--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a million things in this world…" description: "\"“There are a million things in this world that can end you, that can in one second obliterate the life you work so hard to keep alive. Our lives are st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/rebecca-serle-4076_death_there-are-a-million-things-in-this-world_2641052.jpg" --- # There are a million things in this world that can end you… ![“There are a million things in this world that can end you, that can in one second obliterate the life you work so hard to keep alive. Our lives are structured around not dying. Eating, sleeping, looking both ways before you cross the street. It's all, all of it, to keep us safe from the thing that…” quote by Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/rebecca-serle-4076_death_there-are-a-million-things-in-this-world_2641052.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/rebecca-serle-4076_death_there-are-a-million-things-in-this-world_2641052.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3c/rebecca-serle-4076_death_there-are-a-million-things-in-this-world_2641052.jpg) > ““There are a million things in this world that can end you, that can in one second obliterate the life you work so hard to keep alive. Our lives are structured around not dying. Eating, sleeping, looking both ways before you cross the street. It's all, all of it, to keep us safe from the thing that we know is going to get us anyway. It doesn't even make sense, if you think about it. It's the world's biggest joke. Our entire lives are set up around not dying, knowing all the while that it's the one thing we can't avoid.”” [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) ## 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 built around avoiding death, yet death is inevitable, making our safety rituals both essential and absurd. **In simple terms:** We obsess over safety despite death’s inevitability. Key Takeaway Embrace life’s fragility. Themes mortality existentialism human behavior Mood thoughtful philosophical Type contemplative inspirational When to use this quote - Everyday routines - health decisions - risk assessment Key Concepts Fatalism psychology of risk Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging death change daily choices? - Can safety rituals be balanced with living fully? A Different Perspective May cause fatalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Entire lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entire-lives/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Romeo and juliet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romeo-and-juliet/) ## Related quotes > [“ If I Must Go If I must go to heaven's end Climbing the ages like a stair, Be near me and forever bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-teasdale/if-i-must-go-if-i-must-go-to-heaven-s-end-climbing-the-ages-like-a/) [Sara Teasdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-teasdale/) > [“Because there was only one thing worse than dying. And that was knowing you were going to die. And where. And how.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-vandermeer/because-there-was-only-one-thing-worse-than-dying-and-that-was-2/) [Ann VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-vandermeer/) > [But the way I see it, dying without knowing love would be a tragedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-pascal/but-the-way-i-see-it-dying-without-knowing-love-would-be-a-tragedy/) [Francine Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-pascal/) > [“Because there was only one thing worse than dying. And that was knowing you were going to die. And where. And how. (“Death Ship”)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/because-there-was-only-one-thing-worse-than-dying-and-that-was/) [Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/) > [“Paul. Look at me. You need to understand this. The worst thing that could have happened to me already happened." He looks up. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/paul-look-at-me-you-need-to-understand-this-the-worst-thing-that/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) > [“We spend our entire lives thinking about death. Without that project to divert us, I expect we would all be dreadfully bored. We would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/we-spend-our-entire-lives-thinking-about-death-without-that-project/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [Those of us who write spend our entire lives in an endless English class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/those-of-us-who-write-spend-our-entire-lives-in-an-endless-english/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [“I have met people who have ruined their entire lives because of procrastination. They were unaware of why they never took a step, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neeraj-agnihotri/i-have-met-people-who-have-ruined-their-entire-lives-because-of/) [Neeraj Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neeraj-agnihotri/) > [“People spend their entire lives searching the world for the pieces that will make them whole, yet those pieces are only found within them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-poirot/people-spend-their-entire-lives-searching-the-world-for-the-pieces/) [Ken Poirot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-poirot/) > [“All we do our entire lives is go to one piece of holy ground to another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/all-we-do-our-entire-lives-is-go-to-one-piece-of-holy-ground-to/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [“Many humans live their entire lives without questioning the ‘truths’ they’ve been told.