---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How much more suffering is caused by the…"
description: "\"How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.\" — Will Durant"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png"
---

#  How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death…

![“How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.” quote by Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png)

> “How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.”

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fear of death causes more suffering than death itself, highlighting the power of mental anguish.

**In simple terms:** Worrying about death hurts more than dying.

Key Takeaway

Reduce anxiety about death by focusing on present life.

Themes

mortality fear anxiety psychology existentialism

Mood

thoughtful calm

Type

reflective philosophical

When to use this quote

- end‑of‑life care
- therapy
- daily mindfulness

Key Concepts

philosophy mental health

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fear of death affect your daily choices?
- What helps you accept mortality?

A Different Perspective

Some may find this view dismissive of genuine grief.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Caused Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caused-thought-576328/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-caused/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Thought Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-death/)

## Related quotes

> [“This new war, like the previous one, would be a test of the power of machines against people and places; whatever its causes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/this-new-war-like-the-previous-one-would-be-a-test-of-the-power-of/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [My last thought in the night end with you and my morning smile is caused by your thought. I wonder if ever life would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-donald/my-last-thought-in-the-night-end-with-you-and-my-morning-smile-is/)

[James Donald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-donald/)

> [Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could spare them from all suffering? No, it wouldn't. They would not evolve as human beings and would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/wouldn-t-it-be-wonderful-if-you-could-spare-them-from-all-suffering/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“God cries for us in the same way we cry for others. His tears most often spill over for the pain and suffering caused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/god-cries-for-us-in-the-same-way-we-cry-for-others-his-tears-most/)

[Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/)

> [Strange that so much suffering is caused because of the misunderstandings of God's true nature. God's heart is more gentle than the Virgin's first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/strange-that-so-much-suffering-is-caused-because-of-the/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [“Love is natural; but surely pity and faithfulness and memory are natural too. And they would live in me still, and punish me if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/love-is-natural-but-surely-pity-and-faithfulness-and-memory-are/)

[George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/)

> [Forget the suffering You caused others. Forget the suffering Others caused you. The waters run and run, Springs sparkle and are done, You walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/forget-the-suffering-you-caused-others-forget-the-suffering-others/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We profoundly regret the suffering this has caused our fans, our business partners and the thousands of people who depend on our industry for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bettman/we-profoundly-regret-the-suffering-this-has-caused-our-fans-our/)

[Gary Bettman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bettman/)

> [“Darya Alexandrovna, in a dressing jacket, and with her now scanty, once luxuriant and beautiful hair fastened up with hairpins on the nape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/darya-alexandrovna-in-a-dressing-jacket-and-with-her-now-scanty-once/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [Suffering is caused by desire. Desire is wanting something you don't have, wishing something were some way it isn't, or being otherwise generally dissatisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/suffering-is-caused-by-desire-desire-is-wanting-something-you-don-t/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [All suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-suffering-is-caused-by-ignorance-people-inflict-pain-on-others-in/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Blaming others doesn’t help you make the shift into courage and recognizing the support of Spirit and your own soul working together. Blaming yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colette-baron-reid/blaming-others-doesn-t-help-you-make-the-shift-into-courage-and/)

[Colette Baron Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colette-baron-reid/)

> [“Human suffering has been caused because too many of us cannot grasp that words are only tools for our use, and that the mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/human-suffering-has-been-caused-because-too-many-of-us-cannot-grasp/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [For me, moral questions such as stem-cell research turn upon whether suffering is caused. In this case, clearly none is. The embryos have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/for-me-moral-questions-such-as-stem-cell-research-turn-upon-whether/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [A lot of mental suffering is caused by unrealistic conclusions we jump to. Use logic and reason to create a conclusion that brings relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lot-of-mental-suffering-is-caused-by-unrealistic-conclusions-we/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Will Durant

> [I came to think of myself, not as a dance and chaos of molecules, but as a brief and minute portion of that majestic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/i-came-to-think-of-myself-not-as-a-dance-and-chaos-of-molecules-but/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“This is the tragedy of almost every civilization—that its soul is in its faith, and seldom survives philosophy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/this-is-the-tragedy-of-almost-every-civilization-that-its-soul-is-in/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/education-is-a-progressive-discovery-of-our-own-ignorance/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [In philosophy, as in politics, the longest distance between two points is a straight line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/in-philosophy-as-in-politics-the-longest-distance-between-two-points/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [As long as there is poverty there will be gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/as-long-as-there-is-poverty-there-will-be-gods/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“Hence the uselessness of logic: no one ever convinced anybody by logic; and even logicians use logic only as a source of income. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/hence-the-uselessness-of-logic-no-one-ever-convinced-anybody-by-logic/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“It is a mistake to think that the past is dead. Nothing that has ever happened is quite without influence at this moment. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/it-is-a-mistake-to-think-that-the-past-is-dead-nothing-that-has-ever/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“There is hardly an absurdity of the past that cannot be found flourishing somewhere in the present. Underneath all civilization, ancient or modern, moved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/there-is-hardly-an-absurdity-of-the-past-that-cannot-be-found/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/the-islamic-conquest-of-india-is-probably-the-bloodiest-story-in/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“Intellectualism—the conception of man as above all a thinking animal, consciously adapting means to rationally chosen ends—fell sick with Rousseau, took to its bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/intellectualism-the-conception-of-man-as-above-all-a-thinking-animal/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“All those fascinating varieties of terrain—mountains and valleys, fiords and straits, gulfs and streams—that make Europe a panorama of diverse delight, have broken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/all-those-fascinating-varieties-of-terrain-mountains-and-valleys/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“To be great is not to be placed above humanity, ruling others; but to stand above the partialities and futilities of uninformed desire, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/to-be-great-is-not-to-be-placed-above-humanity-ruling-others-but-to/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“privately he composed—in French—a poem expressing his pleasure at having given the French a kick in the cul, which Carlyle delicately translated as “the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/privately-he-composed-in-french-a-poem-expressing-his-pleasure-at/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [ “\[N\]o language has ever had a word for a virgin man.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/n-o-language-has-ever-had-a-word-for-a-virgin-man/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

> [“And in the individual too, justice is effective coördination, the harmonious functioning of the elements in a man, each in its fit place and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/and-in-the-individual-too-justice-is-effective-co-rdination-the/)

[Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

[Explore all 320 Will Durant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/)

## 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. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/)

> [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/)

[Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/)

> [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/)

[Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/)

> [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/)

[Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/)

> [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/)

[Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/)

[Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Will Durant"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the-thought-of-death-than-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Death"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the-thought-of-death-than-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/will-durant-948_death_how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the_1982646.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“How much more suffering is caused by the thought of death than by death itself.” — Will Durant",
                "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": "Will Durant",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "How much more suffering is caused...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the-thought-of-death-than-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/how-much-more-suffering-is-caused-by-the-thought-of-death-than-by/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
