--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are only here for a little while, and…" description: "\"We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else.\" — Penn Jillette" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png" --- # We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong… ![“We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else.” quote by Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png) > “We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else.” [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is temporary; we own our bodies and should use them freely. **In simple terms:** Life is short; bodies are ours. Key Takeaway Live authentically. Themes freedom mortality self‑ownership Mood empowering reflective Type philosophical personal When to use this quote - health decisions - personal expression - ethical debates Key Concepts existentialism personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What does bodily autonomy mean to you? - How do you honor your temporary existence? A Different Perspective Societal norms may conflict with personal autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belong/) [Bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bodies/) [Bodies Belong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bodies-belong-1309647/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little/) [Little Bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bodies-2003221/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) ## Related quotes > [“Your body belongs to the earth. In modern life, people tend to think their bodies belong to them, that they can do anything they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/your-body-belongs-to-the-earth-in-modern-life-people-tend-to-think/) [Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [We do not belong to this material world that science constructs for us. We are not in it; we are outside. We are only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/we-do-not-belong-to-this-material-world-that-science-constructs-for/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“In modern life, people tend to think their bodies belong to them, that they can do anything they want to themselves. But your body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/in-modern-life-people-tend-to-think-their-bodies-belong-to-them-that/) [Thích Nhất Hạnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/) > [“the camp children descended upon me in a raucous, violent flurry of little bodies. I felt like tiny buffalo were stampeding over me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/the-camp-children-descended-upon-me-in-a-raucous-violent-flurry-of/) [Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/) > [“Your kids are little. Both their bodies and their brains are still growing. No”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-w-phelan/your-kids-are-little-both-their-bodies-and-their-brains-are-still/) [Thomas W. Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-w-phelan/) > [I don't think children are any more resilent than anyone else. They're just people with little bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstie-alley/i-don-t-think-children-are-any-more-resilent-than-anyone-else-they-re/) [Kirstie Alley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstie-alley/) > [“Stories of her children when they were small, their round little bodies barely containing their personalities, which bloomed and glittered and melted into her.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-bauermeister/stories-of-her-children-when-they-were-small-their-round-little/) [Erica Bauermeister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-bauermeister/) > [Babies have big heads and big eyes, and tiny little bodies with tiny little arms and legs. So did the aliens at Roswell! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/babies-have-big-heads-and-big-eyes-and-tiny-little-bodies-with-tiny/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [I personally don't have a problem with naked bodies on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-anne-down/i-personally-don-t-have-a-problem-with-naked-bodies-on-television/) [Lesley-Anne Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-anne-down/) > [“When bodies talk, a hand brushing across a face declares love the tongue never speaks. When bodies talk, eyes make promises and lips keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-payton/when-bodies-talk-a-hand-brushing-across-a-face-declares-love-the/) [Stella Payton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-payton/) > [The eye— it cannot choose but see; we cannot bid the ear be still; our bodies feel, where'er they be, against or with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/the-eye-it-cannot-choose-but-see-we-cannot-bid-the-ear-be-still-our/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [The best thing I've learned is that you have to listen to your body, and you have to be your own physician. Don't ignore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-cruz/the-best-thing-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-have-to-listen-to-your-body/) [Valerie Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-cruz/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [Seriously, why don't straight men have bodies like this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hobbes/seriously-why-don-t-straight-men-have-bodies-like-this/) [Miranda Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hobbes/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Penn Jillette > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I intend to do the Penn & Teller show until they pry my cheesy magic wand from my cold dead fingers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-intend-to-do-the-penn-teller-show-until-they-pry-my-cheesy-magic/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Part of the experience of being entertained is sitting back and plugging into someone else's vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/part-of-the-experience-of-being-entertained-is-sitting-back-and/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [That whole 99% thing, they are all in the 1% of the world. Every one of them pays a cellphone bill that is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/that-whole-99-thing-they-are-all-in-the-1-of-the-world-every-one-of/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I will forever stick up for Catholics and Christians in general. With a small number of very horrible exceptions, they do play by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-will-forever-stick-up-for-catholics-and-christians-in-general-with/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I believe very much that the most damning thing you can say about Muslims is that you're afraid to say anything because they'll hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-believe-very-much-that-the-most-damning-thing-you-can-say-about/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. I was 10 when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-not-bothered-by-the-idea-of-getting-old-or-i-guess-you-could-say/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [I'm always surprised when the corporate world does stupid things, because they're often not very stupid in hindsight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/i-m-always-surprised-when-the-corporate-world-does-stupid-things/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It's only the losers named 'Dave' that think having an unusual name is bad, and who cares what they think? They're named 'Dave.