--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who thought death looked like sleep…" description: "\"“Those who thought death looked like sleep had never seen it. When”\" — V.E. Schwab" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/v-e-schwab-4952_death_those-who-thought-death-looked-like-slee_2655703.jpg" --- # Those who thought death looked like sleep had never seen… ![“Those who thought death looked like sleep had never seen it. When” quote by V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/v-e-schwab-4952_death_those-who-thought-death-looked-like-slee_2655703.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/v-e-schwab-4952_death_those-who-thought-death-looked-like-slee_2655703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/v-e-schwab-4952_death_those-who-thought-death-looked-like-slee_2655703.jpg) > ““Those who thought death looked like sleep had never seen it. When”” [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Death is portrayed as something far more unsettling than a peaceful sleep, challenging romanticized views of mortality. **In simple terms:** Death is not like sleep. Key Takeaway Recognize the true gravity of death. Themes mortality perception existence Mood somber thoughtful Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - grief counseling - medical ethics - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophical existential literary Questions to Reflect On - How does your view of death affect your life choices? - What fears arise when confronting mortality? A Different Perspective Death may be inevitable, but its meaning varies across cultures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-looked-304799/) [Like Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-sleep/) [Sleep Seen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep-seen-790759/) [Thought Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-death/) ## Related quotes > [I am older now, and sleep less, and have seen most of what there is to see and am not very much impressed any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/i-am-older-now-and-sleep-less-and-have-seen-most-of-what-there-is-to/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [“Remember how I woke you up? If you could have seen me during the 15 minutes before your wake-up call, you would have seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shapiro/remember-how-i-woke-you-up-if-you-could-have-seen-me-during-the-15/) [Bill Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shapiro/) > [“ This morning, on the avenue, my death was walking next to me, under the plane-trees. I came back home, lied on the bed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bobin/this-morning-on-the-avenue-my-death-was-walking-next-to-me-under-the/) [Christian Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bobin/) > [“She closed her eyes; and in the sweet slumber lying her spirit tiptoed from its lodging place. It's folly to shrink in fear, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petrarch/she-closed-her-eyes-and-in-the-sweet-slumber-lying-her-spirit-tiptoed/) [Petrarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petrarch/) > [Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/neither-the-sun-nor-death-can-be-looked-at-steadily/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The dank smell of death in that alleyway haunted her senses, her memories. She kept thinking this was the end—this was what death felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-dawes/the-dank-smell-of-death-in-that-alleyway-haunted-her-senses-her/) [Lauren Dawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-dawes/) > [In death, they all looked the same. This morning they spoke, they breathed, they kissed their loved ones good-bye. And now they lay dead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/in-death-they-all-looked-the-same-this-morning-they-spoke-they/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“Braith opened her eyes and screamed at what hovered above her, “Gods! Death comes for me!” The horrifying face of death curled its lip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-a-aiken/braith-opened-her-eyes-and-screamed-at-what-hovered-above-her-gods/) [G.A. Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-a-aiken/) > [Again, somehow, one saw life, a pure bead. I lifted the pencil again, useless though I knew it to be. 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I would like to watch you, sleeping.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/variation-on-the-word-sleep-i-would-like-to-watch-you-sleeping-which/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I like to sleep. I like to do nothing. Nothing is my favorite kind of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callan-mcauliffe/i-like-to-sleep-i-like-to-do-nothing-nothing-is-my-favorite-kind-of/) [Callan McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callan-mcauliffe/) > [“Can I get you anything? Water? Tea? Anything?” I turned to face him, as he stepped inside. “No water, no tea, but there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-clayton/can-i-get-you-anything-water-tea-anything-i-turned-to-face-him-as-he/) [Alice Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-clayton/) > [“SILENT LIKE SLEEP You appear by my side, silent like sleep. Soft hair, a little wild. No fear, gentle like a calm river. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/silent-like-sleep-you-appear-by-my-side-silent-like-sleep-soft-hair-a/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) ## More by V.E. Schwab > [“That was the hardest part of being plunged into a world where magic is possible. It made you wonder if everything was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/that-was-the-hardest-part-of-being-plunged-into-a-world-where-magic/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“Growing up, his parents had written off his dreams as simply an effect of his reading too many novels, disappearing for hours - sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/growing-up-his-parents-had-written-off-his-dreams-as-simply-an-effect/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“It was cowardice, he knew, but cowardice came so much easier than hope. And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/it-was-cowardice-he-knew-but-cowardice-came-so-much-easier-than-hope/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“It does nothing to dwell on what’s been taken from you,” he snarled. “Nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/it-does-nothing-to-dwell-on-what-s-been-taken-from-you-he-snarled/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“This woman, who is a force of nature. Who bends the world instead of bending for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/this-woman-who-is-a-force-of-nature-who-bends-the-world-instead-of/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“Let them think what they want was a thought that visited him with far less frequency and force than They see you as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/let-them-think-what-they-want-was-a-thought-that-visited-him-with-far/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one's self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/what-she-needs-are-stories-stories-are-a-way-to-preserve-one-s-self/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“It was better not to care—Lila tried not to care—but sometimes, people got in. Like a knife against armor, they found the cracks, slid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/it-was-better-not-to-care-lila-tried-not-to-care-but-sometimes-people/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“To clever plans,' said Kell, toasting his brother. 'And dashing princes.' 'To masked magicians,' said Rhy, swiping the wine. 'To mad ideas.' 'To the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/to-clever-plans-said-kell-toasting-his-brother-and-dashing-princes-to/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“Rhy watched his brother move toward her as naturally as if the world had simply tipped. For Kell, apparently, it had”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/rhy-watched-his-brother-move-toward-her-as-naturally-as-if-the-world/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“Names are important,” she said, twirling the cord. “Mine is Ojka, and I have orders to keep you out.” Beyond the doors, Kell let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/names-are-important-she-said-twirling-the-cord-mine-is-ojka-and-i/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“He didn’t want to rule the world. He only wanted to save it. Athos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/he-didn-t-want-to-rule-the-world-he-only-wanted-to-save-it-athos/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“There were a hundred shades between a truth and lie, and she knew them all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/there-were-a-hundred-shades-between-a-truth-and-lie-and-she-knew-them/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“This is why I drink.” Lenos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/this-is-why-i-drink-lenos/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) > [“People spoke of love as if it were an arrow. A thing that flew quick, and always found its mark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-e-schwab/people-spoke-of-love-as-if-it-were-an-arrow-a-thing-that-flew-quick/) [V.E. Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) [Explore all 95 V.E. Schwab quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-e-schwab/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. 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