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-reilly/many-humans-live-their-entire-lives-without-questioning-the-truths/) [Matthew Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-reilly/) > [“Just because two people don’t wind up spending their entire lives together doesn’t mean their relationship was a failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-michael/just-because-two-people-don-t-wind-up-spending-their-entire-lives/) [Ted Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-michael/) > [Some people never get to go oversees they entire lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greyson-chance/some-people-never-get-to-go-oversees-they-entire-lives/) [Greyson Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greyson-chance/) > [Part of the strength that Charlie and I have as a team is we've been able to keep our priorities straight through our entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/part-of-the-strength-that-charlie-and-i-have-as-a-team-is-we-ve-been/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [Regarding social media, I really don't understand what appears to be the general population's lack of concern over privacy issues in publicizing their entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axl-rose/regarding-social-media-i-really-don-t-understand-what-appears-to-be/) [Axl Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axl-rose/) ## More by Rebecca Serle > [I love that the collapse of The Other Side is being felt in both 'The Vampire Diaries' and 'The Originals' universes - as someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/i-love-that-the-collapse-of-the-other-side-is-being-felt-in-both-the/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > ['Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte has been my all-time favorite book since I was in middle school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/wuthering-heights-by-emily-bronte-has-been-my-all-time-favorite-book/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [My first book, 'When You Were Mine,' got optioned for film and went into preproduction as 'Rosaline.' That was the classic model: Hollywood calls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/my-first-book-when-you-were-mine-got-optioned-for-film-and-went-into/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > ['Ready Player One' has it all - nostalgia, trivia, adventure, romance, heart, and, dare I say it, some very fascinating social commentary. The novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/ready-player-one-has-it-all-nostalgia-trivia-adventure-romance-heart/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [By refusing to lend a hand, we are not only robbing our colleagues and peers of the opportunity to gain guidance, but we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/by-refusing-to-lend-a-hand-we-are-not-only-robbing-our-colleagues-and/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [I've said it before, and I'll say it again: writing picture books is an art - the art of word choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/i-ve-said-it-before-and-i-ll-say-it-again-writing-picture-books-is-an/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [When someone around you succeeds, it does not mean they've taken that spot from you. What it means is that you are in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/when-someone-around-you-succeeds-it-does-not-mean-they-ve-taken-that/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [American fantasy is not a genre we think about too often. Sure, we are familiar with the worlds of English boarding school houses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/american-fantasy-is-not-a-genre-we-think-about-too-often-sure-we-are/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“No one ever died from having too much information. It’s the misunderstandings that are the problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/no-one-ever-died-from-having-too-much-information-it-s-the/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“They died together; they'll always be remembered together. It's decided, once and for all. He was hers. The rumors don't matter; they'll fade...People may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/they-died-together-they-ll-always-be-remembered-together-it-s-decided/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [So many tend to brand the Internet as the downfall of youth, but 'Ready Player One' hints that it's more complicated than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/so-many-tend-to-brand-the-internet-as-the-downfall-of-youth-but-ready/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [At its heart, 'Mostly Good Girls' is about the pressures we put on ourselves to live up to ideas of perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/at-its-heart-mostly-good-girls-is-about-the-pressures-we-put-on/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [Of course YA authors have a responsibility to their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/of-course-ya-authors-have-a-responsibility-to-their-audience/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [The adult fiction and writing for children portions of my MFA program were kept very separate, and there was a stigma around those 'kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/the-adult-fiction-and-writing-for-children-portions-of-my-mfa-program/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) > [“It’s not that most girls are delusional, per se. It’s just that they have this subtle ability to warp actual circumstances into something different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-serle/it-s-not-that-most-girls-are-delusional-per-se-it-s-just-that-they/) [Rebecca Serle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) [Explore all 116 Rebecca Serle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-serle/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are a million things in this world that can end you, that can in one second obliterate the life you work so hard to keep alive. Our lives are structured around not dying. Eating, sleeping, looking both ways before you cross the street. 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