A man dies ... only a few circles in the water prove that he was ever there. And even they quickly disappear. And when they're gone, he's forgotten, without a trace, as if he'd never even existed. And that's all.
Interpretation
Life is fleeting, and the impact of an individual's existence can be transient and soon forgotten.
This quote reflects existential themes, highlighting the ephemeral nature of human life and the legacy we leave behind. It suggests that although a person may make a small ripple in the world, these ripples fade quickly, emphasizing the inevitability of being forgotten and grappling with the question of what it truly means to exist.
In practice
During a eulogy, this quote could remind us to cherish the moments we have.
An artist has an obligation to tell the truth. [...] that the true horrors of human history derive not from orcs and Dark Lords, but from ourselves. We are the monsters. (And the heroes too). Each of us has within himself the capacity for great good, and great evil.
Cold hopes swarm like worms within our living clay.
I felt, as I became a later and later bloomer, alienated not just from my own recalcitrant glabrous little body but in a way from the whole elemental exterior I'd come to see as my co-conspirator.
I would argue that nothing gives life more purpose than the realization that every moment of consciousness is a precious and fragile gift.
Without adventure civilization is in full decay. ... The great fact [is] that in their day the great achievements of the past were the adventures of the past.
I am good to people who are good. I am also good to people who are not good. Because Virtue is goodness.
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