---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it's time to stop living, I will…"
description: "\"When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death my number one choice!\" — Terry Pratchett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg"
---

#  When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death…

![“When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death my number one choice!” quote by Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg)

> “When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death my number one choice!”

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When life ends, choosing death becomes a deliberate, rational decision rather than a passive occurrence.

**In simple terms:** Choosing death is a conscious decision.

Key Takeaway

Consider agency in life's end.

Themes

mortality choice agency

Mood

serious thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- end‑of‑life care
- philosophical debates
- creative writing
- gaming narratives

Key Concepts

existentialism ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- What would make you choose death over living?
- How does agency affect your view of mortality?

A Different Perspective

Cultural taboos may hinder open discussion.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dying/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-certainly-1767039/) [Make Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-death-432434/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Stop Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-living/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-edwards/if-we-re-not-willing-to-settle-for-junk-living-we-certainly-shouldn-t/)

[Sally Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-edwards/)

> [I don't know exactly how long the book as we know it will exist, but I fully expect to make it to my death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-moody/i-don-t-know-exactly-how-long-the-book-as-we-know-it-will-exist-but-i/)

[Rick Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-moody/)

> [There are many ways to make the death rate increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/there-are-many-ways-to-make-the-death-rate-increase/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [Just remember, I can always make your death look like an accident. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-hartman/just-remember-i-can-always-make-your-death-look-like-an-accident/)

[Celeste Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-hartman/)

> [“Sometimes, I think that I love life so much, that I make death jealous...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-suggs/sometimes-i-think-that-i-love-life-so-much-that-i-make-death-jealous/)

[Lionel Suggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-suggs/)

> [“Life is what you make it, death is how you take it. -Nate Spears”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-spears/life-is-what-you-make-it-death-is-how-you-take-it-nate-spears/)

[Nate Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-spears/)

> [And make death proud to take us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleopatra/and-make-death-proud-to-take-us/)

[Cleopatra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleopatra/)

> [“So I got in my car and decided that I was going to run a red light and hit another car on purpose. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gunthridge/so-i-got-in-my-car-and-decided-that-i-was-going-to-run-a-red-light/)

[Jack Gunthridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gunthridge/)

> [“Make death proud to take us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/make-death-proud-to-take-us/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“If you cannot love me, I will die. Before you came I wanted to die, I have told you many times. It is cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/if-you-cannot-love-me-i-will-die-before-you-came-i-wanted-to-die-i/)

[James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/)

> [When you make a death threat to some one, you don't write it down on paper and send it to them by mail. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuliano/when-you-make-a-death-threat-to-some-one-you-don-t-write-it-down-on/)

[Giuliano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuliano/)

> [Hey, I watch csi I can make your death look like a accident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/hey-i-watch-csi-i-can-make-your-death-look-like-a-accident/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Die! Die to the ego, die to your past, and you will be resurrected. That resurrection will make you go beyond death, beyond time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/die-die-to-the-ego-die-to-your-past-and-you-will-be-resurrected-that/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“I know there's nothing you can say to make death okay. It is what it is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hathaway/i-know-there-s-nothing-you-can-say-to-make-death-okay-it-is-what-it-is/)

[Jill Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hathaway/)

> [“HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN A FAILURE? LET’S MAKE YOUR DEATH A SUCCESS!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-teul/has-your-life-been-a-failure-let-s-make-your-death-a-success/)

[Jean Teulé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-teul/)

## More by Terry Pratchett

> [“This one’s mental.’ ‘Eccentric.’ ‘What’s the difference?’ ‘A bag of cash.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/this-one-s-mental-eccentric-what-s-the-difference-a-bag-of-cash/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“But I did not return until half past four this morning and I distinctly remember stubbing my toe on the stairs. I am as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/but-i-did-not-return-until-half-past-four-this-morning-and-i/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Someone broke from the scrum and, punching and kicking, staggered towards the Klatchian goal. "Isn't that man your butler?" said Ahmed. "Yes." "One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/someone-broke-from-the-scrum-and-punching-and-kicking-staggered/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [It's an interesting fact that fewer than 17 % of Real cats end their lives with the same name they started with. Much family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-s-an-interesting-fact-that-fewer-than-17-of-real-cats-end-their/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [You can't trust folk songs. They always sneak up on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-can-t-trust-folk-songs-they-always-sneak-up-on-you/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Either dragons should exist completely or fail to exist at all, he felt. A dragon only half-existing was worse than the extremes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/either-dragons-should-exist-completely-or-fail-to-exist-at-all-he/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Magrat wondered what it was like, spending your whole life doing something you didn’t want to do. Like being dead, she considered, only worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/magrat-wondered-what-it-was-like-spending-your-whole-life-doing/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [A hardback's harder at Christmas time because that's a good hardback buying time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/a-hardback-s-harder-at-christmas-time-because-that-s-a-good-hardback/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There were more old people. The world was full of them,' said the wizard. 'Yes, I know. And now it's full of young people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-were-more-old-people-the-world-was-full-of-them-said-the-wizard/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“Hobson was big and heavyset, but not exactly fat; he was probably what you’d get if you shaved a bear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/hobson-was-big-and-heavyset-but-not-exactly-fat-he-was-probably-what/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You'd like Freedom, Truth, and Justice, wouldn't you, Comrade Sergeant?' said Reg encouragingly. 'I'd like a hard-boiled egg,' said Vimes, shaking the match out.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-d-like-freedom-truth-and-justice-wouldn-t-you-comrade-sergeant/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“You are not apprehensive, are you? I can't detect no trace of fear none whatsoever Roomy cranium all possible videos of all possible outcomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-are-not-apprehensive-are-you-i-can-t-detect-no-trace-of-fear-none/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Imagination, not intelligence, made us human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/imagination-not-intelligence-made-us-human/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

[Explore all 3,328 Terry Pratchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

## More Choice quotes

> [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/)

[Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/)

> [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/)

[Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/)

> [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/)

[Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

[Pancho Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pancho-barnes/)

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/)

[Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/)

> [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/)

[Randy C. Dockens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-c-dockens/)

> [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/)

[Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/)

> [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/)

[Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/)

> [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

[Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death my number one choice!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Pratchett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-certainly-make-death-my-number/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Choice"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-certainly-make-death-my-number/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/terry-pratchett-19_choice_when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-cer_3011324.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When it's time to stop living, I will certainly make Death my number one choice!” — Terry Pratchett",
                "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": "Terry Pratchett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When it's time to stop living,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-certainly-make-death-my-number/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/when-it-s-time-to-stop-living-i-will-certainly-make-death-my-number/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
