--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why do so many of us not give ourselves…" description: "\"Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be alive until we are absolutely assured that we will die? ...If we are not in [this present mill..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/stephen-levine-6949_alive_why-do-so-many-of-us-not-give-ourselves_1212426.png" --- # Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be… ![“Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be alive until we are absolutely assured that we will die? ...If we are not in [this present millisecond of life and conscious experience], we are not alive; we are merely thinking our lives. Yet we have seen so many die, looking back over…” quote by Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/stephen-levine-6949_alive_why-do-so-many-of-us-not-give-ourselves_1212426.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/stephen-levine-6949_alive_why-do-so-many-of-us-not-give-ourselves_1212426.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc0/stephen-levine-6949_alive_why-do-so-many-of-us-not-give-ourselves_1212426.png) > “Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be alive until we are absolutely assured that we will die? ...If we are not in \[this present millisecond of life and conscious experience\], we are not alive; we are merely thinking our lives. Yet we have seen so many die, looking back over their shoulders at their lives, shaking their heads and muttering in bewilderment, "What was that all about?"” [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges us to stop postponing authentic living until death feels certain, urging presence in each moment rather than living in hindsight. **In simple terms:** Live fully now, not later. Key Takeaway Embrace the present without waiting for certainty. Themes presence mindfulness existential authenticity mortality Mood reflective thoughtful serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily meditation - making important decisions - expressing feelings - letting go of fear - living with purpose Key Concepts impermanence consciousness self‑acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What does “being alive” truly mean to you? - How can you practice presence despite fear of death? A Different Perspective It can be hard to fully accept mortality, leading to avoidance of deep engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Bewilderment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bewilderment/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-back/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“...the reason is that when we look at nature, we receive a sort of permission to be alive in this world...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/the-reason-is-that-when-we-look-at-nature-we-receive-a-sort-of/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [To live in the past is to die in the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/to-live-in-the-past-is-to-die-in-the-present/) [Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/) > [Most people confuse the "now" with what is happening to them in the now. Actually what is happening to you now has nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-weiss/most-people-confuse-the-now-with-what-is-happening-to-them-in-the-now/) Stephen Weiss > [No thinking being lives who, at some luminous point of his life of thought, has not felt himself lost amid the surges of futile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/no-thinking-being-lives-who-at-some-luminous-point-of-his-life-of/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [For us, creativity means thinking about the lives of our audience and how to connect with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/for-us-creativity-means-thinking-about-the-lives-of-our-audience-and/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [The fact that some people can push others to the point of thinking that their lives are not worthy is catastrophic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-reeves/the-fact-that-some-people-can-push-others-to-the-point-of-thinking/) Melissa Reeves > [By thinking too much about others,our lives can be wasted in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-thinking-too-much-about-others-our-lives-can-be-wasted-in-vain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Consciousness is a much smaller part of our mental life than we are conscious of, because we cannot be conscious of what we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-jaynes/consciousness-is-a-much-smaller-part-of-our-mental-life-than-we-are-2/) [Julian Jaynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-jaynes/) > [“We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/we-must-learn-to-reawaken-and-keep-ourselves-awake-not-by-mechanical/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [People should adopt a sustainable way of life while being more conscious and aware.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athiya-shetty/people-should-adopt-a-sustainable-way-of-life-while-being-more/) [Athiya Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athiya-shetty/) > [I know, that since life is our most precious gift, and as far as we can be absolutely certain, it's given to us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-know-that-since-life-is-our-most-precious-gift-and-as-far-as-we-can/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“How good life would be if we could all be more conscious of where things come from, if we could turn away from blind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walkin-jim-stoltz/how-good-life-would-be-if-we-could-all-be-more-conscious-of-where/) Walkin' Jim Stoltz > [The worst part in man life is conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jk/the-worst-part-in-man-life-is-conscious/) Jk > [People could achieve much more if only they would put in more effort. You must take responsibility for your own life. Be conscious of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-oscar-smith/people-could-achieve-much-more-if-only-they-would-put-in-more-effort/) [Johan Oscar Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-oscar-smith/) > [“all life is conscious, but it is not conscious of being conscious”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-boyd/all-life-is-conscious-but-it-is-not-conscious-of-being-conscious/) Doug Boyd ## More by Stephen Levine > [ “\[T\]hose who insist they've got their 'shit together' are usually standing in it at the time. (16)” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/t-hose-who-insist-they-ve-got-their-shit-together-are-usually/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [“When you can accept discomfort, doing so allows a balance of mind. That surrender, that letting go of wanting anything to be other than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/when-you-can-accept-discomfort-doing-so-allows-a-balance-of-mind-that/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [Forgiveness is mental floss! Build the capacity to forgive slowly - start with little unkind acts, otherwise you'll sabotage yourself. When we forgive, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/forgiveness-is-mental-floss-build-the-capacity-to-forgive-slowly/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [If there is a single definition of healing it is to enter with mercy and awareness those pains, mental and physical, from which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/if-there-is-a-single-definition-of-healing-it-is-to-enter-with-mercy/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/if-you-were-going-to-die-soon-and-had-only-one-phone-call-you-could/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [Relate to the fear, not just from it. (50)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/relate-to-the-fear-not-just-from-it-50/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [Love is not what we become, but what we already are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/love-is-not-what-we-become-but-what-we-already-are/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [...healing comes not from being loving but from being itself. It is not a case of being clear but of clear being. This healing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/healing-comes-not-from-being-loving-but-from-being-itself-it-is-not-a/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [If you want the other person more than anything else in the world, you're in major trouble and the relationship is a wobbly pivot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/if-you-want-the-other-person-more-than-anything-else-in-the-world-you/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [Letting the last breath come. Letting the last breath go. Dissolving, dissolving into vast space, the light body released from its heavier form. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/letting-the-last-breath-come-letting-the-last-breath-go-dissolving/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [“A drop of pond water under the microscope just like in science class but now your are the pond & the microscope is mindfulness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/a-drop-of-pond-water-under-the-microscope-just-like-in-science-class/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [If sequestered pain made a sound, the atmosphere would be humming all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/if-sequestered-pain-made-a-sound-the-atmosphere-would-be-humming-all/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [In all serious disease states we find a concomitant low oxygen state... Low oxygen in the body tissues is a sure indicator for disease...Hypoxia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/in-all-serious-disease-states-we-find-a-concomitant-low-oxygen-state/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [Clearly, all fear has an element of resistance and a leaning away from the moment. Its dynamic is not unlike that of strong desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/clearly-all-fear-has-an-element-of-resistance-and-a-leaning-away-from/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) > [The saddest part about being human is not paying attention. Presence is the gift of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-levine/the-saddest-part-about-being-human-is-not-paying-attention-presence/) [Stephen Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) [Explore all 96 Stephen Levine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-levine/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why do so many of us not give ourselves permission to be alive until we are absolutely assured that we will die? ...If we are not in [this present millisecond of life and conscious experience], we are not alive; we are merely thinking our lives. 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