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Not to be born surpasses thought and speech. The second best is to have seen the light and then go back quickly whence we came
Sophocles
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the value of existence and the profound experience of life, suggesting it is better to have lived than to have never existed.

In this quote, Sophocles expresses a deep philosophical thought about the experience of life. He suggests that the state of never being born is beyond comprehension, and emphasizes that the next best experience is to be alive, even if briefly, before returning to the non-existence from which we came. This encapsulates a viewpoint on the significance of life experiences and the inevitable return to silence and oblivion.

Themes

ExistenceLifePhilosophyExperienceNon-Existence

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech to encourage students to embrace life experiences.

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