--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That you wanted to sleep for a thousand…" description: "\"“That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that.”\" — Stephen Chbosky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/stephen-chbosky-387_exist_that-you-wanted-to-sleep-for-a-thousand_1258190.png" --- # That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not… ![“That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that.” quote by Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/stephen-chbosky-387_exist_that-you-wanted-to-sleep-for-a-thousand_1258190.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/stephen-chbosky-387_exist_that-you-wanted-to-sleep-for-a-thousand_1258190.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a4/stephen-chbosky-387_exist_that-you-wanted-to-sleep-for-a-thousand_1258190.png) > ““That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. Or something like that.”” [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A yearning for escape from existence, seeking oblivion or detachment. **In simple terms:** Desire to disappear or not notice life. Key Takeaway Acknowledge pain, seek connection. Themes existence escape awareness Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - mental health - grief - loneliness - self‑reflection Key Concepts nihilism existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire to disengage? - How can you find meaning in being? A Different Perspective Ignoring underlying issues can worsen isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aware Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aware-exist-3990751/) [Exist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) [Exist Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist-like-869813/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Wanted Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-sleep-445831/) ## Related quotes > [“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-know-if-you-ve-ever-felt-like-that-that-you-wanted-to-sleep/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“I can't think again. Not ever again. I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-can-t-think-again-not-ever-again-i-don-t-know-if-you-ve-ever-felt/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I don't know if you've ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for thousands of years. Or just not exist..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-know-if-you-ve-ever-felt-like-that-that-you-wanted-to-sleep-2/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-know-if-you-ve-ever-felt-like-that-that-you-wanted-to-sleep-3/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“May we exist like a lotus, / At home in the muddy water. / Thus we bow to life as it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zen/may-we-exist-like-a-lotus-at-home-in-the-muddy-water-thus-we-bow-to/) [Zen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zen/) > [Live as though you don't exist; like you are two eyeballs floating in space with nothing behind them. No brain attached. Not even hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mooji/live-as-though-you-don-t-exist-like-you-are-two-eyeballs-floating-in/) [Mooji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mooji/) > [“Every thinking person should have a list of life questions, and at the top of that list should be the question, “Does God exist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-buzzard/every-thinking-person-should-have-a-list-of-life-questions-and-at-the/) [Justin Buzzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-buzzard/) > [When I'm old, I'd like to wake up in the morning and not really do anything - just be happy to exist. I'd like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-gibbard/when-i-m-old-i-d-like-to-wake-up-in-the-morning-and-not-really-do/) [Ben Gibbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-gibbard/) > [Some days were better than others, and I knew how to fake it to look normal. 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Sleep was blind, it was deaf, and it would take her away from this room and these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-rutkoski/she-could-ve-slept-then-she-wanted-to-sleep-was-blind-it-was-deaf-and/) [Marie Rutkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-rutkoski/) > [“Sorry I missed our last session, but I saw my mother and I needed some time to pick myself back up off the floor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chevy-stevens/sorry-i-missed-our-last-session-but-i-saw-my-mother-and-i-needed-some/) [Chevy Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chevy-stevens/) > [Cam: She is so lovely when she sleeps. Daniel: Is that why you wanted her to sleep for all eternity?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-kate/cam-she-is-so-lovely-when-she-sleeps-daniel-is-that-why-you-wanted/) [Lauren Kate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-kate/) > [“Emma, we don't have to kiss. She already knows I want to sleep with you." He cringes as soon as he says it. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-banks/emma-we-don-t-have-to-kiss-she-already-knows-i-want-to-sleep-with-you/) [Anna Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-banks/) > [“It’s not that I wanted to die . I just wanted to go to sleep for long enough for my life to find some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bart-baker/it-s-not-that-i-wanted-to-die-i-just-wanted-to-go-to-sleep-for-long/) [Bart Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bart-baker/) ## More by Stephen Chbosky > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“It's great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn't need a shoulder. What if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-great-that-you-can-listen-and-be-a-shoulder-to-someone-but-what/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Most of the people I know who were raised to be accommodating or were raised to just be nice and put everybody's needs ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/most-of-the-people-i-know-who-were-raised-to-be-accommodating-or-were/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I don’t want to start thinking again. Not like I have this last week. I can’t think again. Not ever again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-want-to-start-thinking-again-not-like-i-have-this-last-week-i/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“And then Patrick started running after the sunset. And Sam immediately followed him. And I saw them in silhouette. Running after the sun. