--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not to be content with Life is the…" description: "\"Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid to live, run blindly upon their own Death, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png" --- # Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of… ![“Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid to live, run blindly upon their own Death, which no Man fears by Experience.” quote by Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png) > “Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid to live, run blindly upon their own Death, which no Man fears by Experience.” [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is portrayed as an unsatisfying condition for those who self-sabotage, fearing true living and rushing toward death, which is not feared by those with experience. **In simple terms:** Self-destruction stems from fear of authentic living. Key Takeaway Avoid self-sabotage to embrace life fully. Themes existentialism self-awareness fear mortality authenticity Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type philosophical motivational cautionary When to use this quote - reflecting on personal stagnation - counseling individuals stuck in self-defeating patterns - motivational speaking on embracing life - writing about existential dread Key Concepts self-destruction fear of living experience vs ignorance Practical Applications - personal development workshops - therapeutic interventions Questions to Reflect On - What fears prevent you from fully living? - How can experience change your perception of death? A Different Perspective Some argue that confronting death can inspire a more meaningful life, rather than fearing it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being afraid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-afraid/) [Blindly Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blindly-death-825876/) [Content Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/content-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is/) [Life Unsatisfactory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-unsatisfactory-825874/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Unsatisfactory State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsatisfactory-state-825875/) ## Related quotes > [...we were back at home, and I had returned to that reassuring but profoundly unsatisfactory state known as 'being in one's right mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/we-were-back-at-home-and-i-had-returned-to-that-reassuring-but/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Next to selfishness the principal cause which makes life unsatisfactory is want of mental cultivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/next-to-selfishness-the-principal-cause-which-makes-life/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [Why did I write? Because I found life unsatisfactory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/why-did-i-write-because-i-found-life-unsatisfactory/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [And it was about then, about that time, that I began to find life unsatisfactory as an explanation of itself and was forced to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/and-it-was-about-then-about-that-time-that-i-began-to-find-life/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [Want a happier, more content life? I highly recommend the down-to-earth methods you'll find in 'Mindfulness.' 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I am shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/having-limits-to-push-against-is-how-you-find-out-what-you-can-do-i/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [If you really stop resisting someone or stop judging them or stop being afraid of them or stop imagining they're going to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/if-you-really-stop-resisting-someone-or-stop-judging-them-or-stop/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [It's different being afraid when there's the hope it will amount to something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cronin/it-s-different-being-afraid-when-there-s-the-hope-it-will-amount-to/) [Justin Cronin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cronin/) > [How tragic that the very thing that could set us free-playing the fool-is the thing we will not do. When we're afraid to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mason/how-tragic-that-the-very-thing-that-could-set-us-free-playing-the/) [Mike Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mason/) > [To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It's not about winning and losing; it's about every day hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/to-be-a-champion-i-think-you-have-to-see-the-big-picture-it-s-not/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [I hate when somebody says, "This may not work." You'll never get anywhere with that. I've pushed a lot of people out of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/i-hate-when-somebody-says-this-may-not-work-you-ll-never-get-anywhere/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [I'd rather sing one wild song and burst my heart with it, than live a thousand years watching my digestion and being afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/i-d-rather-sing-one-wild-song-and-burst-my-heart-with-it-than-live-a/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically smeared as 'Communists' or 'Fascists' by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-chase-smith/the-american-people-are-sick-and-tired-of-being-afraid-to-speak-their/) [Margaret Chase Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-chase-smith/) > [Anxiety is not fear, being afraid of this or that definite object, but the uncanny feeling of being afraid of nothing at all. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barrett/anxiety-is-not-fear-being-afraid-of-this-or-that-definite-object-but/) [William Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barrett/) > [The first step to believing something is true is wanting to believe it is true... or being afraid it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/the-first-step-to-believing-something-is-true-is-wanting-to-believe/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [I am comfortable calling myself a writer of suspense, or a writer of thrillers; both terms are sort of interchangeable to me. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-rice/i-am-comfortable-calling-myself-a-writer-of-suspense-or-a-writer-of/) [Christopher Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-rice/) [Browse all 234 Being afraid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-afraid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid to live, run blindly upon their own Death, which no Man fears by Experience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Browne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsatisfactory-state-of-those/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being afraid" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsatisfactory-state-of-those/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/230/thomas-browne-2006_being-afraid_not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsat_60410.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Not to be content with Life is the unsatisfactory state of those which destroy themselves; who being afraid…” — Thomas Browne", "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": "Thomas Browne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Not to be content with Life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsatisfactory-state-of-those/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/not-to-be-content-with-life-is-the-unsatisfactory-state-of-those/#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 } } ] } ```