--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …I’d like to do something that means…" description: "\"“…I’d like to do something that means more, something that will outlast me the way these buildings have outlasted the men who built them.” “I hadn’t th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/patricia-briggs-571_immortality_i-d-like-to-do-something-that-means-more_1059741.png" --- # …I’d like to do something that means more, something that… ![“…I’d like to do something that means more, something that will outlast me the way these buildings have outlasted the men who built them.” “I hadn’t thought of it that way before,” said Willon slowly. “But immortality . . . I think that’s a basic instinct rather than the product of pride.” quote by Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/patricia-briggs-571_immortality_i-d-like-to-do-something-that-means-more_1059741.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/patricia-briggs-571_immortality_i-d-like-to-do-something-that-means-more_1059741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d02/patricia-briggs-571_immortality_i-d-like-to-do-something-that-means-more_1059741.png) > ““…I’d like to do something that means more, something that will outlast me the way these buildings have outlasted the men who built them.” “I hadn’t thought of it that way before,” said Willon slowly. “But immortality . . . I think that’s a basic instinct rather than the product of pride.”” [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character seeks lasting impact beyond personal lifespan, viewing legacy as a fundamental human drive. **In simple terms:** People desire to leave something enduring. Key Takeaway Pursue work that outlives you. Themes legacy meaning immortality Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career projects - artistic creations - community building Key Concepts existential purpose human instinct Questions to Reflect On - What lasting contribution matters most to you? - How does desire for permanence shape your choices? A Different Perspective Legacy can be fleeting without tangible results. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Immortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) [Immortality Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality-think-550898/) [Outlasted Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlasted-men-2581264/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Said Willon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-willon-2581262/) [Willon Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willon-slowly-2581263/) ## Related quotes > [“Death is the truth of the 21st century and we know that it was the truth of the older centuries as well but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/death-is-the-truth-of-the-21st-century-and-we-know-that-it-was-the/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [We pray Thee, O Christ, to keep us under the spell of immortality. My we never again think and act as if Thou were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/we-pray-thee-o-christ-to-keep-us-under-the-spell-of-immortality-my-we/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [There is surely no more unselfish person than the anthologist. For while all we others are striving to ensure our own immortality with eagerness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-surely-no-more-unselfish-person-than-the-anthologist-for/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) > [Inequalities of Fate very curious. Should like, on this account, to believe in Reincarnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-delafield/inequalities-of-fate-very-curious-should-like-on-this-account-to/) [E. M. Delafield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-delafield/) > [Masonry inculcates faith in immortality as indispensable to moral living and urges its members to qualify for eternal life by the practice of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-hammond/masonry-inculcates-faith-in-immortality-as-indispensable-to-moral/) [William E Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-hammond/) > [Write: write letters. Keep journals. Besides your children, there is no surer way of achieving immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/write-write-letters-keep-journals-besides-your-children-there-is-no/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [With modern medicine prolonging life no matter what condition you're in, it seems like we're working towards immortality by science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-pullman/with-modern-medicine-prolonging-life-no-matter-what-condition-you-re/) [Bill Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-pullman/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [“I was made to rule the darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-hachton/i-was-made-to-rule-the-darkness/) [Rae Hachton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-hachton/) > [“What is the most amazing thing about the world? 'Every day creatures die, yet the rest live as if immortal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/what-is-the-most-amazing-thing-about-the-world-every-day-creatures/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [When we live our lives not for vanity, but for the sake of God and the betterment of humanity, that's what gives us immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/when-we-live-our-lives-not-for-vanity-but-for-the-sake-of-god-and-the/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“Human unhappiness is evidence of our immortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/human-unhappiness-is-evidence-of-our-immortality/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/our-hope-of-immortality-does-not-come-from-any-religions-but-nearly/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“If you seek success, serve others. If you seek immortality give. Serve or give your time, skills, talent or gift. In the end, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-uchendu/if-you-seek-success-serve-others-if-you-seek-immortality-give-serve/) [Val Uchendu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-uchendu/) ## More by Patricia Briggs > [“His favorite saying was, 'Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum europe vincendarum." "'Sometimes I have the urge to conquer large parts of Europe'?" Boyd said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/his-favorite-saying-was-interdum-feror-cupidine-partium-magnarum/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [He was obviously dead. But since he was a vampire that wasn't as hopless a thing as it might have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/he-was-obviously-dead-but-since-he-was-a-vampire-that-wasn-t-as/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Stefan: "Indian with a dot, not a feather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/stefan-indian-with-a-dot-not-a-feather/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“want to. Adam wasn’t angry. He wouldn’t hurt me. I let him pull the power of his pack over me like a