--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nature has given man no better thing than…" description: "\"Nature has given man no better thing than shortness of life.\" — Pliny the Elder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/pliny-the-elder-2838_given_nature-has-given-man-no-better-thing-tha_643678.png" --- # Nature has given man no better thing than shortness of life. ![“Nature has given man no better thing than shortness of life.” quote by Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/pliny-the-elder-2838_given_nature-has-given-man-no-better-thing-tha_643678.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/pliny-the-elder-2838_given_nature-has-given-man-no-better-thing-tha_643678.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13f/pliny-the-elder-2838_given_nature-has-given-man-no-better-thing-tha_643678.png) > “Nature has given man no better thing than shortness of life.” [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on the brevity of human life, urging appreciation of its fleeting nature. **In simple terms:** Life is short. Key Takeaway Value time and live fully. Themes mortality impermanence perspective Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - travel - creative pursuits Key Concepts philosophy ethics existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of mortality shape your priorities? - What lasting impact do you wish to leave? A Different Perspective Shortness can cause anxiety, leading to rushed decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-better/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-given/) [Shortness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortness/) [Shortness Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortness-life-779957/) [Shortness of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortness-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [The shortness of life, I keep saying, makes everything seem pointless when I think about the longness of death. When I look ahead, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/the-shortness-of-life-i-keep-saying-makes-everything-seem-pointless-2/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“Perhaps nothing is more common than to bewail the shortness of life, unless it is to mispend the little time we are permitted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-thelwall/perhaps-nothing-is-more-common-than-to-bewail-the-shortness-of-life/) [John Thelwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-thelwall/) > [The shortness of life, makes everything seem pointless when I think about the longness of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/the-shortness-of-life-makes-everything-seem-pointless-when-i-think/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [Though we seem grieved at the shortness of life in general, we are wishing every period of it at an end. The minor longs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/though-we-seem-grieved-at-the-shortness-of-life-in-general-we-are/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [So far are we generally from thinking what we often say of the shortness of life, that at the time when it is necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/so-far-are-we-generally-from-thinking-what-we-often-say-of-the/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [The thought of eternity consoles for the shortness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillaume-chretien-de-lamoignon-de-malesherbes/the-thought-of-eternity-consoles-for-the-shortness-of-life/) [Guillaume-Chretien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillaume-chretien-de-lamoignon-de-malesherbes/) > [The shortness of life cannot dissuade us from its pleasures, nor console us for its pains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/the-shortness-of-life-cannot-dissuade-us-from-its-pleasures-nor/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [The vistas of possibility are only limited by the shortness of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-vistas-of-possibility-are-only-limited-by-the-shortness-of-life/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The shortness of life, so often lamented, may be the best thing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-shortness-of-life-so-often-lamented-may-be-the-best-thing-about-it/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [When we realize the shortness of life, we begin to see the importance of making every moment count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-burroughs/when-we-realize-the-shortness-of-life-we-begin-to-see-the-importance/) [Dillon Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-burroughs/) > [“The shortness of life, I keep saying, makes everything seem pointless when I think about the longness of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/the-shortness-of-life-i-keep-saying-makes-everything-seem-pointless/) [Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/) > [“The shortness of life makes everything seem pointless when I think about the longness of death.” —ELIZABETH WURTZEL”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-shortness-of-life-makes-everything-seem-pointless-when-i-think-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nature has granted man no better gift than the shortness of life. The senses grow dull, the limbs are numb, sight, bearing, gait, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/nature-has-granted-man-no-better-gift-than-the-shortness-of-life-the/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [No one who appreciates the shortness of this life and the eternality of the next can ever say, 'I'm bored'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-ammaar-yasir-qadhi/no-one-who-appreciates-the-shortness-of-this-life-and-the-eternality/) [Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-ammaar-yasir-qadhi/) > [As to the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or do not exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/as-to-the-gods-i-have-no-means-of-knowing-either-that-they-exist-or/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) ## More by Pliny the Elder > [Simple diet is best: for many dishes bring many diseases, and rich sauces are worse than even heaping several meats upon each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/simple-diet-is-best-for-many-dishes-bring-many-diseases-and-rich/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Amid the sufferings of life on earth, suicide is God's best gift to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/amid-the-sufferings-of-life-on-earth-suicide-is-god-s-best-gift-to-man/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [The happier the moment the shorter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/the-happier-the-moment-the-shorter/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Indeed, what is there that does not appear marvelous when it comes to our knowledge for the first time? How many things, too, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/indeed-what-is-there-that-does-not-appear-marvelous-when-it-comes-to/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Accustom yourself to master and overcome things of difficulty; for if you observe, the left hand for want of practice is insignificant, and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/accustom-yourself-to-master-and-overcome-things-of-difficulty-for-if/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [As land is improved by sowing it with various seeds, so is the mind by exercising it with different studies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/as-land-is-improved-by-sowing-it-with-various-seeds-so-is-the-mind-by/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [True happiness consists in being considered deserving of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/true-happiness-consists-in-being-considered-deserving-of-it/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [The largest land animal is the elephant, and it is the nearest to man in intelligence: it understands the language of its country and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/the-largest-land-animal-is-the-elephant-and-it-is-the-nearest-to-man/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Many dishes bring many diseases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/many-dishes-bring-many-diseases/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [In the literary as well as military world, most powerful abilities will often be found concealed under a rustic garb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/in-the-literary-as-well-as-military-world-most-powerful-abilities/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Man naturally yearns for novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/man-naturally-yearns-for-novelty/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [With man, most of his misfortunes are occasioned by man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/with-man-most-of-his-misfortunes-are-occasioned-by-man/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [Better do nothing than do ill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/better-do-nothing-than-do-ill/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [It is this earth that, like a kind mother, receives us at our birth, and sustains us when born; it is this alone, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/it-is-this-earth-that-like-a-kind-mother-receives-us-at-our-birth-and/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [His only fault is that he has no fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/his-only-fault-is-that-he-has-no-fault/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) [Explore all 147 Pliny the Elder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) ## More Given quotes > [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. 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I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [If life were like a competitive race, some people would be given a flying start and others would line up with weights tied to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-grothe/if-life-were-like-a-competitive-race-some-people-would-be-given-a/) [Mardy Grothe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-grothe/) > [Consideration is the soil in which wisdom may be expected to grow, and strength be given to every up-springing plant of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/consideration-is-the-soil-in-which-wisdom-may-be-expected-to-grow-and/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Music is one of the ways by which you can know everything which is going on in the world. You can feel... through music...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-simone/music-is-one-of-the-ways-by-which-you-can-know-everything-which-is/) [Nina Simone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-simone/) > [Today, at Harvard, any student with the currently fashionable color of skin is given rights denied to students of the currently unfashionable color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capp/today-at-harvard-any-student-with-the-currently-fashionable-color-of/) [Al Capp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capp/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [It was given out that the animals there practised cannibalism, tortured one another with red-hot horseshoes, and had their females in common. 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