12 ms·
Memento mori
- omio 4y agoThe worm at the core.
- geoah 4y agoGreat x-files episode with said title. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_Mori_(The_X-Files) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_Mori_(The_X-Files)
- 5555624 4y ago"Stargate SG-1" had an episode with this title. https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Memento_Mori https://stargate.fandom.com/wiki/Memento_Mori
- iamthirsty 4y agoSo does Strange New Worlds[0]. [0]: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Memento_Mori_(episode) https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Memento_Mori_(episode)
- retrocryptid 4y agoIs this some sort of comment on the goings-on at Twitter? ;-)
- gustavorg 4y agoExactly, I was wondering what OP's motivation is for reminding us of this.
- rfreytag 4y agoThe motivation is this interesting story... ' After a major military victory, the triumphant military generals were paraded through the streets to the roars of the masses. The ceremonial procession could span the course of a day with the military leader riding in a chariot drawn by four horses. There was not a more coveted honor. The general was idolized, viewed as divine by his troops and the public alike. But riding in the same chariot, standing just behind the worshipped general, was a slave. The slave’s sole responsibility for the entirety of the procession was to whisper in the general’s ear continuously, “Respice post te. Hominem te esse memento. Memento mori!” “Look behind. Remember thou art mortal. Remember you must die!” The slave served to remind the victor at the peak of glory, this god-like adoration would soon end, while the truth of his mortality remained. ' That story is given here in the section titled "Romans": https://dailystoic.com/history-of-memento-mori/ https://dailystoic.com/history-of-memento-mori/
- tricky 4y agoIn this case, 'sic transit gloria' is another good one. sort of means, fame is fleeting. Also, the title of a great post-hardcore song.
- Yajirobe 4y agoWell-paid software developers from first world countries for some reason do like stoicism.
- Eleison23 4y agoIt seems that they engage in some degree of Epicureanism, as well.
- jkmcf 4y agoIt worked quite well for both a Roman slave and the last, great Roman emperor, why not everyone else in between?
- giraffe_lady 4y agoEpictetus? He gained his freedom before he began teaching iirc. And was influential and tremendously respected even before that. The contours of roman slavery are complex and I'm not fully informed on them but my understanding is that he would have spent much of his life closer to an emperor in status than to the chattel slavery that modern people are likely to imagine.
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 4y agoMemento Musk
- sgloutnikov 4y agoRecently heard it from Scott Galloway on the Pivot podcast in regards to Musk.
- pipeline_peak 4y agoI remember this from reading A Series of Unfortunate Events
- ar_lan 4y agoI've long wanted to get a Memento Mori tattoo.
- tacheiordache 4y agoMemento te crescere
- Linell 4y agoI have this one on my chest and like it: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/01/28/17/012817e0a809dd786f5697f7044274f7.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/originals/01/28/17/012817e0a809dd786f56...
- jacobmarble 4y agoFor me, this pairs well with Amor Fati. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amor_fati https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amor_fati
- hammock 4y agoGo on. Can you connect the two for others?
- stan3223 4y ago'Love of ones fate'. I interpret it as being more accepting and forgiving of yourself and your life. Sometimes we are our biggest critic. Yesterday there was a post on HN on ADHD and top comment on dealing with it was something like - 'You know you do not need to be a high-performing individual.' [1] I think that is an example of Amor Fati. 1 - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33633512 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33633512
- dygd 4y agoEpictetus talks about both ideas in Enchiridion (http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html): 7. Consider when, on a voyage, your ship is anchored; if you go on shore to get water you may along the way amuse yourself with picking up a shellfish, or an onion. However, your thoughts and continual attention ought to be bent towards the ship, waiting for the captain to call on board; you must then immediately leave all these things, otherwise you will be thrown into the ship, bound neck and feet like a sheep. So it is with life. If, instead of an onion or a shellfish, you are given a wife or child, that is fine. But if the captain calls, you must run to the ship, leaving them, and regarding none of them. But if you are old, never go far from the ship: lest, when you are called, you should be unable to come in time. 17. Remember that you are an actor in a drama, of such a kind as the author pleases to make it. If short, of a short one; if long, of a long one. If it is his pleasure you should act a poor man, a cripple, a governor, or a private person, see that you act it naturally. For this is your business, to act well the character assigned you; to choose it is another's.
- CTDOCodebases 4y ago
- mcculley 4y agoI use these images to remind me not to waste time on things like Facebook and Twitter. This makes me realize I should add Hacker News to the list.
- the_gipsy 4y agoYou'll still die though
- stuckonempty 4y agoYeah but with less regret that your life was wasted on social media and helping twitter and Meta make money
- agent008t 4y agoSpend time on social media or don't spend time on social media, you will regret it either way. This, gentlemen, is the essence of all philosophy.
- fullmoon 4y agoWhy would one regret not spending more time on social media?
- batch12 4y agoI find that its easy to look back on memories and wish to go back. One day it clicked that I may look back on today and think the same thing. For me, the key is to try and be happy today, try not to look backwards and long for the impossible idea of revisiting those times, and try not to fear the future.
- etothepii 4y agoNo, you waste time on HN instead.
- hirundo 4y ago"Death is our eternal companion. It is always to our left, an arm's length behind us. Death is the only wise adviser that a warrior has. Whenever he feels that everything is going wrong and he's about to be annihilated, he can turn to his death and ask if that is so. His death will tell him that he is wrong, that nothing really matters outside its touch. His death will tell him, I haven't touched you yet." -- Carlos Castaneda
- xyzwave 4y agoGreat quote, also from Castaneda: > In a world where death is the hunter, my friend, there is no time for regrets or doubts. There is only time for decisions.
