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It's Not Morbid To Talk About Death. Most People Don't Worry About Death, They Worry About A Bad Death.
-Terry Pratchett
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It's Not Morbid To

Terry Pratchett
...
It's Not Morbid To Talk About Death. Most People Don't Worry About Death, They Worry About A Bad Death.

Understanding the Quote: "it's not morbid to talk about death. most people don't worry about..."

This quote by Terry Pratchett reflects deeply on the theme of people. It connects to the universal human journey of purpose, motivation, and reflection. Often categorized under People, Worry, Morbid, the quote offers insight, emotional clarity, and intellectual inspiration to readers worldwide.

Whether you’re a student exploring new ideas, a leader trying to motivate your team, or someone seeking direction in life — this quote provides value. It resonates because it’s more than words — it’s a bridge between experience and wisdom. It shows how Terry Pratchett interprets life's core challenges and triumphs.

Lessons From the Quote

This quote teaches resilience and focus. It reminds readers that no matter where they stand in life, reflection and self-awareness lead to growth. Each word has meaning, and when studied, it becomes clear how impactful thoughtful language can be.

About Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett is celebrated for insightful thoughts on people and worry. Their legacy lives on through writings that guide, comfort, and inspire. Discover more on their profile page.

Actionable Takeaways

  • Reflect on how this quote applies to your current life path.
  • Share the message with someone who needs inspiration.
  • Write your thoughts on this quote in a journal or blog post.
  • Use it as a daily affirmation or reminder.

Closing Thoughts

Quotes like this endure because they capture universal truths. They comfort us in solitude and empower us in groups. Carry this quote forward — live by its wisdom, share its message, and keep its essence alive.

