--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re…" description: "\"“Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re already dead. Think of poor Michael. He was horribly disfigured and had that space rash, but he served a purpos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/vernon-d-burns-32100_quote_then-we-re-already-dead-robert-we-re-alr_1016426.jpg" --- # Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re already dead. Think… ![“Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re already dead. Think of poor Michael. He was horribly disfigured and had that space rash, but he served a purpose! He could clean and sanitize the latrine like no one else. And the engine crew? They’re dead, too, Robert. They’re dead, too.” quote by Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/vernon-d-burns-32100_quote_then-we-re-already-dead-robert-we-re-alr_1016426.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/vernon-d-burns-32100_quote_then-we-re-already-dead-robert-we-re-alr_1016426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f5/vernon-d-burns-32100_quote_then-we-re-already-dead-robert-we-re-alr_1016426.jpg) > ““Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re already dead. Think of poor Michael. He was horribly disfigured and had that space rash, but he served a purpose! He could clean and sanitize the latrine like no one else. And the engine crew? They’re dead, too, Robert. They’re dead, too.”” [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters confront mortality, finding purpose in suffering and honoring the dead despite bleak circumstances. **In simple terms:** Even in death, purpose can be found. Key Takeaway Find meaning in hardship. Themes loss purpose survival Mood somber reflective Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - war zones - post‑apocalyptic settings - personal grief - team dynamics Key Concepts existentialism heroism Questions to Reflect On - What does purpose look like after tragedy? - How does honoring the dead shape the living? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook the trauma of loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“One thing all the stories agreed on: King Robert was dead. The bells in the seven towers of the Great Sept of Baelor had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/one-thing-all-the-stories-agreed-on-king-robert-was-dead-the-bells-in/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [They can't give a Nobel to someone who's dead so I think they were probably thinking they had better give it to me now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/they-can-t-give-a-nobel-to-someone-who-s-dead-so-i-think-they-were/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [All the rhinos are dead, for the most part. I think that's really sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-staples/all-the-rhinos-are-dead-for-the-most-part-i-think-that-s-really-sad/) [Vince Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-staples/) > [People say that chivalry is dead, I don't think that it's dead, I think it's just got the 'flu!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-ryan/people-say-that-chivalry-is-dead-i-don-t-think-that-it-s-dead-i-think/) [Meg Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-ryan/) > [I admire orderly friend ! a man without knowledge is as one that is dead ! what you think concerning !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal/i-admire-orderly-friend-a-man-without-knowledge-is-as-one-that-is/) [Kamal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal/) > [“But he doubted the dead could think or feel anything. In his opinion, that was ones of the great things about dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/but-he-doubted-the-dead-could-think-or-feel-anything-in-his-opinion/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“She’d seen too many dead to think of that bitch, Fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/she-d-seen-too-many-dead-to-think-of-that-bitch-fate/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [“I'm not sure I would put it that way. When we get over something, we move on, we put it behind us. Do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/i-m-not-sure-i-would-put-it-that-way-when-we-get-over-something-we/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“I wish you could tell me where you are now. I mean, I know you’re dead, but I think there must be something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/i-wish-you-could-tell-me-where-you-are-now-i-mean-i-know-you-re-dead/) [Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/) > [“One minute walking along, the next minute dead. Why?" THINK OF IT BEING MORE... DIMENSIONALLY DISADVANTAGED. "Yes. I know." Beano relaxed, and stopped wondering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/one-minute-walking-along-the-next-minute-dead-why-think-of-it-being/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The power of the dead is that we think they see us all the time. The dead have a presence. Is there a level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-power-of-the-dead-is-that-we-think-they-see-us-all-the-time-the/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“The world was made for the dead. Think of all the dead there are...There's a million times more dead than living and the dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-world-was-made-for-the-dead-think-of-all-the-dead-there-are-there/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [The dead think they can get away with anything because you'll feel sorry for them. If you play cards with the dead, make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/the-dead-think-they-can-get-away-with-anything-because-you-ll-feel/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [“I stood there, listening. The wind blew snow from the branches. Snow blew out of the woods in eddies and sweeping gusts. I raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-stood-there-listening-the-wind-blew-snow-from-the-branches-snow/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“When he went off into space ten years ago, I said to myself, 'He's dead.' Or as good as dead. So think of him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-illustrated-man-ray-bradbury/when-he-went-off-into-space-ten-years-ago-i-said-to-myself-he-s-dead/) The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury ## More by Vernon D. Burns > [“The guy got torn the hell in half. He's in two big pieces, and he's very dead, unless I need him for the plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/the-guy-got-torn-the-hell-in-half-he-s-in-two-big-pieces-and-he-s/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“For here he was, barely able to tread water, some gargantuan lizard in the water with him, and the most beautiful woman in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/for-here-he-was-barely-able-to-tread-water-some-gargantuan-lizard-in/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Baby, where we're going, you won't need a shirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/baby-where-we-re-going-you-won-t-need-a-shirt/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Show me the science. Last I heard, gay six-year-olds remain unproven.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/show-me-the-science-last-i-heard-gay-six-year-olds-remain-unproven/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Sven knew jungles better than anyone; he’d spent his childhood in the Swedish outlands, an unforgiving place.