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-then-patrick-started-running-after-the-sunset-and-sam-immediately/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [That was always my hope that that is exactly what I would do. It was always part of the dream of this story -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/that-was-always-my-hope-that-that-is-exactly-what-i-would-do-it-was/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [And she says she wants to expose me to all these great things. And to tell you the truth, I don't really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-she-says-she-wants-to-expose-me-to-all-these-great-things-and-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“I'm sorry I bothered you, Susan. I'm just having a tough time. That's all. Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [When we were all getting ready to leave, I walked up to my grandfather and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/when-we-were-all-getting-ready-to-leave-i-walked-up-to-my-grandfather/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-like-he-would-take-a-photograph-of-sam-and-the-photograph-would/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/five-minutes-of-a-lifetime-were-truly-spent-and-we-felt-young-in-a/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-feel-like-a-big-faker-because-i-ve-been-putting-my-life-back/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“So, this is my life. And I want you to know I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/so-this-is-my-life-and-i-want-you-to-know-i-am-both-happy-and-sad-and/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/if-you-care-about-somebody-you-should-want-them-to-be-happy-even-if/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I wasn't raised very religiously because my parents went to Catholic school, but I do believe in God very much. I just never gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-wasn-t-raised-very-religiously-because-my-parents-went-to-catholic/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) [Explore all 558 Stephen Chbosky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## More Exist quotes > [A vacuum can only exist, I imagine, by the things which enclose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zelda-fitzgerald/a-vacuum-can-only-exist-i-imagine-by-the-things-which-enclose-it/) [Zelda Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zelda-fitzgerald/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [You would not exist if you did not have something to bring to the table of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbie-hancock/you-would-not-exist-if-you-did-not-have-something-to-bring-to-the/) [Herbie Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbie-hancock/) > [I don't believe in moral victories. I don't think in pro ball they exist, and they shouldn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-witten/i-don-t-believe-in-moral-victories-i-don-t-think-in-pro-ball-they/) [Jason Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-witten/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [“Must a people disappear for us to know they exist? Mano Dayak”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mano-dayak/must-a-people-disappear-for-us-to-know-they-exist-mano-dayak/) [Mano Dayak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mano-dayak/) > [A monkey is unaware that atoms exist. Likewise, our brainpower may not stretch to the deepest aspects of reality. The bedrock nature of space…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/a-monkey-is-unaware-that-atoms-exist-likewise-our-brainpower-may-not/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [“And then again, maybe people and things are the same as emotions: Even when you can't see them or feel them or be with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-henriquez/and-then-again-maybe-people-and-things-are-the-same-as-emotions-even/) [Cristina Henriquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-henriquez/) > [When you rely on incentives, you undermine virtues. Then when you discover that you actually need people who want to do the right thing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-schwartz/when-you-rely-on-incentives-you-undermine-virtues-then-when-you/) [Barry Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-schwartz/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“Human race had never planned to show up in this universe. I wonder whether current human efforts are relevant to its sustainability.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/human-race-had-never-planned-to-show-up-in-this-universe-i-wonder/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/if-you-ask-why-i-do-what-i-do-i-want-to-make-a-difference-i-don-t/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [Happiness, I do not know where to turn to discover you on earth, in the air or the sky; yet I know you exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalia-de-castro/happiness-i-do-not-know-where-to-turn-to-discover-you-on-earth-in-the/) [Rosalia de Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalia-de-castro/) > [Is when you can not exist without your loves smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff/is-when-you-can-not-exist-without-your-loves-smile/) [Jeff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff/) > [Liberty does not exist where rights are on one side and power on the other. To be liberty, rights must be armed with vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/liberty-does-not-exist-where-rights-are-on-one-side-and-power-on-the/) [Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucius-quintus-cincinnatus-lamar-ii/) [Browse all 2,297 Exist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not be aware that you do exist. 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