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When Breath Becomes Air Quotes by Paul Kalanithi
Let’s explore some of the most important lines from Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, organized by theme.
These quotes mirror life, resilience, mortality, morality, and the enduring power of words.
Life and Mortality Quotes
“Even if I’m dying, until I actually die, I am still living.”
“Death may be a one-time event, but living with terminal illness is a process.”
“What makes life meaningful enough to go on living?”
“What happened to Paul was tragic, but he was not a tragedy.”
Quotes About Knowledge, Experience, and Reflection in When Breath Becomes Air
“Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete.”
“There is a moment, a cusp, when the sum of gathered experience is worn down by the details of living. We are never so wise as when we live in this moment.”
“If the unexamined life was not worth living, was the unlived life worth examining?”
“Literature not only illuminated another’s experience, it provided, I believed, the richest material for moral reflection.”
Courage, Duty, and Morality
“Moral duty has weight, things that have weight have gravity.”
“Be ready. Be seated. See what courage sounds like. See how brave it is to reveal yourself in this way. But above all, see what it is to still live, to profoundly influence the lives of others after you are gone, by your words.”
“Putting lifestyle first is how you find a job — not a calling.”
Suffering and Resilience
“Life wasn’t about avoiding suffering.”
“Suffering can make us callous to the obvious suffering of another.”
“Doctors, it turns out, need hope, too.”
“I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”
Writing, Legacy, and Influence
“When there is no place for the scalpel, words are the surgeon’s only tool.”
“Words have a longevity I do not.”
“I will share your joy and sorrow / Till we’ve seen this journey through.”
“The defining characteristic of the organism is striving.”