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-s-only-the-losers-named-dave-that-think-having-an-unusual-name-is/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [The only secret of magic is that I'm willing to work harder on it than you think it's worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/the-only-secret-of-magic-is-that-i-m-willing-to-work-harder-on-it/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Well, it's not really the right word, but freedom is kind of a hobby with me, and I have disposable income that I'll spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/well-it-s-not-really-the-right-word-but-freedom-is-kind-of-a-hobby/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [It is really funny to see people that you know acting unpleasantly just because there are TV cameras on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/it-is-really-funny-to-see-people-that-you-know-acting-unpleasantly/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [My whole take on libertarianism is simply that I don't know what's best for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/my-whole-take-on-libertarianism-is-simply-that-i-don-t-know-what-s/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Freedom means the right to be stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/freedom-means-the-right-to-be-stupid/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [“Once you've condoned faith in general, you've condoned any crazy shit done because of faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/once-you-ve-condoned-faith-in-general-you-ve-condoned-any-crazy-shit/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) [Explore all 302 Penn Jillette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) ## More Belong quotes > [How come I end up where I started How come I end up where I belong... You used to be alright What happened?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/how-come-i-end-up-where-i-started-how-come-i-end-up-where-i-belong/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [Each of us is precious to God because each of us has their name written on the palms of God's hands. And God says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/each-of-us-is-precious-to-god-because-each-of-us-has-their-name/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I hate this feeling. Like Im here. But, Im not. Like someone cares. But, they dont. Like I belong somewhere else, anywhere but here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-this-feeling-like-im-here-but-im-not-like-someone-cares-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As you know, in America there's no rights for the artist, so whatever films I've made kind of belong to the studio, so if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/as-you-know-in-america-there-s-no-rights-for-the-artist-so-whatever/) [Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [God has a purpose for us. If he didn't we wouldn't be alive in the first place. We have a calling. We are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-janssen/god-has-a-purpose-for-us-if-he-didn-t-we-wouldn-t-be-alive-in-the/) [Kenny Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-janssen/) > [I thought of how many places there are in the world that belong in this way to someone, who has it in his blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/i-thought-of-how-many-places-there-are-in-the-world-that-belong-in/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [I belong to a Bohri Muslim family, and for us, food is our biggest celebration. We are used to elaborate five- to six-course meals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/i-belong-to-a-bohri-muslim-family-and-for-us-food-is-our-biggest/) [Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/) > [“You need to belong to yourself, and let others belong to themselves too. You need to be free and detached from things and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/you-need-to-belong-to-yourself-and-let-others-belong-to-themselves/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [I want all of my films to belong to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-want-all-of-my-films-to-belong-to-me/) [Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/) > [“Your beliefs, and your beliefs alone, belong to you. You are the only one who is with you for your entire life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ruiz-jr/your-beliefs-and-your-beliefs-alone-belong-to-you-you-are-the-only/) [Miguel Ruiz Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ruiz-jr/) > [Earth does not belong to us; we belong to earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-seattle/earth-does-not-belong-to-us-we-belong-to-earth/) [Chief Seattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-seattle/) > [I think I know where you belong. I think I know its not with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-i-know-where-you-belong-i-think-i-know-its-not-with-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's a compelling reason why I belong in the Hall of Fame, but I understand the argument against me. My career didn't go like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-warner/there-s-a-compelling-reason-why-i-belong-in-the-hall-of-fame-but-i/) [Kurt Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-warner/) [Browse all 1,571 Belong quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belong/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Penn Jillette" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and-our-bodies-belong-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Belong" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and-our-bodies-belong-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78d/penn-jillette-1046_belong_we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and_1909697.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are only here for a little while, and our bodies belong to ourselves and no one else.” — Penn Jillette", "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": "Penn Jillette", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are only here for a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and-our-bodies-belong-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/we-are-only-here-for-a-little-while-and-our-bodies-belong-to/#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 } } ] } ```