--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Socrates pointed out that we carry on as…" description: "\"Socrates pointed out that we carry on as though death were the greatest of all calamities-yet, for all we know, it might be the greatest of all blessin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/steve-hagen-18377_blessing_socrates-pointed-out-that-we-carry-on-as_561139.png" --- # Socrates pointed out that we carry on as though death were… ![“Socrates pointed out that we carry on as though death were the greatest of all calamities-yet, for all we know, it might be the greatest of all blessings. What are we going to call good? What are we going to call bad? Good or bad is never our choice, or even the issue.” quote by Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/steve-hagen-18377_blessing_socrates-pointed-out-that-we-carry-on-as_561139.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/steve-hagen-18377_blessing_socrates-pointed-out-that-we-carry-on-as_561139.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d11/steve-hagen-18377_blessing_socrates-pointed-out-that-we-carry-on-as_561139.png) > “Socrates pointed out that we carry on as though death were the greatest of all calamities-yet, for all we know, it might be the greatest of all blessings. What are we going to call good? What are we going to call bad? Good or bad is never our choice, or even the issue.” [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests that death may be a blessing, and that moral labels are not absolute choices. **In simple terms:** Death could be a blessing; morals are not fixed. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about life and morality. Themes philosophy spirituality mortality Mood contemplative inquisitive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - meditation - ethical decision making Key Concepts impermanence ethical relativism Questions to Reflect On - How do you define good and bad? - What does it mean to accept death? A Different Perspective Accepting death as blessing can be unsettling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calamity/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) ## Related quotes > [Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and greatest of Calamities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/truly-songs-and-tales-fall-utterly-short-of-the-reality-o-smaug-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Death is the greatest evil, because it cuts off hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/death-is-the-greatest-evil-because-it-cuts-off-hope/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Many people avoid talking about death, but it never bothered me. The principal of my high school was an excellent teacher. One day he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-tucker-windham/many-people-avoid-talking-about-death-but-it-never-bothered-me-the/) Kathryn Tucker Windham > [No one knows whether death may not be the greatest good that can happen to man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/no-one-knows-whether-death-may-not-be-the-greatest-good-that-can/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Death is not the greatest of evils; it is worse to want to die, and not be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/death-is-not-the-greatest-of-evils-it-is-worse-to-want-to-die-and-not/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/death-may-be-the-greatest-of-all-human-blessings/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [“Death is the greatest goal of anyone. It is something no other living human can achieve”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-carlson/death-is-the-greatest-goal-of-anyone-it-is-something-no-other-living/) Davis Carlson > [“The greatest enemy is conquered only in death. Your greatest enemy is yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howlett-a-k-a-wolverine/the-greatest-enemy-is-conquered-only-in-death-your-greatest-enemy-is/) James Howlett A.K.A "Wolverine > [Death may be the greatest of all human blessings. Or perhaps birth is. But I believe it's every single thing that lies between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hope/death-may-be-the-greatest-of-all-human-blessings-or-perhaps-birth-is/) [Amber Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hope/) > [Death is the greatest form of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-manson/death-is-the-greatest-form-of-love/) [Charles Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-manson/) > [Death is the greatest of earth's Illusions. There is no death but only changes in life conditions!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-the-greatest-of-earth-s-illusions-there-is-no-death-but-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Death is the greatest relationship we'll share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/death-is-the-greatest-relationship-we-ll-share/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [“She said that time and death are the greatest enemies all of us must face, and the only weapon stronger than they are is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-c-wrede/she-said-that-time-and-death-are-the-greatest-enemies-all-of-us-must/) [Patricia C. Wrede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-c-wrede/) > [“Death: It is the greatest adventure. It is stunning that in western civilization we deny it to the degree that we do. Perhaps that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/death-it-is-the-greatest-adventure-it-is-stunning-that-in-western/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [Death is the greatest illusion of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/death-is-the-greatest-illusion-of-all/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More by Steve Hagen > [“Buddhism is not a belief system. It’s not about accepting certain tenets or believing a set of claims or principles. In fact, it’s quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/buddhism-is-not-a-belief-system-it-s-not-about-accepting-certain/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [And here we are with our improved human world that we've spent a great deal of time and energy working on. We've improved the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/and-here-we-are-with-our-improved-human-world-that-we-ve-spent-a/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“Normally, a view of the world is nothing more than a set of beliefs, a way to freeze the world in our minds. