--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Life is short, the art is long, the…" description: "\"Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing.\" — Rene Dubos" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png" --- # Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing. ![“Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing.” quote by Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png) > “Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing.” [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It highlights that human life is brief, while knowledge and challenges are vast and demanding. **In simple terms:** Life short, knowledge long, challenges urgent. Key Takeaway Prioritize learning and address pressing issues. Themes time knowledge urgency Mood urgent motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education planning - policy making - personal development - research priorities Key Concepts epistemology human mortality problem solving Questions to Reflect On - What urgent problems can you tackle today? - How do you allocate time for learning? A Different Perspective May induce overwhelm or fatalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-is/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life is short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-short/) [Life Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-short/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-problems-3064599/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Short Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-art-2015715/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Expierience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/life-is-short-art-long-opportunity-is-fleeting-expierience/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [The bottom line for me is that life is short and art is long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-bottom-line-for-me-is-that-life-is-short-and-art-is-long/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [Life is short and the art long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/life-is-short-and-the-art-long/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [“Life is short, art is infinite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/life-is-short-art-is-infinite/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Art is long and life is short, and success is very far off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/art-is-long-and-life-is-short-and-success-is-very-far-off/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [ “Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile. Life is short, \[the\] art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment dangerous, judgment difficult.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/ars-longa-vita-brevis-occasio-praeceps-experimentum-periculosum/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [Life is short, the art long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippocrates/life-is-short-the-art-long/) [Hippocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippocrates/) > [Life is short and art is long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/life-is-short-and-art-is-long/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Life is short, but art lives forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/life-is-short-but-art-lives-forever/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“because life is short and it's better when you speak your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-strong/because-life-is-short-and-it-s-better-when-you-speak-your-heart/) [Mimi Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-strong/) > [Life is short. Smile while you have teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danish/life-is-short-smile-while-you-have-teeth/) [Danish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danish/) > [“Life is short. The world is big. It awaits your exploration. If you're not living on the edge, you're just taking up way too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beaver/life-is-short-the-world-is-big-it-awaits-your-exploration-if-you-re/) [Paul Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beaver/) > [Life is short is what some n\* said, not if you measure life - by how one lives and what he did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/life-is-short-is-what-some-n-said-not-if-you-measure-life-by-how-one/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [Life is short, so go for things you enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcey-bussell/life-is-short-so-go-for-things-you-enjoy/) [Darcey Bussell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darcey-bussell/) > [Life is short, death is forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/life-is-short-death-is-forever/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) ## More by Rene Dubos > [... each type of civilization has had diseases peculiar to it and at each period the various social groups in any community also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/each-type-of-civilization-has-had-diseases-peculiar-to-it-and-at-each/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Human life implies adventure, and there is no adventure without struggles and dangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/human-life-implies-adventure-and-there-is-no-adventure-without/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [...Search for the cause may be a hopeless pursuit because most disease states are the indirect outcome of a constellation of circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/search-for-the-cause-may-be-a-hopeless-pursuit-because-most-disease/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Each human being is unique, unprecedented, unrepeatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/each-human-being-is-unique-unprecedented-unrepeatable/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [But too often the goal of the planners is a universal gray state of health corresponding to absence of disease rather than to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/but-too-often-the-goal-of-the-planners-is-a-universal-gray-state-of/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [With reference to life there is not one nature; there are only associations of states and circumstances, varying from place to place and from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/with-reference-to-life-there-is-not-one-nature-there-are-only/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [It is a disturbing fact that Western civilization, which claims to have achieved the highest standard of health in history, finds itself compelled to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/it-is-a-disturbing-fact-that-western-civilization-which-claims-to/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [There is a demon in technology. It was put there by man and man will have to exorcise it before technological civilization can achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/there-is-a-demon-in-technology-it-was-put-there-by-man-and-man-will/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Human life is now molded to a large extent by the changes that man has brought about in his external environment and by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/human-life-is-now-molded-to-a-large-extent-by-the-changes-that-man/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [The earth is literally our mother, not only because we depend on her for nurture and shelter but even more because the human sepcies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/the-earth-is-literally-our-mother-not-only-because-we-depend-on-her/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Clearly, health and disease cannot be defined merely in terms of anatomical, physiological, or mental attributes. Their real measure is the ability of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/clearly-health-and-disease-cannot-be-defined-merely-in-terms-of/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [The belief that we can manage the Earth and improve on Nature is probably the ultimate expression of human conceit, but it has deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/the-belief-that-we-can-manage-the-earth-and-improve-on-nature-is/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [One may wonder indeed whether the pretense of superior health is not itself rapidly becoming a mental aberration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/one-may-wonder-indeed-whether-the-pretense-of-superior-health-is-not/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Nature always strikes back. It takes all the running we can do to remain in the same place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/nature-always-strikes-back-it-takes-all-the-running-we-can-do-to/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) > [Men are naturally most impressed by diseases which have obvious manifestations, yet some of their worst enemies creep on them unobtrusively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/men-are-naturally-most-impressed-by-diseases-which-have-obvious/) [Rene Dubos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) [Explore all 54 Rene Dubos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Hear the sum of the whole matter in the compass of one brief word — every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/hear-the-sum-of-the-whole-matter-in-the-compass-of-one-brief-word/) [Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-capacity-to-be-puzzled-is-the-premise-of-all-creation-be-it-in/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/that-s-the-great-secret-of-creativity-you-treat-ideas-like-cats-you/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) [Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [During human progress, every science is evolved out of its corresponding art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/during-human-progress-every-science-is-evolved-out-of-its/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [“The only thing--I tell you this straight from the heart--that disgusts me in Salzburg is that one can't have any proper social intercourse with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/the-only-thing-i-tell-you-this-straight-from-the-heart-that-disgusts/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) [Browse all 48,643 Art quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rene Dubos" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-problems-pressing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-problems-pressing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/rene-dubos-12577_art_life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-proble_2746240.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Life is short, the art is long, the problems pressing.” — Rene Dubos", "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": "Rene Dubos", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-dubos/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Life is short, the art is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-problems-pressing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-dubos/life-is-short-the-art-is-long-the-problems-pressing/#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 } } ] } ```