warm”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/want-to-adam-wasn-t-angry-he-wouldn-t-hurt-me-i-let-him-pull-the/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“I promise I won't spank you," he told me, his voice rough and low as he added, "not unless you ask me to." I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-promise-i-won-t-spank-you-he-told-me-his-voice-rough-and-low-as-he/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Love is not necessary for sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/love-is-not-necessary-for-sex/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“I paused to pat the truck’s hood gently in apology when someone put his hand on my shoulder. I grabbed the hand and rotated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-paused-to-pat-the-truck-s-hood-gently-in-apology-when-someone-put/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [In this dream, I wasn’t a coyote shapeshifter trying to hold a werewolf, I was Coyote’s almost daughter, and I had all the strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/in-this-dream-i-wasn-t-a-coyote-shapeshifter-trying-to-hold-a/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“She hit us,” the woman shrieked. That was the gist of it anyway. There were a lot of unladylike words that began with “F,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/she-hit-us-the-woman-shrieked-that-was-the-gist-of-it-anyway-there/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Charles was most comfortable by himself or, if that wasn't possible, with his pack in the wild. Talking for hours in a crowded auditorium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/charles-was-most-comfortable-by-himself-or-if-that-wasn-t-possible/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Evil must always be fought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/evil-must-always-be-fought/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“Beauclaire, for his part, sank back in the soft material of the couch as if the thought that it would impede him should he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/beauclaire-for-his-part-sank-back-in-the-soft-material-of-the-couch/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [What do you mean?” Leslie’s voice was cool, as if she questioned witches who were flat on their backs being threatened by werewolves every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/what-do-you-mean-leslie-s-voice-was-cool-as-if-she-questioned-witches/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [I am not attempting to preserve culture, or record actual events or stories. Instead I bow my head in gratitude to those storytellers who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-am-not-attempting-to-preserve-culture-or-record-actual-events-or/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) [Explore all 467 Patricia Briggs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) ## More Immortality quotes > [“If you seek success, serve others. If you seek immortality give. Serve or give your time, skills, talent or gift. In the end, what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-uchendu/if-you-seek-success-serve-others-if-you-seek-immortality-give-serve/) [Val Uchendu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-uchendu/) > [Our hope of immortality does not come from any religions, but nearly all religions come from that hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/our-hope-of-immortality-does-not-come-from-any-religions-but-nearly/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“Human unhappiness is evidence of our immortality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rodriguez/human-unhappiness-is-evidence-of-our-immortality/) [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) > [When we live our lives not for vanity, but for the sake of God and the betterment of humanity, that's what gives us immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/when-we-live-our-lives-not-for-vanity-but-for-the-sake-of-god-and-the/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“What is the most amazing thing about the world? 'Every day creatures die, yet the rest live as if immortal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/what-is-the-most-amazing-thing-about-the-world-every-day-creatures/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“I was made to rule the darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-hachton/i-was-made-to-rule-the-darkness/) [Rae Hachton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-hachton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [With modern medicine prolonging life no matter what condition you're in, it seems like we're working towards immortality by science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-pullman/with-modern-medicine-prolonging-life-no-matter-what-condition-you-re/) [Bill Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-pullman/) > [Write: write letters. Keep journals. Besides your children, there is no surer way of achieving immortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/write-write-letters-keep-journals-besides-your-children-there-is-no/) [Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/) > [Masonry inculcates faith in immortality as indispensable to moral living and urges its members to qualify for eternal life by the practice of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-hammond/masonry-inculcates-faith-in-immortality-as-indispensable-to-moral/) [William E Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-hammond/) > [Inequalities of Fate very curious. Should like, on this account, to believe in Reincarnation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-delafield/inequalities-of-fate-very-curious-should-like-on-this-account-to/) [E. M. Delafield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-delafield/) > [There is surely no more unselfish person than the anthologist. For while all we others are striving to ensure our own immortality with eagerness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-surely-no-more-unselfish-person-than-the-anthologist-for/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) > [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [Mathematics is the surest way to immortality. If you make a big discovery in mathematics, you will be remembered after everyone else will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-erdos/mathematics-is-the-surest-way-to-immortality-if-you-make-a-big/) [Paul Erdos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-erdos/) > [And this is the only immortality you and i may share, my Lolita.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/and-this-is-the-only-immortality-you-and-i-may-share-my-lolita/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Browse all 1,564 Immortality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immortality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“…I’d like to do something that means more, something that will outlast me the way these buildings have outlasted the men who built them.” “I hadn’t thought of it that way before,” said Willon slowly. “But immortality . . . 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