11 Mortality and Legacy: Reflections on human awareness of mortality and the desire to leave a mark.
⚠️ This book is generated by AI, the content may not be 100% accurate.
11.1 Acceptance of Mortality
📖 Quotes exploring the acceptance and understanding of death as an inevitable aspect of life.
“The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same.”
— Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That (1973)
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
— Carl Sagan, Cosmos (1980)
“What we are is a confluence of the past and the future. We are the sum of all that has gone before us and all that is yet to come.”
— David Bohm, Wholeness and the Implicate Order (1980)
“The only thing we can be sure of is that we are all mortal. And that’s okay.”
— Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time (1988)
“Death is a natural part of life. It’s as natural as birth.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying (1969)
“The fear of death is the most irrational of all fears, because it is the fear of something that is certain to happen.”
— Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian (1927)
“We are all terminal cases. We all have a death sentence with an unknown execution date.”
— Stjepan G. Mestrovic, The Coming Finitude (2000)
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”
— Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore (2002)
“The only way to overcome the fear of death is to live a life that is worth living.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“The greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you’ll never get back.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it’s all that matters.”
— Audrey Hepburn, Sabrina (1954)
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
— Abraham Lincoln, Speech to the Young Men’s Lyceum (1838)
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
— Allen Saunders, The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934)
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude (1870)
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
— Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (-350)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
— Walt Disney, Unknown (Unknown)
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth (1927)
“Life is too short to be anything but happy.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
11.2 Embracing Finitude
📖 Quotes emphasizing the importance of living life to the fullest, given the knowledge of our limited time.
“Life is short, and it is here to be lived. Those who live it the fullest are those who embrace their mortality and make the most of every moment.”
— Unknown, Various Sources (Unknown)
“Death is not something to be feared, but rather a natural part of life. By embracing our mortality, we can live our lives more fully and appreciate the preciousness of each moment.”
— Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address (2005)
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato, The Republic (c. 380 BC)
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
— John Lennon, Beautiful Boy (1980)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
— Abraham Lincoln, Speech to the Young Men’s Lyceum (1838)
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, Various Sources (Unknown)
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
— Mother Teresa, Various Sources (Unknown)
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
— Socrates, Apology (c. 399 BC)
“As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship (1795)
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
— Socrates, Apology (c. 399 BC)
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato, The Republic (c. 380 BCE)
“The highest result of education is tolerance.”
— Helen Keller, Optimism (1903)
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address (1933)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, Various Sources (Unknown)
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
— John Lennon, Beautiful Boy (1980)
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato, The Republic (c. 380 BC)
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
— Socrates, Apology (c. 399 BCE)
11.3 Legacy and Impact
📖 Quotes discussing the desire to leave a lasting impact on the world through our actions, creations, or relationships.
“Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”
— Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack (1758)
“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”
— David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas (2004)
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
— Saint Augustine, Sermons (397)
“I have no desire to leave a footprint in the sands of time. All I set out to do is make my life meaningful and to live it as fully as I can.”
— Harrison Ford, Interview with The Guardian (2008)
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
— Winston Churchill, Speech at the Harvard Tercentenary Celebration (1936)
“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
— Billy Graham, Just As I Am (1997)
“A man’s dying is more the survivors’ affair than his own.”
— Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain (1924)
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, Harijan (1948)
“It is not length of life, but depth of life.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude (1870)
“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.”
— Benjamin Disraeli, Coningsby (1844)
“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”
— Buddha, Dhammapada (Unknown)
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
“Your legacy is not what you accomplish for yourself, it’s what you inspire others to do.”
— Dolly Parton, Interview with The New York Times (2016)
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, Harijan (1948)
“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.”
— Woody Allen, Annie Hall (1977)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The legacy of a human being is one of kindness and love. It has nothing to do with how many people attend his funeral.”
— Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World (1968)
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
— Albert Einstein, Living Philosophies (1931)
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it’s all that matters.”
— Audrey Hepburn, Interview with The New York Times (1989)
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato, The Republic (380 BC)
11.4 Facing the Unknown
📖 Quotes reflecting on the uncertainty and fear associated with death and the unknown that lies beyond.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
— Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897)
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations (161)
“The only thing we know about death is that it’s here for everyone.”
