--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a sadness at the back of life…" description: "\"There is a sadness at the back of life which some people do not attempt to mitigate. Entirely aware of their own standing in the shadow, and yet alive ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg" --- # There is a sadness at the back of life which some people… ![“There is a sadness at the back of life which some people do not attempt to mitigate. Entirely aware of their own standing in the shadow, and yet alive to every tremor and gleam of existence, there they endure.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg) > “There is a sadness at the back of life which some people do not attempt to mitigate. Entirely aware of their own standing in the shadow, and yet alive to every tremor and gleam of existence, there they endure.” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A poetic description of an underlying sadness that some people ignore, yet remain sensitive to life’s subtle signals. **In simple terms:** Hidden sorrow exists, unnoticed by some, yet felt deeply. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address inner melancholy. Themes sadness awareness existence Mood melancholic thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - mental health - artistic creation - personal introspection Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize hidden sadness? - What can you do to alleviate it? A Different Perspective May be too abstract for practical use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) ## Related quotes > [Suppose the looking glass smashes, the image disappears, and the romantic figure with the green of forest depths all about it is there no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/suppose-the-looking-glass-smashes-the-image-disappears-and-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I rose as from the death that wipes out the sadness of life, and then dies itself in the new morrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-rose-as-from-the-death-that-wipes-out-the-sadness-of-life-and-then/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Time heals many wounds but this loss becomes the defining sadness of your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-cook/time-heals-many-wounds-but-this-loss-becomes-the-defining-sadness-of/) [Claire Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-cook/) > [“I’ve never seen an old person cry like this. The sadness from life is supposed to be folded inside an old person, not streaming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stuber/i-ve-never-seen-an-old-person-cry-like-this-the-sadness-from-life-is/) [Barbara Stuber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-stuber/) > [Oh the piercing sadness of life in the midst of its ordinariness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/oh-the-piercing-sadness-of-life-in-the-midst-of-its-ordinariness/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [The great sadness of my life is that I never achieved the hour newscast, which would not have been twice as good as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-great-sadness-of-my-life-is-that-i-never-achieved-the-hour/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [“There is enough sadness in life without having fellows like Gussie Fink-Nottle going about in sea boots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/there-is-enough-sadness-in-life-without-having-fellows-like-gussie/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [“Genes, I have learned, do not make a family. Families are the people that stick around through good and bad times. Sadness is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaycee-dugard/genes-i-have-learned-do-not-make-a-family-families-are-the-people/) [Jaycee Dugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaycee-dugard/) > [“People who make time for the sadness in your life, not just the joy, are worth keeping around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-doyle/people-who-make-time-for-the-sadness-in-your-life-not-just-the-joy/) [Catherine Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-doyle/) > [The times that were most fun seemed always to be followed by sadness now, because it was when life started to feel like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-times-that-were-most-fun-seemed-always-to-be-followed-by-sadness/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Trungpa Rinpoche talked about holding the sadness of life in our heart while never forgetting the beauty of the world and the goodness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/trungpa-rinpoche-talked-about-holding-the-sadness-of-life-in-our/) [Pema Chödrön](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [These are the only two situations possible, and you are in the sad situation. Everybody may know about you - who you are -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/these-are-the-only-two-situations-possible-and-you-are-in-the-sad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Real artists take the misery and sadness of life and translate it into art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/real-artists-take-the-misery-and-sadness-of-life-and-translate-it/) [Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/) > [Maybe this is the point: to embrace the core sadness of life without toppling headlong into it, or assuming it will define your days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-caldwell/maybe-this-is-the-point-to-embrace-the-core-sadness-of-life-without/) [Gail Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-caldwell/) > [The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to leave this world without ever telling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunita-penny/the-essential-sadness-is-to-go-through-life-without-loving-but-it/) [Sunita Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunita-penny/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) Adam Ant > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a sadness at the back of life which some people do not attempt to mitigate. Entirely aware of their own standing in the shadow, and yet alive to every tremor and gleam of existence, there they endure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-which-some-people-do-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-which-some-people-do-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/374/virginia-woolf-49_alive_there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-w_1062079.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a sadness at the back of life which some people do not attempt to mitigate. Entirely aware of their…” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a sadness at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-which-some-people-do-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/there-is-a-sadness-at-the-back-of-life-which-some-people-do-not/#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 } } ] } ```