--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That is why those who are not capable of…" description: "\"That is why those who are not capable of being there in the present moment, they don't really live their life - they live like dead people.\" — Nhat Hanh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png" --- # That is why those who are not capable of being there in… ![“That is why those who are not capable of being there in the present moment, they don't really live their life - they live like dead people.” quote by Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png) > “That is why those who are not capable of being there in the present moment, they don't really live their life - they live like dead people.” [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living fully in the present prevents a dead, unengaged existence; true life requires mindful awareness. **In simple terms:** Be present to truly live. Key Takeaway Practice mindfulness daily. Themes mindfulness presence life awareness Mood calm thoughtful Type spiritual practical When to use this quote - meditation - daily routines - stressful work - relationships Key Concepts Buddhist practice psychology consciousness Questions to Reflect On - What habits pull you out of the present? - How can you anchor yourself in the now? A Different Perspective People may struggle to stay present amid distractions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-there/) [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-live/) [Like Dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-dead/) [Live life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-life/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“There, there, it is but a story," she comforted sadly. "Like all dead people become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-vaughan/there-there-it-is-but-a-story-she-comforted-sadly-like-all-dead/) [M.E. Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-vaughan/) > [Transformations is the word. We can do the work of transformation only in the present moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/transformations-is-the-word-we-can-do-the-work-of-transformation-only/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [When we enter the present moment deeply, our regrets and sorrows disappear, and we discover life with all its wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-we-enter-the-present-moment-deeply-our-regrets-and-sorrows/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-can-smile-breathe-walk-and-eat-our-meals-in-a-way-that-allows-us/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [To live in the present moment is a miracle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/to-live-in-the-present-moment-is-a-miracle/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Because if the manifestations that happen in the present moment are beautiful and good, their continuation in the future will be also good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/because-if-the-manifestations-that-happen-in-the-present-moment-are/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Peace ca n exist only in the present moment. It is rid iculous to say "Wait until I fi nish this, then I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/peace-ca-n-exist-only-in-the-present-moment-it-is-rid-iculous-to-say/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [We must look deeply into the nature of our volition to see whether it is pushing us in the direction of liberation from suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-must-look-deeply-into-the-nature-of-our-volition-to-see-whether-it/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Eating mindfully is a most important practice of meditation. We can eat in a way that we restore the cookie of our childhood. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/eating-mindfully-is-a-most-important-practice-of-meditation-we-can/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [To meditate is to be aware of what is going on - in our bodies, our feelings our minds, and in the world. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/to-meditate-is-to-be-aware-of-what-is-going-on-in-our-bodies-our/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [By living deeply in the present moment we can understand the past better & prepare for a better future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/by-living-deeply-in-the-present-moment-we-can-understand-the-past/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Sometimes we believe that happiness is not possible in the here and now, that we need a few more conditions to be happy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/sometimes-we-believe-that-happiness-is-not-possible-in-the-here-and/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-i-am-incapable-of-washing-dishes-joyfully-if-i-want-to-finish-them/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Anyway, it was like they were dead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-carrabus/anyway-it-was-like-they-were-dead/) [Candace Carrabus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-carrabus/) > [We're here for such a short period of time. Live like you're already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/we-re-here-for-such-a-short-period-of-time-live-like-you-re-already/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) ## More by Nhat Hanh > [Happiness is the cessation of suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/happiness-is-the-cessation-of-suffering/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-need-enlightenment-not-just-individually-but-collectively-to-save/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [If you really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-you-really-know-how-to-live-what-better-way-to-start-the-day-than/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Contemplating the bowl, it is possible to see the interdependent elements which give rise to the bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/contemplating-the-bowl-it-is-possible-to-see-the-interdependent/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Our joy, peace and happiness depend very much on our practice of recognizing and transforming habit energies. There are positive habit energies that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/our-joy-peace-and-happiness-depend-very-much-on-our-practice-of/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [I vow to live fully in each moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/i-vow-to-live-fully-in-each-moment/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Silence is something that comes from your heart, not from outside. Silence doesn't mean not talking and not doing things; it means that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/silence-is-something-that-comes-from-your-heart-not-from-outside/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Freedom is the real foundation of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/freedom-is-the-real-foundation-of-happiness/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon to be preserved in a museum. Only when a practitioner finds the spring of wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/wisdom-is-a-living-stream-not-an-icon-to-be-preserved-in-a-museum/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [We may think of peace as the absence of war, that if the great powers would reduce their weapons arsenals, we could have peace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-may-think-of-peace-as-the-absence-of-war-that-if-the-great-powers/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [If you are capable of brushing your teeth in mindfulness, then you will be able to enjoy the time when you take a shower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-you-are-capable-of-brushing-your-teeth-in-mindfulness-then-you/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have dessert, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/if-i-am-incapable-of-washing-dishes-joyfully-if-i-want-to-finish-them/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [When we have anger in us, we suffer. When we have discrimination in us, we suffer. When we have the complex of superiority, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/when-we-have-anger-in-us-we-suffer-when-we-have-discrimination-in-us/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/every-morning-when-we-wake-up-we-have-twenty-four-brand-new-hours-to/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) > [It is best if we do not listen to or look at the person whom we consider to be the cause of our anger.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/it-is-best-if-we-do-not-listen-to-or-look-at-the-person-whom-we/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) [Explore all 507 Nhat Hanh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) ## More Being there quotes > [A friend gives hope when your life is low, a friend is place wen you have no place to go, a friend is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-friend-gives-hope-when-your-life-is-low-a-friend-is-place-wen-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Dear God, thanks for being there when no one else was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myah/dear-god-thanks-for-being-there-when-no-one-else-was/) [Myah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myah/) > [Hillary Clinton was in rural America during the Iowa caucuses, but I think the nature of a campaign makes it more difficult once you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/hillary-clinton-was-in-rural-america-during-the-iowa-caucuses-but-i/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [So long as the priest, that professional negator, slanderer and poisoner of life, is regarded as a superior type of human being, there cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/so-long-as-the-priest-that-professional-negator-slanderer-and/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Love your mom no matter what you go through and no matter how much you argue because in the end,she'll always be there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/my-favorite-qoutes/love-your-mom-no-matter-what-you-go-through-and-no-matter-how-much/) [My Favorite Qoutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/my-favorite-qoutes/) > [I don't mind being there for you. I just mind being the one you run to just because everyone else is busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-mind-being-there-for-you-i-just-mind-being-the-one-you-run-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being there for people but no one being there for you when you need them seems to be the story of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-there-for-people-but-no-one-being-there-for-you-when-you-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being there is what matters, not all the stress and issues that arise along the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-there-is-what-matters-not-all-the-stress-and-issues-that-arise/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Once you're imagining being the main character, and you're having the conversations and actually being there, the magic in fiction writing takes over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-hobbs/once-you-re-imagining-being-the-main-character-and-you-re-having-the/) [Will Hobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-hobbs/) > [There's a fine line between being there for someone & kissing their ass looking stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-a-fine-line-between-being-there-for-someone-kissing-their-ass/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter the distance,i'll always be there for you and you will for me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-the-distance-i-ll-always-be-there-for-you-and-you-will-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pushing me away so I can give her space. Dealing with a heart I didn't break. I'll be there for you, I will care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pushing-me-away-so-i-can-give-her-space-dealing-with-a-heart-i-didn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In general, I always make it my mission to focus on the one person in the audience who seems to be absolutely miserable about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davy-rothbart/in-general-i-always-make-it-my-mission-to-focus-on-the-one-person-in/) [Davy Rothbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davy-rothbart/) > [The problem that we have is the President himself- a President who prides himself on his own weakness and incompetence and whose love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/femi-fani-kayode/the-problem-that-we-have-is-the-president-himself-a-president-who/) [Femi Fani-Kayode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/femi-fani-kayode/) > [There is no greater feeling than being with someone who wants you as much as you want them, to love and to be loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/there-is-no-greater-feeling-than-being-with-someone-who-wants-you-as/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) [Browse all 633 Being there quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-there/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That is why those who are not capable of being there in the present moment, they don't really live their life - they live like dead people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nhat Hanh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of-being-there-in-the-present/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being there" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of-being-there-in-the-present/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39f/nhat-hanh-515_being-there_that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of_2100666.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That is why those who are not capable of being there in the present moment, they don't really live their…” — Nhat Hanh", "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": "Nhat Hanh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That is why those who are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of-being-there-in-the-present/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/that-is-why-those-who-are-not-capable-of-being-there-in-the-present/#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 } } ] } ```