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What is one man's life compared to the eternity of time and space? No more than a snowflake that glitters in the sun for a moment before melting into the flow of time.
Osamu Tezuka
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the fleeting nature of human existence in the vastness of time and space.

Osamu Tezuka's quote emphasizes the insignificance of an individual life when viewed against the backdrop of eternity. It compares a person's life to a snowflake that shines briefly before disappearing, suggesting that while our lives may seem momentarily beautiful, they are ultimately transient and will be forgotten in the grand scheme of the universe.

Themes

ExistenceTransienceEternityTimeInsignificance

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech to remind students of the fleeting nature of youth.

More from Osamu Tezuka

A life must be saved as long as it can be no matter whose it is.
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My teacher said once that every man faces seven enemies in his lifetime. Sickness, hunger, betrayal, envy, greed, old age, and then death.
Osamu TezukaRead

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