Memento Mori. Think of Death to Live

July 6, 2023, 2:18 p.m.

I have long pondered the morbid concept of death way back when I was 16, it has piqued my thoughts which led me to an introspective journey. The ironic nature of life is that we live with this certainty, this looming thought that one day we all are fated to come to terms with our inevitable demise. No doubt, the very thought of death evokes dread, and fear, and can lead us adrift into a depressing state. Life and Death are a dichotomy of existence, and it has been echoed by men renowned for their intellect and wisdom that this dichotomy is merely two sides of the same coin.

We see this interconnectedness of life and death exhibited in the mundanity of living, when an organism's biological vitality ceases, its remains fuel the growth of a new lifeform. The concept of death is shunned, and implicated with grim connotations. And, it is by this very take on death that we lose what it means to live and deprive ourselves of the opportunity to savor life in its entirety. Just as death gives rise to different life forms, the concept of death is what will reinforce us to live a life worth living.

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase that translates to, “Remember you have to die”. This rather macabre trope conveys a thousand words and has been a source of inspiration spanning different fields such as Philosophy, Religion, and Arts. Memento Mori’s imagery depicts a skull denoting the ultimate fate of every living thing must succumb to, death. Having this awareness of our mortality graces us with the wisdom of our impermanence in existence. It strikes us with the realization that day by day, we are robbed of time, it slips away until none remains.

Death Humbles Us

Truly, history has presented us an array of great men, Genghis Khan, and Alexander the Great, two great conquerors in the East and West, their extraordinary exploits, and deeds are narrated even to this day. Alexander the Great conquered 2,180,000 square miles during his lifetime, which was staggering considering how young this mighty conquer was able to accomplish such a feat at such an age. Unfortunately, despite his greatness, and prowess in his conquest, his life was cut short. Genghis Khan, recognized to be the greatest conqueror in history, conquered 4,860,000 square miles of land which doubled the area of land which Alexander the Great has. [1] These figures and icons undoubtedly soared at the heights of greatness, they were relentless in their conquest, and they had everything at their disposal to attain whatever their heart desired. These legendary conquerors were faring well in their conquest, though they may be invincible in battle, they couldn't conquer their mortality. Even great men of renown can't escape this fate despite the power and influence they possess. With this realization, the reality of our mortality prompts us to accept the nature of our impermanence. This realization isn't meant to evoke fear in us, but rather, a lesson where we can derive valuable insight, and temper us with caution as we traverse through life. The inability to come to terms with our mortality can lead us to resort to our hubris, in doing so we become a victim of our delusions, leading us to chase after fleeting pleasures, like a moth drawn to the flame. We find ourselves trapped in a loop of momentary gratification, constantly seeking pleasure after pleasure, only to be left empty and unfulfilled. This futile pursuit consumes us, draining us of our vitality and leaving us exhausted. Emperors in ancient times exhibited their defiance towards mortality by employing alchemists to concoct fabled objects to grant them immortality. In China, the Emperors of the Tang Dynasty long to maintain their reign, and so death is a bane that impedes them from bringing their desires to fruition. Ironically, in their attempts, to liberate themselves from the boundaries of mortality ended up being apprehended by it. Fickle mercury and fiery sulfur: these were the ingredients of immortality, according to the Chinese alchemists of the Tang dynasty. They are also deadly poisons. At least six Tang emperors died after consuming elixirs meant to grant them eternal life. [2] In modern times, humanity is at work in exhibiting defiance towards mortality by employing cryogenics where a body is subjected to low temperatures freezing the body and ceasing the process of decay. However, like all who dared to defy death was met with failure. What was supposedly a groundbreaking study ended up breaking the frozen bodies of patients. The first "cryonauts" met gruesome fates. A few of them decomposed into a "plug of fluids" and were scraped off the bottom of a capsule. Even scientists contemplated these attempts; "Is any of this scientific, or is it just wishful thinking?". The bodies were evaluated and deemed to be beyond repair and revival. [3] With this, in their attempts to put a halt to our mortality, they clung to fantasies and delusions about immortality which only led them to the very thing they avoided the most. The inability to accept the reality of our mortality results in us chasing after fruitless pursuits. Thus, by this, it is imperative to come to terms with our truth. By accepting this, we establish this assurance with ourselves. Though, the concept of death imposes our fragility, and vulnerability, acceptance of our transient nature imbues us with a humility that guides our actions to invest our time, efforts, and moments in pursuits that count.

