“To be born with nothing was grim. But to be born with everything, then to lose it, was far more cruel.”

“We admitted that everything living is born of the dead. For if the soul existed before birth, and in coming to life and being born can be born only from death and dying, must she not after death continue to exist, since she has to be born again?”

Socrates (-470–-399 BC) classical Greek Athenian philosopher

“Are we fallen angels who didn't want to believe that nothing is nothing and so were born to lose our loved ones and dear friends one by one and finally our own life, to see it proved?”

Jack Kerouac book The Dharma Bums

“Winning isn't everything, but losing is nothing.”

Red Symons (1949) Australian broadcaster and musician

“Every human being on this earth is born with a tragedy, and it isn't original sin. He's born with the tragedy that he has to grow up. That he has to leave the nest, the security, and go out to do battle. He has to lose everything that is lovely and fight for a new loveliness of his own making, and it's a tragedy. A lot of people don't have the courage to do it.”

Helen Hayes (1900–1993) actress

“Everything's destiny is to change, to be transformed, to perish. So that new things can be born.”

Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Ancient Rome

“There is nothing more atrociously cruel than an adored child.”

Vladimir Nabokov book Lolita

“Here I came to the very edge where nothing at all needs saying… and every day on the balcony of the sea wings open fire is born and everything is blue again like morning.”

Pablo Neruda (1904–1973) Chilean poet

“And time will cease to exist, because in the land of pleasure-born-of-true-love, everything is infinite.”

Paulo Coelho book Manuscript Found in Accra

“Nothing begins, and nothing ends,
That is not paid with moan,
For we are born in other's pain,
And perish in our own.”

Francis Thompson (1859–1907) British poet