---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If heaven doesn't exist, what will we…"
description: "\"“If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.”\" — Neil Hannon"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg"
---

#  If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This…

![“If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.” quote by Neil Hannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg)

> ““If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.””

Neil Hannon

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

If heaven doesn’t exist, we should cherish this life as the best we have.

**In simple terms:** Life is precious regardless of afterlife.

Key Takeaway

Live fully and appreciate the present.

Themes

existence meaning appreciation philosophy

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

Exist:1 Heaven:1 Life:1 Life Best:1 Missed Life:1 Heaven Doesn:1 Exist Missed:1

When to use this quote

- daily gratitude
- life planning
- spiritual reflection

Key Concepts

music songwriting

Questions to Reflect On

- What gives your life meaning?
- How do you find purpose without belief in heaven?

A Different Perspective

Denial of afterlife may cause existential anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

## Related quotes

> [“And when we die, Will we be that disappointed or sad? If Heaven doesn't exist, What will we have missed? This life is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/and-when-we-die-will-we-be-that-disappointed-or-sad-if-heaven-doesn-t/)

Neil Hannon

> [“At the paranormalist end, Jacques Vallée once famously remarked “just because a message comes from Heaven doesn’t mean it’s not stupid.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-white/at-the-paranormalist-end-jacques-vall-e-once-famously-remarked-just/)

[Gordon White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-white/)

> [“Hell can’t hide you and heaven doesn’t want you, if I make it out of here alive, you’re dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/turhan-halil/hell-can-t-hide-you-and-heaven-doesn-t-want-you-if-i-make-it-out-of/)

[Turhan Halil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/turhan-halil/)

> [Heaven doesn't make this life less important; it makes it more important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/heaven-doesn-t-make-this-life-less-important-it-makes-it-more/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [Maybe life on earth could be heaven, doesn't just the thought of it make it worth a try?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/maybe-life-on-earth-could-be-heaven-doesn-t-just-the-thought-of-it/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [Just because you are going to Heaven doesn't mean you have Heaven established in you. Success is Heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/just-because-you-are-going-to-heaven-doesn-t-mean-you-have-heaven/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [“-That's when I realized that Heaven doesn't exist in another place, and neither does Hell. It's all here on Earth. We live them both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galaxy-craze/that-s-when-i-realized-that-heaven-doesn-t-exist-in-another-place-and/)

Galaxy Craze

> [Dad, even though you're in heaven, that doesn't mean I can't wish you a happy father's day. Happy Father's Day dad. Not a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/dad-even-though-you-re-in-heaven-that-doesn-t-mean-i-can-t-wish-you-a/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [Heaven doesn't mean break one heart and searching for another for your hapiness, Heaven doesnot mean You happy - its means All the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tinku-razoria/heaven-doesn-t-mean-break-one-heart-and-searching-for-another-for/)

[Tinku Razoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tinku-razoria/)

> [“That in my left pocket I have "heaven"... doesn't mean that in my right pocket I don't have "hell".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/that-in-my-left-pocket-i-have-heaven-doesn-t-mean-that-in-my-right/)

Deyth Banger

> [Of course! The path to heaven doesn't lie down in flat miles. It's in the imagination with which you perceive this world, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/of-course-the-path-to-heaven-doesn-t-lie-down-in-flat-miles-it-s-in/)

[Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/)

> [Heaven doesn't laugh. It just smiles and stares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takehiko-inoue/heaven-doesn-t-laugh-it-just-smiles-and-stares/)

[Takehiko Inoue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takehiko-inoue/)

> [“We are deluded when we think that we do not have a direct line to heaven, that heaven doesn’t stand ready to help us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/we-are-deluded-when-we-think-that-we-do-not-have-a-direct-line-to/)

[Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/)

> [Heaven doesn't ignore cries of a broken heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/heaven-doesn-t-ignore-cries-of-a-broken-heart/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [The reality of heaven doesn't take away the pain of or suffering or our losses, but it assures us that our pain is temporary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-dravecky/the-reality-of-heaven-doesn-t-take-away-the-pain-of-or-suffering-or/)

[Dave Dravecky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-dravecky/)

## More by Neil Hannon

> [“And when we die, Will we be that disappointed or sad? If Heaven doesn't exist, What will we have missed? This life is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/and-when-we-die-will-we-be-that-disappointed-or-sad-if-heaven-doesn-t/)

Neil Hannon

Explore all 2 Neil Hannon quotes

## More Exist quotes

> [A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/a-vacuum-can-only-exist-i-imagine-by-the-things-which-enclose-it/)

[Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/)

> [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/)

[Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/)

> [You would not exist if you did not have something to bring to the table of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/you-would-not-exist-if-you-did-not-have-something-to-bring-to-the/)

[Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/)

> [I don't believe in moral victories. I don't think in pro ball they exist, and they shouldn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-witten/i-don-t-believe-in-moral-victories-i-don-t-think-in-pro-ball-they/)

[Jason Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-witten/)

> [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/)

[Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/)

> [“Must a people disappear for us to know they exist? Mano Dayak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mano-dayak/must-a-people-disappear-for-us-to-know-they-exist-mano-dayak/)

Mano Dayak

> [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/)

[Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/)

> [“And then again, maybe people and things are the same as emotions: Even when you can't see them or feel them or be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-henriquez/and-then-again-maybe-people-and-things-are-the-same-as-emotions-even/)

[Cristina Henriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-henriquez/)

> [When you rely on incentives, you undermine virtues. Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-you-rely-on-incentives-you-undermine-virtues-then-when-you/)

[Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/)

> [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/)

[John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/)

> [“Human race had never planned to show up in this universe. I wonder whether current human efforts are relevant to its sustainability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/human-race-had-never-planned-to-show-up-in-this-universe-i-wonder/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to-make-a-difference-i-don-t/)

[Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/)

> [Happiness, I do not know where to turn to discover you on earth, in the air or the sky; yet I know you exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalia-de-castro/happiness-i-do-not-know-where-to-turn-to-discover-you-on-earth-in-the/)

[Rosalia de Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalia-de-castro/)

> [Is when you can not exist without your loves smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff/is-when-you-can-not-exist-without-your-loves-smile/)

Jeff

> [Liberty does not exist where rights are on one side and power on the other. To be liberty, rights must be armed with vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/liberty-does-not-exist-where-rights-are-on-one-side-and-power-on-the/)

[Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/)

Browse all 2,297 Exist quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Neil Hannon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-have-missed-this-life-is-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Exist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-have-missed-this-life-is-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aed/neil-hannon-108354_life_if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-hav_1530822.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If heaven doesn't exist, what will we have missed? This life is the best we've ever had.” — Neil Hannon",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Neil Hannon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-hannon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“If heaven doesn't exist, what will...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-have-missed-this-life-is-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hannon/if-heaven-doesn-t-exist-what-will-we-have-missed-this-life-is-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
