--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he…" description: "\"Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is going to die, and unlike animals he can do something about it.\" — Ray Comfort" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg" --- # Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is… ![“Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is going to die, and unlike animals he can do something about it.” quote by Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg) > “Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is going to die, and unlike animals he can do something about it.” [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans uniquely know mortality and can act on that awareness, unlike animals. **In simple terms:** Humans know death and can respond. Key Takeaway Use mortality awareness to guide meaningful actions. Themes mortality awareness action uniqueness Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - spiritual practice - legacy projects Key Concepts existentialism purpose human nature Questions to Reflect On - How does awareness of death shape your goals? - What actions reflect your mortality awareness? A Different Perspective Focusing on death can cause anxiety or fatalism if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Man is unique in creation because he has a sense of justice and truth. We spend billions of dollars each year to set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/man-is-unique-in-creation-because-he-has-a-sense-of-justice-and-truth/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Unlike other animals, all of which are undoubtedly oblivious to their eventual demise, humans are fully aware that their time on Earth is limited.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-saad/unlike-other-animals-all-of-which-are-undoubtedly-oblivious-to-their/) [Gad Saad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-saad/) > [Man, unlike the animals, has never learned that the sole purpose of life is to enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/man-unlike-the-animals-has-never-learned-that-the-sole-purpose-of/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“More and more frequently, we will find ourselves in the position of the lower animals—with a mental apparatus that is unequipped to deal thoroughly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heath/more-and-more-frequently-we-will-find-ourselves-in-the-position-of/) [Joseph Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heath/) > [“People are so particular. Unlike animals, which can be lions, eagles, or sharks, people are only people. (Though some people can easily be mistaken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/people-are-so-particular-unlike-animals-which-can-be-lions-eagles-or/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Unlike the animals, who knew only the present, Man had acquired a past; and he was beginning to grope toward a future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/unlike-the-animals-who-knew-only-the-present-man-had-acquired-a-past/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [“...a large percentage of bright young men and women locate the impetus behind their career choice in the belief that they are fundamentally different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/a-large-percentage-of-bright-young-men-and-women-locate-the-impetus/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [The inventor, the man with a unique, specialized talent, is the only real super-genius. But he is so rare that he needs no consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schwab/the-inventor-the-man-with-a-unique-specialized-talent-is-the-only/) [Charles M. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schwab/) > [Every great man is a unique. The Scipionism of Scipio is precisely that part he could not borrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-great-man-is-a-unique-the-scipionism-of-scipio-is-precisely/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Man is unique not because he does science, and his is unique not because he does art, but because science and art equally are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/man-is-unique-not-because-he-does-science-and-his-is-unique-not/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [Man is unique in that he has plans, purpose and goals which require the need for criteria of choice. The need for ethical value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/man-is-unique-in-that-he-has-plans-purpose-and-goals-which-require/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Man is neither unique nor central nor necessarily here to stay. But he is a product of circumstances special to the point of disbelief.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ardrey/man-is-neither-unique-nor-central-nor-necessarily-here-to-stay-but-he/) [Robert Ardrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ardrey/) > [Meadowlark Lemon is one very clever man, unique and truly one of a kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-rooney/meadowlark-lemon-is-one-very-clever-man-unique-and-truly-one-of-a-kind/) [Mickey Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-rooney/) > [Speech gave man a unique power to lead a double life, he could say one thing and do another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-harvey-robinson/speech-gave-man-a-unique-power-to-lead-a-double-life-he-could-say-one/) [James Harvey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-harvey-robinson/) > [Man is a unique individual. He can never be put in a system where he becomes just another notch. Another nail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-capra/man-is-a-unique-individual-he-can-never-be-put-in-a-system-where-he/) [Frank Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-capra/) ## More by Ray Comfort > [So, I'm not the only one who believes that there is such a thing as "the law of gravity," and if it's a law,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/so-i-m-not-the-only-one-who-believes-that-there-is-such-a-thing-as/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [One of Dawkins' major gripes is against religion. I am in total agreement on that one. I abhor religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/one-of-dawkins-major-gripes-is-against-religion-i-am-in-total/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [“Darwin theorized that mankind (both male and female) evolved alongside each other over millions of years, both reproducing after their own kind before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/darwin-theorized-that-mankind-both-male-and-female-evolved-alongside/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Darwin theorized that mankind (both male and female) evolved alongside each other over millions of years, both reproducing after their own kind before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/darwin-theorized-that-mankind-both-male-and-female-evolved-alongside-2/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [The problem when arguing with those who believe in atheistic evolution is that they move goal posts by redefining atheism or evolution or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/the-problem-when-arguing-with-those-who-believe-in-atheistic/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Atheists don't hate fairies, leprechauns, or unicorns because they don't exist. It is impossible to hate something that doesn't exist. Atheists, like the painting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/atheists-don-t-hate-fairies-leprechauns-or-unicorns-because-they-don/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Kirk Cameron pulls no punches in his exploration of mankind's greatest dilemma. Unstoppable is a captivating, raw, and candid journey that gracefully delivers hope…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/kirk-cameron-pulls-no-punches-in-his-exploration-of-mankind-s/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [George Harrison was known as the quiet Beatle. Quiet people are often quiet because they are deep thinkers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/george-harrison-was-known-as-the-quiet-beatle-quiet-people-are-often/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Atheism is spreading like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/atheism-is-spreading-like-wildfire/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [I think the key to passion, to zeal, is gratitude. Or to put it another way, the fuel to motivate is gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-think-the-key-to-passion-to-zeal-is-gratitude-or-to-put-it-another/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [John Lennon was a musical genius. All I have to do is think of some of his songs and even the titles make me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/john-lennon-was-a-musical-genius-all-i-have-to-do-is-think-of-some-of/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [I think that the theory of evolution is the most unscientific, faith-based, fundamentally brainless idea that ever had the misfortune to come out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-think-that-the-theory-of-evolution-is-the-most-unscientific-faith/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [Atheists who keep asking for evidence of God's existence are like a fish in the ocean wanting evidence of water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/atheists-who-keep-asking-for-evidence-of-god-s-existence-are-like-a/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [A blind, anemic, weak-kneed flea on crutches would have a greater chance of defeating a herd of a thousand wild stampeding elephants, than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/a-blind-anemic-weak-kneed-flea-on-crutches-would-have-a-greater/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) [Explore all 78 Ray Comfort quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is going to die, and unlike animals he can do something about it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Comfort" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he-knows-he-is-going-to-die-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he-knows-he-is-going-to-die-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/ray-comfort-8768_animal_man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he_1627591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man is unique in that, unlike animals, he knows he is going to die, and unlike animals he can do something…” — Ray Comfort", "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": "Ray Comfort", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man is unique in that, unlike...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he-knows-he-is-going-to-die-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/man-is-unique-in-that-unlike-animals-he-knows-he-is-going-to-die-and/#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 } } ] } ```