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Topic
People
Worry
Morbid
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World
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Punctuation
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Knows
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Hedgehogs
Six
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Men
Bed
Ankh-morpork Had Dallied With Many Forms Of Government And Had Ended Up With That Form Of Democracy Known As One Man, One Vote. The Patrician Was The Man; He Had The Vote.
Men
Democracy
Ankh
Look, He Said To His Imagination, If This Is How You're Going To Behave, I Shan't Bring You Again.
Imagination
Looks
Said
Nanny's Philosophy Of Life Was To Do What Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time, And Do It As Hard As Possible. It Had Never Let Her Down.
Philosophy
Philosophical
Ideas
It Is Possibly Worth Mentioning At This Point That Mr. Young Thought That Paparazzi Was A Kind Of Italian Linoleum.
Italian
Kind
Young
Just Because It's Not Nice Doesn't Mean It's Not Miraculous.
Nice
Mean
Discworld
Oh, A Very Useful Philosophical Animal, Your Average Tortoise. Outrunning Metaphorical Arrows, Beating Hares In Races... Very Handy.
Philosophical
Animal
Race
The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Nothing.
Motivational
Change
Positive
Esk Felt That Bravery Was Called For, But On A Night Like This Bravery Lasted Only As Long As A Candle Stayed Alight.
Night
Long
Bravery
Animals Never Spend Time Dividing Experience Into Little Bits And Speculating About All The Bits They've Missed. The Whole Panoply Of The Universe Has Been Neatly Expressed To Them As Things To (a) Mate With, (b) Eat, (c) Run Away From, And (d) Rocks.
Running
Animal
Rocks
Do You Think There’s Anything To Eat In This Forest?” “yes,” Said The Wizard Bitterly, “us.
Thinking
Wizards
Forests
The Gods Of The Disc Have Never Bothered Much About Judging The Souls Of The Dead, And So People Only Go To Hell If That's Where They Believe, In Their Deepest Heart, That They Deserve To Go. Which They Won't Do If They Don't Know About It. This Explains Why It Is So Important To Shoot Missionaries On Sight.
Believe
Heart
Sight
The Landscape Was Snow And Green Ice On Broken Mountains. These Weren't Old Mountains, Worn Down By Time And Weather And Full Of Gentle Ski Slopes, But Young, Sulky, Adolescent Mountains. They Held Secret Ravines And Merciless Crevices. One Yodel Out Of Place Would Attract, Not The Jolly Echo Of A Lonely Goatherd, But Fifty Tons Of Express-delivery Snow.
Lonely
Echoes
Ice
Always Face What You Fear. Have Just Enough Money, Never Too Much, And Some String. Even If It’s Not Your Fault, It’s Your Responsibility. Witches Deal With Things. Never Stand Between Two Mirrors. Never Cackle. Do What You Must Do. Never Lie, But You Don’t Always Have To Be Honest. Never Wish. Especially Don’t Wish Upon A Star, Which Is Astronomically Stupid. Open Your Eyes, And Then Open Your Eyes Again.
Stars
Lying
Stupid
Once You Gave A Thing A Name, You Gave It Life.
Names
For Example, The Dwarfs Found Out How To Turn Lead Into Gold By Doing It The Hard Way. The Difference Between That And The Easy Way Is That The Hard Way Works.
Differences
Gold
Example
Few Things Are Hidden From A Quiet Child With Good Eyesight.
Children
Quiet
Eyesight
One Day I'll Work Out What It Is You Are Saying, My Lad, And Then You'll Be In Trouble.
Work Out
One Day
Trouble
I Don't Read An Awful Lot Of Fiction And When I Do, It Tends To Be Lightweight Stuff.
Awful
Fiction
Stuff
...no-one Is Finally Dead Until The Ripples They Cause In The World Die Away... The Span Of Someone's Life, They Say, Is Only The Core Of Their Actual Existence.
World
Causes
Existence
There Was A Man And He Had Eight Sons. Apart From That, He Was Nothing More Than A Comma On The Page Of History. It's Sad, But That's All You Can Say About Some People.
Son
Men
Eight
You Just Put That Sword Away, Sir, Please," Said The Voice Of Lance-constable Vimes. "you Will Not Shoot Me, You Young Idiot. That Would Be Murder," Said The Captain Calmly. "not Where I'm Aiming, Sir.
Voice
Captains
Would Be
Making Money Isn't Something To Be Ashamed Of. There's A Feeling Now That If You Have Money You Must Have Got It By Some Kind Of Shady Dealing Or Being An Mp.
Mps
Feelings
Kind
Knowing Things Is Magical, If Other People Don't Know Them.
Knowing
People
Knows
The Thing About Secrets Is That They Are Usually Best Kept By Just One Person. That Was The Special Thing About Secrets. Some People Seemed To Think That The Best Way To Keep A Secret Was To Tell As Many People As Possible; What Could Possibly Go Wrong For A Secret When There Were So Many People Defending It?
Thinking
People
Secret
It's A Guilty Secret Of A Lot Of Writers, As You Get Older You Don't Read As Much Fiction As You Used To, Mainly Because It's Like You Are Deconstructing It All The Time.
Secret
Fiction
Guilty
One Person Is Nothing. Two People Are A Nation.
Two
People
Nigeria Independence
After All, When You Seek Advice From Someone It's Certainly Not Because You Want Them To Give It. You Just Want Them To Be There While You Talk To Yourself.
Giving
Advice
Want
Most Gods Find It Hard To Walk And Think At The Same Time.
Thinking
Discworld
Walks
Mort Was Hurt By This. It Was One Thing Not To Want To Marry Someone, But Quite Another To Be Told They Didn't Want To Marry You.
Hurt
Want
One Thing
