---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time is short, life is short, there's a…"
description: "\"Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I skip the entertainers in the newspaper now. I just haven't got time.\" — Tom Stoppard"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png"
---

#  Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I…

![“Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I skip the entertainers in the newspaper now. I just haven't got time.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png)

> “Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I skip the entertainers in the newspaper now. I just haven't got time.”

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker laments limited time, choosing to avoid entertainment news to focus on learning.

**In simple terms:** Time scarcity leads to skipping entertainment news.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize learning over trivial media.

Themes

time management learning media consumption prioritization

Mood

thoughtful pragmatic

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- reading academic journals
- skill development
- curated news feeds
- educational podcasts

Key Concepts

information overload focus personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- How can one stay informed without sacrificing learning?
- What criteria define essential news?

A Different Perspective

Risk of missing cultural context and balanced perspective.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Entertainers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainers/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life is short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-is-short/) [Short life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Is Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-is-short/)

## Related quotes

> [Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/time-is-short-eternity-is-long-it-is-only-reasonable-that-this-short/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [As I've said before, time is short, and life is precious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/as-i-ve-said-before-time-is-short-and-life-is-precious/)

[Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/)

> [The West has made people too time-conscious, not knowing where they are going but speeding to get there because time is short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-west-has-made-people-too-time-conscious-not-knowing-where-they/)

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

> [“The time is short, and Christianity cannot afford to continue to be wrongly perceived as a sexual downer — which in reality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-w-sphero/the-time-is-short-and-christianity-cannot-afford-to-continue-to-be/)

M.W. Sphero

> [“Man’s time is short on the earth, but we trees watch the years march past like days. The stars are motionless to you, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/man-s-time-is-short-on-the-earth-but-we-trees-watch-the-years-march/)

[G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/)

> [“I had an aching sense that our time is short, shorter than we ever know, shorter as a morning run, and I wanted mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/i-had-an-aching-sense-that-our-time-is-short-shorter-than-we-ever/)

[Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/)

> [“Time is short. Don't waste it beating yourself up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-gregory/time-is-short-don-t-waste-it-beating-yourself-up/)

[Danny Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-gregory/)

> [“I have so much to tell you. But time is short. And the Veil is thick. And it takes magic to speak, a soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/i-have-so-much-to-tell-you-but-time-is-short-and-the-veil-is-thick/)

[Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/)

> [Time is short. We have at most a decade to sharply reverse course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/time-is-short-we-have-at-most-a-decade-to-sharply-reverse-course/)

[Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/)

> [“But time is short, and science is infinite...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/but-time-is-short-and-science-is-infinite/)

[Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/)

> [“Knowing that time is short is important. Knowing to make the best use of it you can, that's important. Letting those around you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-couloumbis/knowing-that-time-is-short-is-important-knowing-to-make-the-best-use/)

[Audrey Couloumbis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-couloumbis/)

> [William Saroyan wrote a great play on this theme, that purity of heart is the one success worth having. "In the time of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/william-saroyan-wrote-a-great-play-on-this-theme-that-purity-of-heart/)

[Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/)

> [Time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/time-is-short-my-strength-is-limited-the-office-is-a-horror-the/)

[Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/)

> [Life is short. Time is short. As we get older, time does quicken. It's long, and it's long pertaining to that thought, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/life-is-short-time-is-short-as-we-get-older-time-does-quicken-it-s/)

[Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/)

> [I've always had a clear sense that time is short and we need to live as fully as we can in every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/i-ve-always-had-a-clear-sense-that-time-is-short-and-we-need-to-live/)

[Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/)

## More by Tom Stoppard

> [If I wanted to change the world, the last thing I would do is write a play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-i-wanted-to-change-the-world-the-last-thing-i-would-do-is-write-a/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [If you want to change something by Tuesday, theater is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/if-you-want-to-change-something-by-tuesday-theater-is-no-good/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [After all these years, I definitely associate having a pen in my hand with having an ashtray just out of eye line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/after-all-these-years-i-definitely-associate-having-a-pen-in-my-hand/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [The universe is deterministic all right, just like Newton said, I mean it's trying to be, but the only thing going wrong is people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/the-universe-is-deterministic-all-right-just-like-newton-said-i-mean/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [For me, human rights simply endorse a view of life and a set of moral values that are perfectly clear to an eight-year-old child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/for-me-human-rights-simply-endorse-a-view-of-life-and-a-set-of-moral/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [“What is an artist? For every thousand people there's nine hundred doing the work, ninety doing well, nine doing good, and one lucky bastard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/what-is-an-artist-for-every-thousand-people-there-s-nine-hundred/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [Dying is not romantic, and death is not a game which will soon be over... Death is not anything... death is not... It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/dying-is-not-romantic-and-death-is-not-a-game-which-will-soon-be-over/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [I'm not interested in clothes; I just like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-m-not-interested-in-clothes-i-just-like-them/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [For 10 years of my life, 3 times a day, I thanked the Lord for what I was about to receive and thanked him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/for-10-years-of-my-life-3-times-a-day-i-thanked-the-lord-for-what-i/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [You should not translate for more than two hours at a time. After that, you lose your edge, the language becomes clumsy, rigid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/you-should-not-translate-for-more-than-two-hours-at-a-time-after-that/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [No matter how imperfect things are, if you've got a free press everything is correctable, and without it everything is concealable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/no-matter-how-imperfect-things-are-if-you-ve-got-a-free-press/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality-before-we-know-the/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [Eternity's a terrible thought. I mean, where's it all going to end?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/eternity-s-a-terrible-thought-i-mean-where-s-it-all-going-to-end/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

