--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can remember how when I was young I…" description: "\"I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be merely a function of the mind -- and that of t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/william-faulkner-306_bereavement_i-can-remember-how-when-i-was-young-i-be_3157941.jpg" --- # I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be… ![“I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be merely a function of the mind -- and that of the minds who suffer the bereavement. The nihilists say it is the end; the fundamentalists, the beginning; when in reality it is no more than a…” quote by William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/william-faulkner-306_bereavement_i-can-remember-how-when-i-was-young-i-be_3157941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/william-faulkner-306_bereavement_i-can-remember-how-when-i-was-young-i-be_3157941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/william-faulkner-306_bereavement_i-can-remember-how-when-i-was-young-i-be_3157941.jpg) > “I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be merely a function of the mind -- and that of the minds who suffer the bereavement. The nihilists say it is the end; the fundamentalists, the beginning; when in reality it is no more than a single tenant or family moving out of a tenement or a town.” [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## 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 a mental construct, varying with perspective, not an absolute end. **In simple terms:** Death is a mental view, not a final event. Key Takeaway Recognize how mindset shapes our view of mortality. Themes mortality psychology philosophy existentialism Mood somber contemplative Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - personal reflection - counseling - literary analysis Key Concepts perception subjectivity grief meaning Questions to Reflect On - How does perception affect grief? - Can mindset change the experience of loss? A Different Perspective The view may ignore biological realities of death. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bereavement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bereavement/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fundamentalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentalist/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moving out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-out/) [Nihilist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilist/) [Phenomenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phenomenon/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Tenements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenements/) ## Related quotes > [With the near-death or clinical near-death phenomenon some people who are brought back from 'death' have reported being alive the entire time they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ankerberg/with-the-near-death-or-clinical-near-death-phenomenon-some-people-who/) John Ankerberg > [“She will not come back, but her beauty, her voice, will echo until the end of time. She believed in something beyond herself, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/she-will-not-come-back-but-her-beauty-her-voice-will-echo-until-the/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [You know, I've never actually really believed that death is inevitable. I just think it's a rumor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/you-know-i-ve-never-actually-really-believed-that-death-is-inevitable/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [“Owen Meany had believed that his death was necessary if others were to be saved from a stupidity and hatred that was destroying him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/owen-meany-had-believed-that-his-death-was-necessary-if-others-were/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Because there is something in the touch of flesh with flesh which abrogates, cuts sharp and straight across the devious intricate channels of decorous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/because-there-is-something-in-the-touch-of-flesh-with-flesh-which/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [People always thought if no one believed in God and we were nihilists then people would go around murdering each other. That didn't happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-cicero/people-always-thought-if-no-one-believed-in-god-and-we-were-nihilists/) [Noah Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-cicero/) > [“Certainty is not to be had. But as we learn this we become not more moral but more resigned. We become nihilists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-wheelis/certainty-is-not-to-be-had-but-as-we-learn-this-we-become-not-more/) [Allen Wheelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-wheelis/) > [“I love beauty. I am a nihilist, but I love beauty. Do nihilists not love beauty? They”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-love-beauty-i-am-a-nihilist-but-i-love-beauty-do-nihilists-not-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [We cannot be too energetic in reminding our nihilists and positivists that this is a world of action and history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/we-cannot-be-too-energetic-in-reminding-our-nihilists-and-positivists/) [Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/) > [The fact is that previously they were simply dunces and now they've suddenly become nihilists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fact-is-that-previously-they-were-simply-dunces-and-now-they-ve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nihilists! I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter/nihilists-i-mean-say-what-you-like-about-the-tenets-of-national/) Walter > [Nihilists laugh at nothing, unless someone unexpectedly tickles them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/nihilists-laugh-at-nothing-unless-someone-unexpectedly-tickles-them/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Nihilists expend everything and everyone except themselves. They are the indispensable men, without whom the world might try to live almost happily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-clark-macinnes/nihilists-expend-everything-and-everyone-except-themselves-they-are/) [Helen