--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This earth will be looked back on like a…" description: "\"This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and this life of ours be remembered like a short apprenticeship to duty.\" — William Mountford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg" --- # This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and… ![“This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and this life of ours be remembered like a short apprenticeship to duty.” quote by William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg) > “This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and this life of ours be remembered like a short apprenticeship to duty.” [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) ## 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 brief and modest, like an apprenticeship before duty. **In simple terms:** Life is short, like a brief apprenticeship. Key Takeaway Value duty and purpose in daily life. Themes mortality humility purpose Mood reflective solemn Type existential motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - legacy building Key Concepts apprenticeship transience duty reflection Questions to Reflect On - What duties give your life meaning? - How can you honor briefness? A Different Perspective May ignore joy and leisure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apprenticeship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apprenticeship/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Earth Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-looked-1080606/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-remembered-1080607/) [Like Lowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-lowly-1080609/) [Lowly Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lowly-home-1080608/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Short Apprenticeship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-apprenticeship-1080605/) [This life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Mary, in these days, simply couldn't see that he was on the earth. She looked round him, above him, and through him, but never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/mary-in-these-days-simply-couldn-t-see-that-he-was-on-the-earth-she/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Our roots are in the dark; the earth is our country. Why did we look up for blessing -- instead of around, and down?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/our-roots-are-in-the-dark-the-earth-is-our-country-why-did-we-look-up/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Day was breaking at Plashwater Weir Mill Lock. Stars were yet visible, but there was dull light in the east that was not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/day-was-breaking-at-plashwater-weir-mill-lock-stars-were-yet-visible/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There is no object on earth which cannot be looked at from a cosmic point of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/there-is-no-object-on-earth-which-cannot-be-looked-at-from-a-cosmic/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [The day of our decease will be that of our coming of age; and with our last breath we shall become free of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/the-day-of-our-decease-will-be-that-of-our-coming-of-age-and-with-our/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [My greatest fear in life is not having a big enough impact on someone's life to always be remembered...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/my-greatest-fear-in-life-is-not-having-a-big-enough-impact-on-someone/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [What lasting impact will I make on the world and those around me? What will I live my life for? How will I be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/what-lasting-impact-will-i-make-on-the-world-and-those-around-me-what/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [“But everything changes when you tell about life; it's a change no one notices: the proof is that people talk about true stories. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/but-everything-changes-when-you-tell-about-life-it-s-a-change-no-one/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [The greatest gift in life is to be remembered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-gift-in-life-is-to-be-remembered/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never take today for granted because you might not get tomorrow. So love to the fullest and live a life that will be remembered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/never-take-today-for-granted-because-you-might-not-get-tomorrow-so/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I don't live life to be remembered for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-live-life-to-be-remembered-for-anything/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“So many steps a woman takes in her life will not be remembered. And most of her tracks will be erased. But there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-lemmon/so-many-steps-a-woman-takes-in-her-life-will-not-be-remembered-and/) [Christine Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-lemmon/) > [That's all I want in life is to be remembered as a guy that really loved God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrae-crouch/that-s-all-i-want-in-life-is-to-be-remembered-as-a-guy-that-really/) [Andrae Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrae-crouch/) > [My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/my-brother-need-not-be-idealized-or-enlarged-in-death-beyond-what-he/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [If I could do anything in my life and be remembered for anything, I would like to be remembered for helping the world see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-wertheim/if-i-could-do-anything-in-my-life-and-be-remembered-for-anything-i/) [Margaret Wertheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-wertheim/) ## More by William Mountford > [Where is the subject that does not branch out into infinity? For every grain of sand is a mystery; so is every daisy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/where-is-the-subject-that-does-not-branch-out-into-infinity-for-every/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [O it is a happy thing to feel ourselves helpless and naught, for then the presence of God is felt to wrap us about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/o-it-is-a-happy-thing-to-feel-ourselves-helpless-and-naught-for-then/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [God would never have let us long for our friends with such a strong and holy love, if they were not waiting for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/god-would-never-have-let-us-long-for-our-friends-with-such-a-strong/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [Ownership in the world I have none, but I have an infinite interest in it; for if not my own it is my God's;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/ownership-in-the-world-i-have-none-but-i-have-an-infinite-interest-in/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [It is not in the bright, happy day, but only in the solemn night, that other worlds are to be seen shining in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/it-is-not-in-the-bright-happy-day-but-only-in-the-solemn-night-that/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [Only let us love God, and then nature will compass us about like a cloud of Divine witnesses; and all influences from the earth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/only-let-us-love-god-and-then-nature-will-compass-us-about-like-a/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [I do not say the mind gets informed by action, — bodily action; but it does get earnestness and strength by it, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/i-do-not-say-the-mind-gets-informed-by-action-bodily-action-but-it/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [To understand at all what life means, one must begin with Christian belief. And I think knowledge may be sorrow with a man unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/to-understand-at-all-what-life-means-one-must-begin-with-christian/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [To commiserate is sometimes more than to give, for money is external to a man's self, but he who bestows compassion communicates his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/to-commiserate-is-sometimes-more-than-to-give-for-money-is-external/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [The day of our decease will be that of our coming of age; and with our last breath we shall become free of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/the-day-of-our-decease-will-be-that-of-our-coming-of-age-and-with-our/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [It is from out of the depths of our humility that the height of our destiny looks grandest. 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Little by little, the bitterest feelings are sweetened by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/there-is-no-burden-of-the-spirit-but-is-lightened-by-kneeling-under/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) > [The second childhood of a saint is the early infancy of a happy immortality, as we believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/the-second-childhood-of-a-saint-is-the-early-infancy-of-a-happy/) [William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) [Explore all 37 William Mountford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/) ## More Apprenticeship quotes > [For a young man to start his career with a love affair with an older woman was quite de rigueur ... Of course, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/for-a-young-man-to-start-his-career-with-a-love-affair-with-an-older/) [Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/) > [From 1965 to 1974, I served the best possible apprenticeship for an actor. I learned firsthand how a truck driver lives, what a bartender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-dennehy/from-1965-to-1974-i-served-the-best-possible-apprenticeship-for-an/) [Brian Dennehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-dennehy/) > [I was in the U.K. and Germany and went to Volkswagen and learned about their apprenticeship model - young people become paid apprentices in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/i-was-in-the-u-k-and-germany-and-went-to-volkswagen-and-learned-about/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [There has never been a boy painter, nor can there be. The art requires a long apprenticeship, being mechanical, as well as intellectual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/there-has-never-been-a-boy-painter-nor-can-there-be-the-art-requires/) [John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/) > [Every endeavor should be used to weaken and destroy all those institutions relating to corporations, apprenticeships, &c, which cause the labours of agriculture to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/every-endeavor-should-be-used-to-weaken-and-destroy-all-those/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [The best thing about writing programs is that it rationalized the apprenticeship of a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/the-best-thing-about-writing-programs-is-that-it-rationalized-the/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [Every day should be Labor Day. We have to fight for the basic proposition that apprenticeship is a wonderful ticket to the middle class.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/every-day-should-be-labor-day-we-have-to-fight-for-the-basic/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [The apprenticeship of difficulty is one which the greatest of men have had to serve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/the-apprenticeship-of-difficulty-is-one-which-the-greatest-of-men/) [Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/) > [ For the production of man a different apprenticeship \[from forests\] was needed to sharpen the wits and quicken the higher manifestations of intellect -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-dart/for-the-production-of-man-a-different-apprenticeship-from-forests-was/) [Raymond Dart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-dart/) > [Life is an apprenticeship to the constant renunciations, to the steady failure of our claims, our hopes, our powers, our liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/life-is-an-apprenticeship-to-the-constant-renunciations-to-the-steady/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [I come from a family with a long tradition in shoemaking, and I still live in a region famous for its shoemakers. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-della-valle/i-come-from-a-family-with-a-long-tradition-in-shoemaking-and-i-still/) [Diego Della Valle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-della-valle/) > [Work-based learning is a game changer. It's like test driving a career, and I have seen it in action with our registered apprenticeship programs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-reynolds/work-based-learning-is-a-game-changer-it-s-like-test-driving-a-career/) [Kim Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-reynolds/) > [Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/our-life-is-an-apprenticeship-to-the-truth-that-around-every-circle/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Most people won't realise that writing is a craft. You have to take your apprenticeship in it like anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/most-people-won-t-realise-that-writing-is-a-craft-you-have-to-take/) [Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/) > [I've been working for many years and I think I've managed to work with some of the best people in the business, which has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-eckhart/i-ve-been-working-for-many-years-and-i-think-i-ve-managed-to-work/) [Aaron Eckhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-eckhart/) [Browse all 134 Apprenticeship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apprenticeship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and this life of ours be remembered like a short apprenticeship to duty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Mountford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a-lowly-home-and-this-life-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Apprenticeship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a-lowly-home-and-this-life-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/976/william-mountford-17543_apprenticeship_this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a_1693659.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This earth will be looked back on like a lowly home, and this life of ours be remembered like a short…” — William Mountford", "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": "William Mountford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This earth will be looked back...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a-lowly-home-and-this-life-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/this-earth-will-be-looked-back-on-like-a-lowly-home-and-this-life-of/#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 } } ] } ```