— Neil Gaiman, Good Omens (1990)
“The fear of death is the most irrational of all fears, because it is the fear of something that is certain to happen, but which, when it happens, will be nothing to us.”
— Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian (1927)
“One of the greatest challenges in life is to accept the uncertainty of it all.”
— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist (1988)
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”
— Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore (2002)
“The fear of death is the mother of all fears.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841)
“In the face of death, all our petty concerns and worries seem so insignificant.”
— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)
“Death is the final chapter in the book of life, but it is not the end of the story.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separateness.”
— Jiddu Krishnamurti, Talks in Europe (1948)
“The way to overcome the fear of death is to live a life worth living.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“The fear of death is the beginning of wisdom.”
— Plato, Phaedo (360 BCE)
“What we fear most is ourselves.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (1886)
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address (1933)
“The greatest gift of life is to live it to the fullest.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“Death is the mother of beauty.”
— Wallace Stevens, Sunday Morning (1923)
“The only way to conquer death is to live life to the fullest.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“The greatest fear is not of death but of living without passion.”
— Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist (1988)
“The fear of death is natural, but it should not cripple us.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
“Death is a mystery, but it is also a beautiful part of life.”
— Unknown, Unknown (Unknown)
11.5 Time and Mortality
📖 Quotes exploring the relationship between time, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life.
“The clock is ticking and time waits for no man.”
— Latin proverb, Common saying (Unknown)
“There are two ways to live: you can live as though nothing is a miracle, or you can live as though everything is a miracle.”
— Albert Einstein, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (1915)
“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”
— Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun (1860)
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
— Abraham Lincoln, Speech to the Wisconsin Agricultural Society (1859)
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
— Mahatma Gandhi, Speech to the Indian National Congress (1942)
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
— Buddha, The Dhammapada (Unknown)
“Life is short, art is long.”
— Hippocrates, Aphorisms (400 BC)
“Time is the cruelest thief of all.”
— William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale (1611)
“Every day is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.”
— Bil Keane, The Family Circus (1960)
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
— Mother Teresa, A Gift for God (1979)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
— John Lennon, Beautiful Boy (1980)
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“Life is too short to be anything but happy.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“The best way to spend your life is to live it on your own terms.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841)
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
— Steve Jobs, Speech at Stanford University (2005)
“The best preparation for tomorrow is to do your best today.”
— H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Life’s Little Instruction Book (1991)
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.”
— Plato, The Republic (380 BC)
11.6 Memento Mori
📖 Quotes reminding us of the inevitability of death and encouraging us to live accordingly.
“Memento mori. Remember you must die.”
— Roman saying, Common Latin phrase (Unknown)
“Death is always on our heels, and there’s nothing we can do to escape it. So we live our lives as if we’re going to live forever.”
— Mitch Albom, * Tuesdays with Morrie* (1997)
“I have lived long enough to learn that you can never count on life remaining the same. If you want to leave a legacy, you have to make it happen now.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The way to live is to die every day a little.”
— Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon (1932)
“Life is short, and it’s up to you to make it sweet.”
— Sarah Bernhardt, The Divine Sarah (1923)
“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”
— Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore (2002)
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
— Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (1994)
“The best way to prepare for death is to live a life worth living.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
— Woody Allen, Without Feathers (1975)
“Live each day as if it’s your last, because one day you’ll be right.”
— Unknown, Common saying (Unknown)
“Death is the mother of beauty.”
— Wallace Stevens, Sunday Morning (1915)
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
— Mark Twain, Following the Equator (1897)
“Death is not something to be feared, but something to be accepted.”
— Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying (1969)
“The only people who are afraid of death are those who haven’t lived.”
— Joan Baez, I’ll Fly Away (1960)
“Death is the only thing that can make life truly meaningful.”
— Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death (1973)
“The fear of death is the mother of all fears.”
— Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness (1930)
“Memento mori: remember you must die.”
— Ancient Roman saying, Common Latin phrase (Unknown)
“Death is a mystery, and it’s the only mystery we’ll ever know for sure.”
— Harlan Coben, Tell No One (2001)