--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have lived eighty years of life and…" description: "\"I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/voltaire-173_born_i-have-lived-eighty-years-of-life-and-kn_230069.png" --- # I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it… ![“I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow.” quote by Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/voltaire-173_born_i-have-lived-eighty-years-of-life-and-kn_230069.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/voltaire-173_born_i-have-lived-eighty-years-of-life-and-kn_230069.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa9/voltaire-173_born_i-have-lived-eighty-years-of-life-and-kn_230069.png) > “I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow.” [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is fleeting and knowledge limited; acceptance of fate and sorrow is inevitable. **In simple terms:** Life is short, we know little, accept sorrow. Key Takeaway Embrace resignation and find peace in acceptance. Themes mortality humility acceptance Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - aging - reflection - philosophical contemplation Key Concepts existentialism stoicism Questions to Reflect On - How does acceptance shape your view of suffering? - What can you learn from recognizing life's impermanence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) ## Related quotes > [Since someone ate crabs, others must have eaten spiders as well. However, they were not tasty. So afterwards, people stopped eating them. 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