--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no death. The thing that we call…" description: "\"There is no death. The thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life.\" — Richard Henry Stoddard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png" --- # There is no death. The thing that we call death Is but… ![“There is no death. The thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life.” quote by Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png) > “There is no death. The thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life.” [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Death is reframed as a continuation of life, suggesting that the end of physical existence is merely a different expression of living. **In simple terms:** Death is life’s other name. Key Takeaway Life persists beyond death. Themes mortality philosophy continuity existentialism Mood reflective somber Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - grieving a loss - contemplating afterlife - seeking comfort in bereavement Key Concepts life-death duality perspective shift Practical Applications - therapy counseling - spiritual teachings Questions to Reflect On - How does redefining death affect grief? - What does this view imply about the meaning of life? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [There is no death-the thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life, Which is itself an insufficient name, Faint recognition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder-2/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [There is nothing sadder in this life than to watch someone you love walk away after they have left you. To watch the distance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-nothing-sadder-in-this-life-than-to-watch-someone-you-love-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is no such thing as death. We have all lived before and we are all going to experience new lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-shine/there-is-no-such-thing-as-death-we-have-all-lived-before-and-we-are/) Betty Shine > [Life is as serious a thing as death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/life-is-as-serious-a-thing-as-death/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [“It's quite a thing, to watch a person slip from the potential of life into the finality of death. It's another thing entirely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-kristoff/it-s-quite-a-thing-to-watch-a-person-slip-from-the-potential-of-life/) [Jay Kristoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-kristoff/) > [“Death is the only thing that ever terrifies me. I hate it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/death-is-the-only-thing-that-ever-terrifies-me-i-hate-it/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“If you make every game a life-and-death thing, you’re going to have problems. You’ll be dead a lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/if-you-make-every-game-a-life-and-death-thing-you-re-going-to-have/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [Death is the one - the one thing we don't have many answers for. We understand how people die, but we don't know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/death-is-the-one-the-one-thing-we-don-t-have-many-answers-for-we/) [Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/) > [There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: “Not today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-only-one-god-and-his-name-is-death-and-there-is-only-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Death is the only thing keeping us in line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-magary/death-is-the-only-thing-keeping-us-in-line/) [Drew Magary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-magary/) > [“Well, this is a mystery,” said Farder Coram, “and I’m glad I lived long enough to see it. To go into the dark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/well-this-is-a-mystery-said-farder-coram-and-i-m-glad-i-lived-long/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Because death is the only thing that could have ever kept him from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/because-death-is-the-only-thing-that-could-have-ever-kept-him-from-you/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [“Death is the only thing in life that you absolutely have to be aware of as it's happening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/death-is-the-only-thing-in-life-that-you-absolutely-have-to-be-aware/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [The only thing that can kill me is death, that's the only thing that can ever stop me, is death, and even then my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/the-only-thing-that-can-kill-me-is-death-that-s-the-only-thing-that/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Death is the only thing we haven't succeeded in completely vulgarizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/death-is-the-only-thing-we-haven-t-succeeded-in-completely-vulgarizing/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Richard Henry Stoddard > [Joy may be a miser, But Sorrow's purse is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/joy-may-be-a-miser-but-sorrow-s-purse-is-free/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [A voice of greeting from the wind was sent; The mists enfolded me with soft white arms; The birds did sing to lap me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/a-voice-of-greeting-from-the-wind-was-sent-the-mists-enfolded-me-with/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [There is no hope the future will but turn the old sand in the falling glass of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-hope-the-future-will-but-turn-the-old-sand-in-the-falling/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Once, when the days were ages, And the old Earth was young, The high gods and the sages From Nature's golden pages Her open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/once-when-the-days-were-ages-and-the-old-earth-was-young-the-high/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [There is no death-the thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life, Which is itself an insufficient name, Faint recognition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder-2/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Day is the Child of Time, And Day must cease to be: But Night is without a sire, And cannot expire, One with Eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/day-is-the-child-of-time-and-day-must-cease-to-be-but-night-is/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [There are gains for all our losses, There are balms for all our pain: But when youth, the dream, departs, It takes something from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-are-gains-for-all-our-losses-there-are-balms-for-all-our-pain/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Children are the keys of Paradise.They alone are good and wise, Because their thoughts, their very lives are prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/children-are-the-keys-of-paradise-they-alone-are-good-and-wise/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Silence is the speech of love, The music of the spheres above.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/silence-is-the-speech-of-love-the-music-of-the-spheres-above/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [With no companion but the constant Muse, Who sought me when I needed her ah, when Did I not need her, solitary else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/with-no-companion-but-the-constant-muse-who-sought-me-when-i-needed/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [We have two lives about us,Two worlds in which we dwell,Within us and without us,Alternate Heaven and Hell:-Without, the somber Real,Within, our hearts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/we-have-two-lives-about-us-two-worlds-in-which-we-dwell-within-us-and/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Pale in her fading bowers the Summer stands, Like a new Niobe with claspèd hands, Silent above the flowers, her children lost, Slain by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/pale-in-her-fading-bowers-the-summer-stands-like-a-new-niobe-with/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Heaven is not gone, but we are blind with tears, Groping our way along the downward slope of Years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/heaven-is-not-gone-but-we-are-blind-with-tears-groping-our-way-along/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Day and night my thoughts incline To the blandishments of wine, Jars were made to drain, I think; Wine, I know, was made to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/day-and-night-my-thoughts-incline-to-the-blandishments-of-wine-jars/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) > [Given the books of a man, it is not difficult, I think, to detect therein the personality of the man, and the station in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/given-the-books-of-a-man-it-is-not-difficult-i-think-to-detect/) [Richard Henry Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) [Explore all 17 Richard Henry Stoddard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/) ## 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 is no death. The thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Henry Stoddard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af4/richard-henry-stoddard-31051_death_there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call_59005.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no death. The thing that we call death Is but another, sadder name for life.” — Richard Henry Stoddard", "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": "Richard Henry Stoddard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-henry-stoddard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no death. The thing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-henry-stoddard/there-is-no-death-the-thing-that-we-call-death-is-but-another-sadder/#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 } } ] } ```