--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sadness of our existence should not…" description: "\"The sadness of our existence should not leave us blunted, on the contrary--how to remain thin-skinned, vulnerable and stay alive?\" — Montgomery Clift" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/montgomery-clift-30539_alive_the-sadness-of-our-existence-should-not_825733.jpg" --- # The sadness of our existence should not leave us blunted… ![“The sadness of our existence should not leave us blunted, on the contrary--how to remain thin-skinned, vulnerable and stay alive?” quote by Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/montgomery-clift-30539_alive_the-sadness-of-our-existence-should-not_825733.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/montgomery-clift-30539_alive_the-sadness-of-our-existence-should-not_825733.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbf/montgomery-clift-30539_alive_the-sadness-of-our-existence-should-not_825733.jpg) > “The sadness of our existence should not leave us blunted, on the contrary--how to remain thin-skinned, vulnerable and stay alive?” [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling sadness should sharpen, not dull, our sensitivity, keeping us emotionally open and alive. **In simple terms:** Sadness can keep us emotionally alive. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability despite sorrow. Themes empathy vulnerability emotional awareness Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - grief counseling - creative writing - mindfulness practice - relationship building Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay open without being overwhelmed? - What practices help you transform sadness into vitality? A Different Perspective Being too thin‑skinned can lead to burnout; balance is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Contrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Remain Skinned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remain-skinned-513811/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sadness Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-existence-513813/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Skinned Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skinned-vulnerable-513812/) [Stay Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-alive/) [Staying alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/staying-alive/) [Vulnerable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerable/) ## Related quotes > [Emotions are lovely. Even if they fall to the negative for a time. The sun will rise again another day. The sadness perhaps never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-mallory/emotions-are-lovely-even-if-they-fall-to-the-negative-for-a-time-the/) [Anne Mallory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-mallory/) > [He hasn't accepted his death. He is already fighting hard to stay alive. Which also means that kind Peeta Mellark, the boy who gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/he-hasn-t-accepted-his-death-he-is-already-fighting-hard-to-stay/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [He's out here, somewhere, and he wants you dead,' she said. 'Him as killed your family. Us in the graveyard, we wants you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/he-s-out-here-somewhere-and-he-wants-you-dead-she-said-him-as-killed/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [If you make the goal of your life just to stay alive, you'll fail. 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I think I'm good, and I've learned a lot, certainly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/i-don-t-consider-myself-a-great-actress-i-m-just-trying-to-stay-alive/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [The purpose of life is to stay alive. Watch any animal in nature--all it tries to do is stay alive. It doesn't care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/the-purpose-of-life-is-to-stay-alive-watch-any-animal-in-nature-all/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/love-is-how-you-stay-alive-even-after-you-are-gone/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Many a man has decided to stay alive not because of the will to live but because of the determination not to give assorted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-behan/many-a-man-has-decided-to-stay-alive-not-because-of-the-will-to-live/) [Brendan Behan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-behan/) > [Did he just say--?" "Yes," Claire said, smiling. "Yes, he did." "Whoa. Guess I'd better stay alive, then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/did-he-just-say-yes-claire-said-smiling-yes-he-did-whoa-guess-i-d/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) ## More by Montgomery Clift > [The thing that bugs me is the average woman's complete ignorance of the functional purpose of cosmetics, which is to supplement, not conceal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/the-thing-that-bugs-me-is-the-average-woman-s-complete-ignorance-of/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [If a man don't go his own way, he is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/if-a-man-don-t-go-his-own-way-he-is-nothing/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [The only line that's wrong in Shakespeare is 'holding a mirror up to nature.' You hold a magnifying glass up to nature. As an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/the-only-line-that-s-wrong-in-shakespeare-is-holding-a-mirror-up-to/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/look-i-m-not-odd-i-m-just-trying-to-be-an-actor-not-a-movie-star-an/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Failure and its accompanying misery is for the artist his most vital source of creative energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/failure-and-its-accompanying-misery-is-for-the-artist-his-most-vital/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Look! Look! If you look really hard at things you'll forget you're going to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/look-look-if-you-look-really-hard-at-things-you-ll-forget-you-re/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Look, if you're playing Romeo and your Juliet is a pig, you find something you can love about pigs!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/look-if-you-re-playing-romeo-and-your-juliet-is-a-pig-you-find/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Nobody ever lies about being lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/nobody-ever-lies-about-being-lonely/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [The closer we come to the negative, to death, the more we blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/the-closer-we-come-to-the-negative-to-death-the-more-we-blossom/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [A man should be what he can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/a-man-should-be-what-he-can-do/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [I have the same problem as Marilyn. We attract people the way honey does bees, but they're generally the wrong kind of people. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/i-have-the-same-problem-as-marilyn-we-attract-people-the-way-honey/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [I don't want to be labeled as either a pansy or a heterosexual. Labeling is so self-limiting. We are what we do - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/i-don-t-want-to-be-labeled-as-either-a-pansy-or-a-heterosexual/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [James Dean’s death had a profound effect on me. The instant I heard about it, I vomited. I don’t know why,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/james-dean-s-death-had-a-profound-effect-on-me-the-instant-i-heard/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [I have enough money to get by. I'm not independently wealthy, just independently lazy, I suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/i-have-enough-money-to-get-by-i-m-not-independently-wealthy-just/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [I keep my family out of my public life because it can be an awful nuisance to them. What's my mother going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/i-keep-my-family-out-of-my-public-life-because-it-can-be-an-awful/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) [Explore all 17 Montgomery Clift quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. 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Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. 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We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. 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