Every day, when you wake up, remind yourself of your mortality. Remind yourself throughout the day, and before you go to sleep at night. Remember not only that your time is limited, but so is the time of those you love. Remind yourself constantly, not in a neurotic way, but remind yourself as often as possible. Do as the slave turned Stoic philosopher, Epictetus, advised, ” Let death and exile and every other thing which appears dreadful be daily before your eyes; but most of all death: and you will never think of anything mean nor will you desire anything extravagantly”.
“When giving your child or wife a kiss, repeat to yourself, ‘I am kissing a mortal'”. -Epictetus
I occasionally find myself asking—asking myself—what I could add to the world while I’m here. I get many answers, but one that frequently comes from the abyss—or wherever thoughts come from—is to remind people that this thing we call life will end. It’s such a strange answer, but for whatever reason, that’s the answer I get. It’s one answer at least.
Here is the first post I wrote about remembering your mortality: https://thesisyphusblog.com/2021/05/27/memento-mori-remember-you-are-mortal/
Living in modern times is infinitely different from living a thousand years ago. There’s plumbing, electricity, and planes. But beyond just material things is our major removal from death. Now of course we all know someone who has died, and however far back in our mind the thought is, we know that we too will die. But it isn’t constantly in front of us the way it used to be. Most of us don’t personally kill our food, there aren’t as many wars, and there aren’t bodies in the streets. This removal from death may be a net positive, but like most things, it may have many unpredictable consequences (like mass anxiety over a a disease with about a 1% mortality rate).
Marcus Aurelius wrote to himself “Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good”. You don’t have ten thousand years to live, it will all end, and if you keep yourself unaware of that fact, you may easily let the minutes, then the days, then the years, then your life slip away. You may be cruel to someone you love or you may not express your gratitude to them if you live as if you have forever to do so.
But you don’t. You have now. And while you wait for death to come, “while you live, while it is in your power”, you might as well squeeze out every drop of beauty and potential you can. I have yet to hear a better idea.
Or finitude doesn’t need to only be depressing or anxiety provoking—although it often is. In sterquiliniis invenitur. In filth it will be found. Upon thinking about death, you will gain the courage and urgency to live.
“You are scared of dying—and tell me, is the kind of life you lead really any different than being dead?” -Seneca
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