--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever became of the moment when one…" description: "\"“Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? There must have been one, a moment, in childhood, when it first occurred to you that yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/tom-stoppard-437_children_whatever-became-of-the-moment-when-one-f_1325881.jpg" --- # Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about… ![“Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? There must have been one, a moment, in childhood, when it first occurred to you that you don't go on forever. It must have been shattering, stamped into one's memory. And yet I can't remember it. It never occurred to me at all. We must…” quote by Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/tom-stoppard-437_children_whatever-became-of-the-moment-when-one-f_1325881.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/tom-stoppard-437_children_whatever-became-of-the-moment-when-one-f_1325881.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/911/tom-stoppard-437_children_whatever-became-of-the-moment-when-one-f_1325881.jpg) > ““Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? There must have been one, a moment, in childhood, when it first occurred to you that you don't go on forever. It must have been shattering, stamped into one's memory. And yet I can't remember it. It never occurred to me at all. 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 awareness of mortality is an innate intuition formed early, shaping our perception of time and existence. **In simple terms:** We sense death early, shaping our view of life. Key Takeaway Acknowledge mortality to live meaningfully. Themes mortality existence time Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - life planning - grief counseling - education - creative writing Key Concepts philosophical psychological Questions to Reflect On - How does early awareness of death affect your choices? - Can confronting mortality improve life satisfaction? A Different Perspective Focusing on death can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [Whatever became of the moment when one first knew about death? There must have been one. A moment. In childhood. When it first occurred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/whatever-became-of-the-moment-when-one-first-knew-about-death-there-2/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [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/) > [To suspect your own mortality is to know the beginning of terror, to learn irrefutably that you are mortal is to know the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/to-suspect-your-own-mortality-is-to-know-the-beginning-of-terror-to/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“As human beings we are all keenly aware of our own mortality, but although we know we all have to die eventually, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-brockway/as-human-beings-we-are-all-keenly-aware-of-our-own-mortality-but/) [Robert Brockway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-brockway/) > [Death is one moment, and life is so many of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/death-is-one-moment-and-life-is-so-many-of-them/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“I was finally beginning to perceive that no matter how many dead people I might see, or people at the instant of their death,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-littell/i-was-finally-beginning-to-perceive-that-no-matter-how-many-dead/) [Jonathan Littell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-littell/) > [Death may call any moment. Every moment, everyone is nearing death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/death-may-call-any-moment-every-moment-everyone-is-nearing-death/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“He fought, until he was only his body, the burn of flesh, the pounding of blood, the hot slick of sweat, until everything concentrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-fought-until-he-was-only-his-body-the-burn-of-flesh-the-pounding/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“In the end we are the sum total of our doings and we will be faced by those doings at the moment of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lujan-matus/in-the-end-we-are-the-sum-total-of-our-doings-and-we-will-be-faced-by/) [Lujan Matus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lujan-matus/) > [For me the moment of death will be a moment of jubilation, not of fear. 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The moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/death-the-moment-sometime-in-the-future-when-your-name-is-spoken-for/) [David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/) > [To be in a body is to hear the heartbeat of death at every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-harvey/to-be-in-a-body-is-to-hear-the-heartbeat-of-death-at-every-moment/) [Andrew Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-harvey/) ## 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. 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