--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We must be born with an intuition of…" description: "\"We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out we come, bloodied and squallin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/075/tom-stoppard-437_born_we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mor_71975.jpg" --- # We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we… ![“We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out we come, bloodied and squalling, with the knowledge that for all the points of the compass, there's only one direction. And time is its only measure.” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/075/tom-stoppard-437_born_we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mor_71975.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/075/tom-stoppard-437_born_we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mor_71975.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/075/tom-stoppard-437_born_we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mor_71975.jpg) > “We must be born with an intuition of mortality. Before we know the word for it. Before we know that there are words. Out we come, bloodied and squalling, with the knowledge that for all the points of the compass, there's only one direction. And time is its only measure.” [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. Human existence is innately aware of death, a primal sense that precedes language and shapes our perception of time as a singular, irreversible journey. **In simple terms:** Mortality is an innate compass guiding life. Key Takeaway Time measures our one-way march toward death. Themes mortality time existence intuition inevitability Mood reflective somber Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - contemplating life choices - grieving loss - philosophical reflection Key Concepts human nature temporal perception Practical Applications - writing existential essays - guiding counseling sessions Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing mortality affect daily decisions? - What does it mean to view time as a single direction? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-intuition-941632/) [Compass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compass/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Intuition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition/) [Intuition Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intuition-mortality-941630/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Mortality Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality-know-941631/) [One direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-direction/) ## Related quotes > [We must be born with an intuition of mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/we-must-be-born-with-an-intuition-of-mortality/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? 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