Clark MacInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-clark-macinnes/) > [“Nihilists... F#$% me. I mean say what you will about the tenets of national socialism dude, at least it's an ethos”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-lebowski/nihilists-f-me-i-mean-say-what-you-will-about-the-tenets-of-national/) Big Lebowski > [“Everything about them is blighted, dead. Feelings flake off & fall in dust. The senses, vitrified, can no longer experience pleasure; they crack at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-cendrars/everything-about-them-is-blighted-dead-feelings-flake-off-fall-in/) [Blaise Cendrars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-cendrars/) ## More by William Faulkner > [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/luster-returned-wearing-a-stiff-new-straw-hat-with-a-colored-band-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-ve-got-to-feel-the-pencil-and-see-the-words-at-the-end-of-the-pencil/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-sure-enough-even-waiting-will-end-if-you-can-just-wait-long-enough/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-believe-that-man-will-not-merely-endure-he-will-prevail-he-is/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-modren-ideas-pap-said-i-didn-t-know-there-was-but-one-idea-about/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-only-as-he-put-his-hand-on-the-door-that-he-became-aware-of/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/she-has-no-mother-because-fatherblood-hates-with-love-and-pride-but/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/byron-listened-quietly-thinking-to-himself-how-people-everywhere-are/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-too-late-maybe-yesterday-while-i-was-still-a-child-but-not-now/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) [Explore all 673 William Faulkner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More Bereavement quotes > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [“When we understand the illusory nature of life and the profound power of eternal love, which enables us to create miracles and experience the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-understand-the-illusory-nature-of-life-and-the-profound-power/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [When you lose your parents, the sadness doesn't go away. It just changes. It hits you sideways sometimes instead of head-on. Like now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-lose-your-parents-the-sadness-doesn-t-go-away-it-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A man is not completely born until he is dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/a-man-is-not-completely-born-until-he-is-dead/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“It is the capacity to feel consuming grief and pain and despair that also allows me to embrace love and joy and beauty with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-white/it-is-the-capacity-to-feel-consuming-grief-and-pain-and-despair-that/) [Anna White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-white/) > [“Sometimes, there was no getting over it. Sometimes, you lived with the empty place inside of you until you imploded on it, loss as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-kittredge/sometimes-there-was-no-getting-over-it-sometimes-you-lived-with-the/) [Caitlin Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-kittredge/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I bow in reverence before the emotions of every melted heart…The more intense the delight in their presence, the more poignant the impression of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-martineau/i-bow-in-reverence-before-the-emotions-of-every-melted-heart-the-more/) [James Martineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-martineau/) > [“her skilled use of her body, especially her eyes and hands, when communicating with people enabled millions sense she was a conduit between royalty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-walter/her-skilled-use-of-her-body-especially-her-eyes-and-hands-when/) Tony Walter > [I can remember certain Manchester United defeats the way most people remember family bereavements or great political events. The four-nil drubbing by Barcelona, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-dunne/i-can-remember-certain-manchester-united-defeats-the-way-most-people/) Tom Dunne > [Farewell is said by the living, in life, every day. It is said with love and friendship, with the affirmation that the memories are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/farewell-is-said-by-the-living-in-life-every-day-it-is-said-with-love/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I used to feel afraid of the future, always assuming the worst. But now I've realized that my worst fears have already happened, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berrien/i-used-to-feel-afraid-of-the-future-always-assuming-the-worst-but-now/) [Elizabeth Berrien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berrien/) > [“Loss pushes us to difficult places where we have not been before. We often question whether or not we have the courage and stamina…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/loss-pushes-us-to-difficult-places-where-we-have-not-been-before-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [“He stood for a moment, bereavement a sudden, small tear in his soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/he-stood-for-a-moment-bereavement-a-sudden-small-tear-in-his-soul/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [Thou, Everlasting Strength, hast set Thyself forth to bear our burdens. May we bear Thy cross, and bearing that; find there is nothing else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/thou-everlasting-strength-hast-set-thyself-forth-to-bear-our-burdens/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) [Browse all 263 Bereavement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bereavement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can remember how when I was young I believed death to be a phenomenon of the body; now I know it to be merely a function of the mind -- and that of the minds who suffer the bereavement. 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