"He can continue to lead a normal life" vs "He can continue to live a normal life.
What is the etymology of lead? Lead as in leader?
When can it be used? Can you" lead happily forever after"?
asked Oct 6, 2015 at 15:32
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3It's definition 5 here Have or experience (a particular way of life). Apart from the overwhelmingly more common life and the occasional existence, I can't think of many other things you can "lead" in this sense. And although it's valid in this exact context to replace lead by live, I don't think you can do it anywhere else.– FumbleFingersCommented Oct 6, 2015 at 15:46
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"lead" and "live" are only synonymous in the one definition of lead. Alternately, other words can be substituted for "live" that have different shades of meaning: "he suffered through life", "he enjoyed a normal life", "he experienced a normal life", for example.– Kristina LopezCommented Oct 6, 2015 at 16:22
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3 Answers
He can continue to lead a normal life
Here, lead means to have or experience.
It is not a general synonym for live.
When can it be used? Can you "lead happily forever after"?
When lead is used to mean to have or experience, it can only be used in reference to a life. It is not used in any other context. So you can’t say lead happily forever after.
However, you could say: he led a happy life.
answered Oct 6, 2015 at 15:54
My take on it is that "He/she lead a good life" would mean that the person conducted himself (herself) in an honorable way during his/her lifetime.
Whereas, to say "He/she lived a good life" would mean that the person enjoyed their life in which they were happy (happy, healthy, successful, etc.).
So "lead a good life" implies some moral judgement, whereas "live/lived a good life" implies only personal happiness/success.
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1'Lead a good life' does demand a moral judgement. 'She lived a good life' may as you say be a comment on happiness (and/or longevity), but the moral reading is also possible here too. Commented Sep 28, 2020 at 14:14
Figuratively, life is a path. A path may lead us to a place; we do not lead the path - we follow it. Similarly we may follow a life of simplicity, for example. Perhaps this seemed too passive for an obituary of a great leader and so was changed to "lead" and the phrase stuck. I'm only guessing.