Reality Is Not Digital, An On-off State, But Analog. Something Gradual. In Other Words, Reality Is A Quality That Things Possess In The Same Way That They Possess, Say, Weight. Some People Are More Real Than Others, For Example. It Has Been Estimated That There Are Only About Five Hundred Real People On Any Given Planet, Which Is Why They Keep Unexpectedly Running Into One Another All The Time.
Running
Real
People
The Ideal Death, I Think, Is What Was The Ideal Victorian Death, You Know, With Your Grandchildren Around You, A Bit Of Sobbing. And You Say Goodbye To Your Loved Ones, Making Certain That One Of Them Has Been Left Behind To Look After The Shop.
Goodbye
Grandchildren
Thinking
Thou Shalt Not Submit Thy God To Market Forces.
Force
Submit
But Then Science Is Nothing But A Series Of Questions That Lead To More Questions.
Series
Gods Don't Like People Not Doing Much Work. People Who Aren't Busy All The Time Might Start To Think.
Thinking
People
Might
Don't Do Anything I Wouldn't Do, If You Ever Find Anything I Wouldn't Do.
Ifs
- I Notice You Didn't Laugh, Mr. Black! - No, Your Majesty. We Are Forbidden To Laugh At The Things Kings Say, Sire, Because Otherwise We Would Be At It All Day.
Kings
Laughing
Black
Lord Vetinari Lifted An Eyebrow With The Care Of One Who, Having Found A Piece Of Caterpillar In His Salad, Raises The Rest Of The Lettuce.
Eyebrows
Pieces
Care
Sergeant Colon Of The Ankh-morpork City Guard Was On Duty. He Was Guarding The Brass Bridge, The Main Link Between Ankh And Morpork. From Theft. When It Came To Crime Prevention, Sergeant Colon Found It Safest To Think Big.
Thinking
Bridges
Cities
You Know How To Pray, Don’t You? Just Put Your Hands Together And Hope.
Hands
Together
Praying
I Have No Fear Of Death Whatsoever. I Suspect That Few People Do, What They All Fear Is What Might Happen In The Years Or Months Before Death.
Years
People
Might
Monsters Are Getting More Uppity, Too (...) I Heard Where This Guy, He Killed This Monster In This Lake, No Problem, Stuck Its Arm Up Over The Door (...) And You Know What? Its Mum Come And Complained. Its Actual Mum Come Right Down To The Hall Next Day And Complained. Actually Complained. That's The Respect You Get.
Lakes
Doors
Next Day
So Much Universe, And So Little Time.
Littles
Little Time
Universe
Inside Every Lump Of Coal There's A Diamond Waiting To Get Out.
Waiting
Coal
Diamond
In Fact, Very Few People On The Face Of The Planet Know That The Very Shape Of The M25 Forms The Sigil *odegra* In The Language Of The Black Priesthood Of Ancient Mu, And Means 'hail The Great Beast, Devourer Of Worlds'.
Mean
People
Black
In All Seriousness, People Think That It's The Ideas That Are Important. Well, Everyone Has Ideas, All The Time. I Tend To Write Mine Down And Remember Them, But At Some Point You Have To Apply The Bum To The Seat And Knock Out About Sixty Five Thousand Words - That's How Long A Novel Is.
Writing
Thinking
Ideas
All Was Black, Gloomy And Awful. There Was No Light At The End Of The Tunnel - Or If There Was, It Was An Oncoming Train.
Tunnels
Light
Black
There Is Always Time For Another Last Minute
Lasts
Minutes
Last Minute
Dwarfs Were Not A Naturally Religious Species, But In A World Where Pit Props Could Crack Without Warning And Pockets Of Fire Damp Could Suddenly Explode They'd Seen The Need For Gods As The Sort Of Supernatural Equivalent Of A Hard Hat. Besides, When You Hit Your Thumb With An Eight-pound Hammer It's Nice To Be Able To Blaspheme. It Takes A Very Special And Strong-minded Kind Of Atheist To Jump Up And Down With Their Hand Clasped Under Their Other Armpit And Shout, "oh, Random-fluctuations-in-the-space-time-continuum!" Or "aaargh, Primitive-and-outmoded-concept On A Crutch!
Religious
Atheist
Strong
I'd Like To Sell A Lot Of Books.
Book
Sells
He Talks Pretty Big For A Gutter Wizard," He Muttered. "you Don't Understand At All," Said The Wizard Wearily. "i'm So Scared Of You My Spine Has Turned To Jelly, It's Just That I'm Suffering From An Overdose Of Terror Right Now. I Mean, When I've Got Over That Then I'll Have Time To Be Decently Frightened Of You.
Mean
Suffering
Jelly
If The Government Ever Imposes A Tax On Books - And I Wouldn't Put It Past Them - I'm In Dead Trouble.
Book
Past
Government
Light Died In The West. Night And Tears Took The Nation. The Star Of Water Drifted Among The Clouds Like A Murderer Softly Leaving The Scene Of The Crime.
Stars
Night
Clouds
I'm Not Really Good At Fun-to-know, Human Interest Stuff. We're Not 'celebrities', Whose Life Itself Is A Performance. Good Or Bad Or Ugly, We Are Our Words. They're What People Meet.
Fun
People
Our Words
It Is At This Point That Normal Language Gives Up, And Goes And Has A Drink.
Giving Up
Normal
Language
It's Not Lying When You Do It To Officers!
Lying
Officers
You Can Think And You Can Fight, But The World's Always Movin', And If You Wanna Stay Ahead You Gotta Dance.
Fighting
Thinking
Rodents
Hello, Inner Child, I'm The Inner Babysitter!
Children
Hello
Babysitter
Many Feel They Are Called To The Priesthood, But What They Really Hear Is An Inner Voice Saying, 'it's Indoor Work With No Heavy Lifting, Do You Want To Be A Ploughman Like Your Father?'
Father
Voice
Want
Vimes Had Got Around To A Clean Desk Policy. It Was A Clean Floor Strategy That Eluded Him At The Moment.
Clean Desk
Moments
Strategy
Yes, But People Have Got To Believe That, Or What's The Point My Point Exactly.
Truth
Believe
People
Perhaps, If You Knew You Were Going To Die, Your Senses Crammed In As Much Detail As They Could While They Still Had The Chance.
Details
Chance
Stills
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