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.
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We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink.
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I was not, I was, I am not, I care not. (Non fui, fui, non sum, non curo)
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Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
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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
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