The fool’s life is empty of gratitude and full of fears; its course lies wholly toward the future.
EpicurusRead
Accustom yourself to believe that death is nothing to us, for good and evil imply awareness, and death is the privation of all awareness; therefore a right understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life an unlimited time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality. For life has no terror; for those who thoroughly apprehend that there are no terrors for them in ceasing to live.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding death as a natural part of life can lead to a more fulfilling and enjoyable existence.
Epicurus argues that recognizing death as a state of non-awareness removes the fear associated with it. Instead of yearning for immortality, by accepting death as nothing to us, we can focus on appreciating the present moment and live life more fully, free from the terror of its end.
Themes
DeathLifeAwarenessPhilosophyHappiness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about coping with loss, one could say, 'As Epicurus taught, death is nothing to us; let us cherish the moments we have together.'
More from Epicurus
All quotes →The wise man who has become accustomed to necessities knows better how to share with others than how to take from them, so great a treasure of self-sufficiency has he found.
EpicurusRead
We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.
EpicurusRead
I was not, I was, I am not, I care not. (Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo)
EpicurusRead
Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
EpicurusRead
Haec ego non multis (scribo), sed tibi: satis enim magnum alter alteri theatrum sumus. I am writing this not to many, but to you: certainly we are a great enough audience for each other.
EpicurusRead
Similar quotes
In April 1917 the illusion of isolation was destroyed, America came to the end of innocence, and of the exuberant freedom of bachelor independence. That the responsibilities of world power have not made us happier is no surprise. To help ourselves manage them, we have replaced the illusion of isolation with a new illusion of omnipotence.
Barbara TuchmanRead
I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one fish was caught, he was writhing, then he was thrown against the side of the boat. You couldn't disguise what it was. This was what we did to animals to eat them. The animal went from a living, vibrant creature fighting for life to a violent death. I recognized it, as did my brothers and sisters.
Joaquin PhoenixRead
The cadence of suffering has begun. Every evening at dusk, my heart constricts until night has come.
Cesare PaveseRead
We can not play innocents abroad in a world that is not innocent.
Ronald ReaganRead
That said, deciding to avoid other people does not necessarily equate with having no desire whatsoever for company; it may simply reflect a dissatisfaction with what—or who—is available. Cynics are, in the end, only idealists with awkwardly high standards. In Chamfort's words, 'It is sometimes said of a man who lives alone that he does not like society. This is like saying of a man that he does not like going for walks because he is not fond of walking at night in the forêt de Bondy.
Alain De BottonRead
War has been more common than peace, and extended periods of peace have been rare in a world divided into multiple states
Donald KaganRead