> [There is truth and falsehood in a comma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/there-is-truth-and-falsehood-in-a-comma/)

[Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

[Explore all 559 Tom Stoppard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/)

## More Entertainers quotes

> [My father was the role model I looked up. My dad was an entertainer, too. I patterned my life after him. He wanted me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/my-father-was-the-role-model-i-looked-up-my-dad-was-an-entertainer/)

[Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/)

> [I got to meet some of the best people I've ever met, and we all grew as people and as entertainers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/i-got-to-meet-some-of-the-best-people-i-ve-ever-met-and-we-all-grew/)

[Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/)

> [It concerns me when people frame the conversation about equal pay about the entertainment business. I don't want the wage gap issue to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/it-concerns-me-when-people-frame-the-conversation-about-equal-pay/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [There's been periods of broadcasts in the past where you could see all ages of entertainers, ranging from George Burns to Shirley Temple. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/there-s-been-periods-of-broadcasts-in-the-past-where-you-could-see/)

[Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/)

> [By amusing myself with all these games, all this nonsense, all these picture puzzles, I became famous... I am only a public entertainer who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/by-amusing-myself-with-all-these-games-all-this-nonsense-all-these/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [Most restaurant people work much harder physically, on a daily basis, than most entertainers. Though most people in entertainment complain more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rosenthal/most-restaurant-people-work-much-harder-physically-on-a-daily-basis/)

[Philip Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rosenthal/)

> [“Writers are extremely awesome entertainers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vianka-van-bokkem/writers-are-extremely-awesome-entertainers/)

[Vianka Van Bokkem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vianka-van-bokkem/)

> [When I first started, I was really nervous. You could hear my voice quiver. So I started drinking a bit and that helped. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mcgraw/when-i-first-started-i-was-really-nervous-you-could-hear-my-voice/)

[Tim McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mcgraw/)

> [You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-saying-if-i-couldn-t-get-paid-for/)

[Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/)

> [Michael Jackson is the reason why I do music and why I am an entertainer. I am devastated by this great loss, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-brown/michael-jackson-is-the-reason-why-i-do-music-and-why-i-am-an/)

[Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-brown/)

> [School bored me. Being educated and being intelligent are two different things. I thought I was smart enough. And I wanted to be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/school-bored-me-being-educated-and-being-intelligent-are-two/)

[Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/)

> [There's more attention paid to entertainers than ever and less that they have to say. Not that entertainers were ever a great beacon of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/there-s-more-attention-paid-to-entertainers-than-ever-and-less-that/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [We're entertainers, not just singers!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ruffin/we-re-entertainers-not-just-singers/)

[David Ruffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ruffin/)

> [Cher wanted to be an entertainer more than I've seen anybody want to be an entertainer in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-bono/cher-wanted-to-be-an-entertainer-more-than-i-ve-seen-anybody-want-to/)

[Sonny Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-bono/)

> [The press don't like to say nice things because nice is boring. It's much better to label me the devil. What we do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bay/the-press-don-t-like-to-say-nice-things-because-nice-is-boring-it-s/)

[Michael Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bay/)

[Browse all 395 Entertainers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I skip the entertainers in the newspaper now. I just haven't got time.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tom Stoppard"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lot-to-know-so-i-skip-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Entertainers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lot-to-know-so-i-skip-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8d/tom-stoppard-437_entertainers_time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lo_1440269.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Time is short, life is short, there's a lot to know. So I skip the entertainers in the newspaper now. I just…” — Tom Stoppard",
                "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": "Tom Stoppard",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Time is short, life is short,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lot-to-know-so-i-skip-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/time-is-short-life-is-short-there-s-a-lot-to-know-so-i-skip-the/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