Our Time is Running

As we contemplate our mortality, we can't help but realize that in each instance the clock ticks and every flick of seconds in our digital watches is a moment spent. Although time is not grounded by the movement of small mechanical and electronic devices we wear on our wrists, time as a concept of change is real. Time is linear, it doesn't revert its direction to where it came from. Either we march along with the advent of time or get stumped by it. Time unlike money is not something you can multiply, but you can utilize it to afford more moments. To further convey this idea into something more vivid, let us hold unto the concept of time is a line that goes ever forward. Now in this line, you can either condense your actions to leave a space for future activities which translates to more potential, or you can leave gaps within this line, losing your potential prospects in the future. The more we dedicate ourselves to filling the gaps with activities that count, the magnitude of our potential also grows. In other words, the intensity of our actions is directly proportional to the magnitude of potential. Bearing this awareness of the finite nature of our time as transient beings guide us in committing our action toward purposeful activities that add and fill our lives with meaning. Also, by not leaving any gaps in the march of time, you are leaving no room for regrets. For it is in those gaps where regret will dwell and linger in our minds to cause us great pain, and anguish. Also, we can utilize our regrets, by learning from them, we are avoiding the same occurrence from happening. You see, nothing is useless when you put them to good use. But, this doesn't mean having more regrets translates to more resources. No, it doesn't, regrets simply are a means to avoid facing failure once more. Also, when we waste our time, not only are we losing it, we lose many things. According to Jordan Peterson, a famous clinical psychologist, he stated that an hour is estimated to be $50. So, say if you waste 4 - 6 hours a day, you are wasting $1400 to $2100, a week, total that in a year you waste $73000 to $109500. He also stretches that if we were committed to doing the things we should, the magnitude of our progress within 10 years would be enormous. By this insight, we get to see a glimpse of what we could become if we stay true to committing ourselves, and overall live a life filled with meaning. Now, let this awareness of our impermanence sink in with our entirety. Know that we are mortal, and remember that we will not last long. With this, let us seize the day. Treat each day as if it were our last. Carpe Diem!

We Could Die or Live

As we fade from existence we are not obliterated, we remain in a sense, our memories, and our legacies are an extension of ourselves that is somehow keeping us alive. We are immortalized by the things we have established during our lifetime. Also, our legacies are a monument for everyone to see, it can either fade towards obscurity over time, it could also be associated with infamy, and stained by resentment, or it could radiate with inspiration, a symbol that is celebrated, and praised. Ultimately, leaving a legacy is one that erects a reminder for the future to come. It could be that our legacy is a reminder that the actions we have done in our life are something that should be avoided to prevent the same unfortunate occurrences from taking place, or it could be something that is followed and practiced throughout to ensure the continuity of the good that we've done. Also, legacies ensure the progress of future generations, as it sets the stage for them to continue whatever it is that you've been working on. Now, it is really up to us which kind of legacy we want to leave, it could be glorified, one that is resented, or one that is forgotten. Either way, it can be determined by what we do now. We can have a glimpse of the future, by the things we do today, and by this, we can judge for ourselves the kind of legacy we are going to leave behind. Know this, we have the power to shape our destiny. One of Bill Gates' quotes said, "If you are born poor, that's not your fault, if you die poor, that is your fault". In his quote, he emphasizes our ability to stir the direction of our lives to lead it into a path that is ripe with goodness, and abundance. Our ability to channel our will into action has the effect of influencing the direction of humanity's future as stated in the butterfly effect, but do not misunderstand the concept butterfly effect where small things can end up being massive. No, what it entails, one small thing could be a catalyst for something great, it could remain as it is. [5] But, still, the concept of the butterfly effect remains true. Though we are not certain that our minimal action could amount to something great, what we are certain is that with every action we commit to our vision, it grows in magnitude, when we remain consistent in our endeavors, then we are establishing mastery at what we do, and in attaining mastery we become competent.

How the Concept of Death Reinforces my Autodidactic Journey

I, as one who pursues the path of self-education, the concept of my mortality guides my actions to savor every moment I do as something that is attributed to fill the gap, and condense time with my actions. Also, as Confucious said, "You only live once", and what else is better than to live a life conquering what everyone deems impossible. It's a thought worth delighting whenever the time comes, for the delight of the weak, and old is honor, Aristotle said. What else is better to think when the time comes than to feel fulfilled as you face the impossible, and prevailed over it. This path of autodidacticism undoubtedly is daunting, and almost impossible. I only live once, and I want to live knowing what I can do and what I can conquer with it. Yes, great men die, no one can escape this fate, but else is better than to die fulfilled. Steve Jobs' last words when he died were, "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow". It's hard to know what he meant when he said those words, but if I were to think of it, it would be because he contemplated the things, he have done, and he conquered the impossible despite the odds he faced in life. In other words, he died fulfilled.