QuoteProject
What's lost is nothing to what's found, and all the death that ever was, set next to life, would scarcely fill a cup.
Frederick Buechner
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Life's true value is determined by what we discover and cherish, rather than what we lose.

This quote by Frederick Buechner reflects on the profound nature of existence, emphasizing that the value and richness of life far outweigh the losses we experience. The imagery of death being less significant than the experience of life suggests a perspective that prioritizes joy, discovery, and the abundance of life despite its inevitable challenges and losses.

Themes

LifeLossDeathDiscoveryMeaning

In practice

Example use cases

This quote would be perfect for a commencement speech to inspire graduates to focus on the opportunities ahead.

More from Frederick Buechner

To confess your sins to God is not to tell [God] anything [God] doesn't already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the bridge.
Frederick BuechnerRead
By and large a good rule for finding out is this: the kind of work God usually calls you to is the kind of work a) that you need most to do and b) the world most needs to have done. If you really get a kick out of your work, you've presumably met requirement a), but if your work is writing TV deodorant commercials, the chances are you've missed requirement b).
Frederick BuechnerRead
When you remember me, it means you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.
Frederick BuechnerRead
We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go. We become something new by ceasing to be something old. This seems to be close to the heart of that mystery. I know no more now than I ever did about the far side of death as the last letting-go of all, but now I know that I do not need to know, and that I do not need to be afraid of not knowing. God knows. That is all that matters.
Frederick BuechnerRead
To be wise is to be eternally curious.
Frederick BuechnerRead
if you don't have doubts you're either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.
Frederick BuechnerRead

Similar quotes

Those who won our independence believed that the final end of the state was to make men free to develop their faculties... They valued liberty both as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty... that public discussion is a political duty; and that this should be a fundamental principle of the American government.
Louis D. BrandeisRead
We hear much of Bolshevism, much of labor unrest; at times, we hear the word 'revolution.' But these are but contagious diseases in the body of civilization, and I believe that the antitoxins of good cheer, mutual confidence, fairness and justice will ultimately cure these ills and make the world healthy and strong again.
Charles M. SchwabRead
It is not with a rush and a spring that we are to reach Christ's character, and attain to perfect saintship; but step by step, foot by foot, hand over hand, we are slowly and often painfully to mount the ladder that rests on earth, and rises to heaven.
Thomas GuthrieRead
Prohibition is an attempted cure that makes matters worse - for both the addict and the rest of us.
Milton FriedmanRead
Power is a trick. It lies where we believe it lies.
George R. R. MartinRead
To be conscious of Being, you need to reclaim consciousness from the mind. This is one of the most essential tasks on your spiritual journey.
Eckhart TolleRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.