankara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sankara/) > [Acting on television is like being asked by the captain to entertain the passengers while the ship goes down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-ustinov/acting-on-television-is-like-being-asked-by-the-captain-to-entertain/) [Peter Ustinov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-ustinov/) > [I was 35 years old and in a position to take a shot at whatever I wanted to try. The Air Force said I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-doyle/i-was-35-years-old-and-in-a-position-to-take-a-shot-at-whatever-i/) [Jerry Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-doyle/) > [Christianity, righty understood, is utterly unlike religion that man invents. It is so completely contrary to the way man does things that it must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-halverson/christianity-righty-understood-is-utterly-unlike-religion-that-man/) [Richard Halverson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-halverson/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [Sourav's greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/sourav-s-greatest-asset-is-his-ability-to-communicate-he-is-a/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) > [I need to gain a lot more experience. I think so much of being a director, other than the technical aspect and the artistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/i-need-to-gain-a-lot-more-experience-i-think-so-much-of-being-a/) [Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/) > [It is unfortunate when final decisions are made by chieftains headquartered miles away from the front, where they can only guess at conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/attila-the-hun/it-is-unfortunate-when-final-decisions-are-made-by-chieftains/) [Attila the Hun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/attila-the-hun/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That's one of the things they're there for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-miller/superman-punched-out-hitler-so-did-captain-america-that-s-one-of-the/) [Frank Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-miller/) > [Here - at this final hour, Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes - extinguished now, and gone from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ossie-davis/here-at-this-final-hour-harlem-has-come-to-bid-farewell-to-one-of-its/) [Ossie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ossie-davis/) Browse all 652 Captains quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time,\" the Captain said, \"is not what you think.\" He sat down next to Eddie. \"Dying? Not the end of everything. We think it is. 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