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/normally-a-view-of-the-world-is-nothing-more-than-a-set-of-beliefs-a/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“This will never come again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/this-will-never-come-again/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [What makes human life--which is inseparable from this moment--so precious is its fleeting nature. And not that it doesn't last but that it never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/what-makes-human-life-which-is-inseparable-from-this-moment-so/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“One day, soon after the Buddha’s enlightenment, a man saw the Buddha walking toward him. The man had not heard of the Buddha, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/one-day-soon-after-the-buddha-s-enlightenment-a-man-saw-the-buddha/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [True freedom doesn't lie in the maximization of choice, but, ironically, is most easily found in a life where there is little choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/true-freedom-doesn-t-lie-in-the-maximization-of-choice-but-ironically/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“See confusion as confusion. Acknowledge suffering as suffering. Feel pain and sorrow and divisiveness. Experience anger or fear or shock for what they are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/see-confusion-as-confusion-acknowledge-suffering-as-suffering-feel/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“If you point out the moon to a cat, she probably won’t look at the sky; she’ll come up and sniff your finger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/if-you-point-out-the-moon-to-a-cat-she-probably-won-t-look-at-the-sky/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“The buddha-dharma does not invite us to dabble in abstract notions. 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We become patient, with no sense of putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/as-we-live-out-of-such-a-mind-we-become-generous-with-no-sense-of/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [Whatever the world dishes up, we take it on--not on our own terms, but on the world's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/whatever-the-world-dishes-up-we-take-it-on-not-on-our-own-terms-but/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“The Buddha encouraged people to "know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome and wrong. And when you do, then give them up. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/the-buddha-encouraged-people-to-know-for-yourselves-that-certain/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) > [“To deny a concept is not to embrace its opposite.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-hagen/to-deny-a-concept-is-not-to-embrace-its-opposite/) [Steve Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) [Explore all 35 Steve Hagen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-hagen/) ## More Blessing quotes > [Being a new mother is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phaedra-parks/being-a-new-mother-is-a-blessing/) [Phaedra Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phaedra-parks/) > [God loves to glorify himself by suspending his gifts and blessings on our asking him for them. We should never presume to receive from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/god-loves-to-glorify-himself-by-suspending-his-gifts-and-blessings-on/) [Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Life is all about experiences and being able to work with good people is a blessing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhumika-chawla/life-is-all-about-experiences-and-being-able-to-work-with-good-people/) [Bhumika Chawla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhumika-chawla/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. 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We live by grace far more than by anything else.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-elton-trueblood/one-of-the-noblest-words-in-our-language-is-grace-defined-as-unearned/) [D. Elton Trueblood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-elton-trueblood/) > [The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigham-young/the-only-men-who-become-gods-even-the-sons-of-god-are-those-who-enter/) [Brigham Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigham-young/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [“Time wasted can never be compensated”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-wasted-can-never-be-compensated/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The Louvre! The Louvre has me in its clutches. Every time I'm there rich blessings rain down upon me. I am coming to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-modersohn-becker/the-louvre-the-louvre-has-me-in-its-clutches-every-time-i-m-there/) [Paula Modersohn-Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-modersohn-becker/) > [Life is such a very troublesome matter, when all is said and done, that it's as well even to take its blessings quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-braddon/life-is-such-a-very-troublesome-matter-when-all-is-said-and-done-that/) [Mary Elizabeth Braddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-braddon/) > [Down where I grew up, able-bodied people do that which we believe God created them to do. Work is a blessing; it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-southerland/down-where-i-grew-up-able-bodied-people-do-that-which-we-believe-god/) [Steve Southerland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-southerland/) [Browse all 4,617 Blessing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Socrates pointed out that we carry on as though death were the greatest of all calamities-yet, for all we know, it might be the greatest of all blessings. What are we going to call good? What are we going to call bad? 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