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/sven-knew-jungles-better-than-anyone-he-d-spent-his-childhood-in-the/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“You fucked a raptor?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/you-fucked-a-raptor/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“I consider myself a green party supporter...because green represents my favorite color other than clear. And I met a guy who was running for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/i-consider-myself-a-green-party-supporter-because-green-represents-my/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“He thought he saw some horses, too, and a clown, but it was the faces of all those dead raptors that really bothered him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/he-thought-he-saw-some-horses-too-and-a-clown-but-it-was-the-faces-of/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Her foot squished into the soft ground as she walked. She stooped down and pressed her fingers into the damp earth. Raising them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/her-foot-squished-into-the-soft-ground-as-she-walked-she-stooped-down/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Caris set off into the nearby trees and walked a few feet beyond them, thankful for a break from Rita’s worry. He unzipped his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/caris-set-off-into-the-nearby-trees-and-walked-a-few-feet-beyond-them/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“I'm not saying the plot doesn't have holes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/i-m-not-saying-the-plot-doesn-t-have-holes/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Unfortunately for Sampson, the naked mole rat was in heat at the moment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/unfortunately-for-sampson-the-naked-mole-rat-was-in-heat-at-the-moment/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“Deep down, it's all baseball, no matter what kind of geometrical shape you play it with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/deep-down-it-s-all-baseball-no-matter-what-kind-of-geometrical-shape/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“I swear, it's like God is just squatting over us, pissing incessantly right on our faces as we try to get off this annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/i-swear-it-s-like-god-is-just-squatting-over-us-pissing-incessantly/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) > [“That scorpion is turning me into a human! Quick, stop him! Before the transformation is complete!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-d-burns/that-scorpion-is-turning-me-into-a-human-quick-stop-him-before-the/) [Vernon D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) [Explore all 16 Vernon D. Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-d-burns/) ## More Dead Think quotes > [They can't give a Nobel to someone who's dead so I think they were probably thinking they had better give it to me now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/they-can-t-give-a-nobel-to-someone-who-s-dead-so-i-think-they-were/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“I stood there, listening. The wind blew snow from the branches. Snow blew out of the woods in eddies and sweeping gusts. I raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-stood-there-listening-the-wind-blew-snow-from-the-branches-snow/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [The dead think they can get away with anything because you'll feel sorry for them. If you play cards with the dead, make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/the-dead-think-they-can-get-away-with-anything-because-you-ll-feel/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [“The world was made for the dead. Think of all the dead there are...There's a million times more dead than living and the dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/the-world-was-made-for-the-dead-think-of-all-the-dead-there-are-there/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [The power of the dead is that we think they see us all the time. The dead have a presence. Is there a level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/the-power-of-the-dead-is-that-we-think-they-see-us-all-the-time-the/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [“One minute walking along, the next minute dead. Why?" THINK OF IT BEING MORE... DIMENSIONALLY DISADVANTAGED. "Yes. I know." Beano relaxed, and stopped wondering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/one-minute-walking-along-the-next-minute-dead-why-think-of-it-being/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“I wish you could tell me where you are now. I mean, I know you’re dead, but I think there must be something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/i-wish-you-could-tell-me-where-you-are-now-i-mean-i-know-you-re-dead/) [Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/) > [“I'm not sure I would put it that way. When we get over something, we move on, we put it behind us. Do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-philipp-sendker/i-m-not-sure-i-would-put-it-that-way-when-we-get-over-something-we/) [Jan-Philipp Sendker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-philipp-sendker/) > [“She’d seen too many dead to think of that bitch, Fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/she-d-seen-too-many-dead-to-think-of-that-bitch-fate/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [“But he doubted the dead could think or feel anything. In his opinion, that was ones of the great things about dying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/but-he-doubted-the-dead-could-think-or-feel-anything-in-his-opinion/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I admire orderly friend ! a man without knowledge is as one that is dead ! what you think concerning !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal/i-admire-orderly-friend-a-man-without-knowledge-is-as-one-that-is/) [Kamal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal/) > [People say that chivalry is dead, I don't think that it's dead, I think it's just got the 'flu!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-ryan/people-say-that-chivalry-is-dead-i-don-t-think-that-it-s-dead-i-think/) [Meg Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-ryan/) > [All the rhinos are dead, for the most part. I think that's really sad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-staples/all-the-rhinos-are-dead-for-the-most-part-i-think-that-s-really-sad/) [Vince Staples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-staples/) > [“When he went off into space ten years ago, I said to myself, 'He's dead.' Or as good as dead. So think of him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-illustrated-man-ray-bradbury/when-he-went-off-into-space-ten-years-ago-i-said-to-myself-he-s-dead/) The Illustrated Man Ray Bradbury > [“It was there, in the parlors of the funeral home---my daily stations with the local lately dead---that the darkness would often give way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lynch/it-was-there-in-the-parlors-of-the-funeral-home-my-daily-stations/) [Thomas Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lynch/) Browse all 31 Dead Think quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Then we’re already dead, Robert. We’re already dead. Think of poor Michael. He was horribly disfigured and had that space rash, but he served a purpose! He could clean and sanitize the latrine like no one else. And the engine crew? They’re dead, too, Robert. They’re dead, too.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon D. 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