- mrleinad 4y ago[0]Picard: "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. But I rather believe than time is a companion who goes with us on the journey, and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important how we lived. After all, Number One, we're only mortal." Riker: "Speak for yourself, sir. I plan to live forever." [0]:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHSX9e1TadA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHSX9e1TadA PS: Gosh I miss having good writers in sci-fi movies.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- gverrilla 4y agoNatural death is nothing compared to the suppression of life.
- apienx 4y ago"The frightening thing in not dying. The frightening thing is not living." -- T-Bone Burnett (from the song "Primitives")
- gmfawcett 4y agoI love the ambiguity of this. I think get Burnett's point, but this could also just be the beginning of a long list of "the frightening thing is not X" statements. :)
- bitmover 4y agoI got it printed in gold foil behind one of my credit cards in my wallet. Just in case I get heartburn buying something frivolous. :p
- franz68 4y agowhy is nobody mentioning the new Depeche Mode album coming up with this name ?
- _qxjp 4y agoi'd say the overlap between hn readers and avid music listeners isn't too large. but there are also a few other instances of memento mori: see the Apple Music radio playlist hosted by The Weeknd, and the year-long YouTube channel that was hosted by Markiplier and CrankGameplays (Unus Annus, latin for one year)
- fipar 4y agoAnd not only that, but after a band member died (the album name was chosen before this though). And on the topic of music, besides Depeche Mode, this made me think of the song 4th of July by Sufjan Stevens and the chorus line he sings as her mother: “Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn or the Fourth of July? We’re all gonna die”.
- Thorrez 4y agoSounds like The Notorious B.I.G.'s album Life After Death. It was released 16 days after his murder. The name was chosen before his murder. His previous album was named Ready to Die.
- jacksonkmarley 4y agoJonathon Nolan short story which I haven't read, and the related Christopher Nolan film Memento. edit: I read it and it's actually pretty good, but with annoying advertisements.
- jacksonkmarley 4y agohttps://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a1564/memento-mori-0301/ https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a1564/memento-mo...
- ciccionamente 4y agoI built an opensource tool around this idea: https://weexpire.org https://weexpire.org It allows to create notes readable only after your death.
- trosi 4y agoI lived in Siena for a while, and every now and then I would drop by St. Catherine's crypt for a not so gentle memento: https://imgur.com/B7snnCR https://imgur.com/B7snnCR Rough translation: As you are, so I once was As I am, so you will be
- mysterypie 4y agoLet me add back the newline that seems to have been removed: As you are, so I once was As I am, so you will be
- jgtrosh 4y agoMaybe it's just due to my app, but your apparent failure to improve it seems quite meta Edit: yeah it works on the website, my app (materialistic) tends to gobble newlines in quotes
- fasteo 4y agoMuch more "convicing" that memento mori if you ask me
- Lio 4y agoMemento mori is just the ultimate reduction of the sentiment. The whole stoic philosophy behind it is interesting. It's not just that you will die no matter how long you can put it off for. Once you are gone all that's left of you will be memories and descendants. Even if you are remembered for a long time, like for example someone as famous as Marcus Aurelius, those memories aren't you they're just a reduction. You're gone forever. You could extend that to consider the self you were 10 years ago. That you is also gone forever. All in all it can be a freeing thing to contemplate. All you have is the right now so enjoy it or at the very least bare it.
- jamesgreenleaf 4y ago> Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.
- anonporridge 4y agohttps://twitter.com/death_reminder https://twitter.com/death_reminder
- chrismarlow9 4y agoI've been doing quite a bit of philosophy reading over the past year or two after some medical issues put me in a chronic pain. I was already into stoicism but that made it a permanent part of my weekly nerd out sessions. I'll take this opportunity to drop this (not affiliated) link for the folks with a casual interest who like it simple: https://www.philosophybro.com/ https://www.philosophybro.com/
- anonporridge 4y agoBut also, "memento vivere".
- standardUser 4y agoI feel that I, an older millennial, was raised by a generation that by and large forgot life is not guaranteed and death is always looming. I felt an overwhelming push from my elders to find a safe, stable job (and be grateful for the honor!) and to save as much as humanly possible for old age, even if it meant significant sacrifices for the here and now. Part of it was the glorification of "retirement", a concept I still can't wrap my head around, yet it seemed to be the only reason a lot of Boomers even bothered waking up for work in the morning. Add to that the massive fear-based campaign against drugs and sex that we were all subject to, and it paints a picture of a generation hiding from their actual lives in the hope that they would be healthy and wealthy and alive and enough to enjoy a quiet decade or two at the very end. Hard pass.
- mrleinad 4y agoMy father in law is one of those. He has more money than he can spend until he dies even if he raised his standard of living 10 times. Yet he refuses to spend it, and would rather be cold during winter than turning up the heater. I don't get it. But again, I also don't get living a life of pure pleasure, and not thinking at all about tomorrow. I'd rather think about tomorrow, and spend today getting satisfaction from the work I do, so tomorrow I can say I did my best. But also putting in a few guilty pleasures from time to time. Not too much, because if they're scarce, there's more pleasure.
- agent008t 4y agoYour father in law sounds like a virtuous man. If he has earned his money, he must have provided goods and services for others. If he does not spend the money, that means he asked for nothing in return. Is that not virtuous?
- standardUser 4y agoWhat precisely is the virtue you see here? My personal moral code considers hoarding wealthy to be unvirtuous.
- Wonnk13 4y ago34 year old male triathlete here. As healthy/fit as can be. In 2016 I had a brief scare with stage 2 colon cancer- no clue where it came from, just hit by lightning. I just found out last week it's in my lung now, and I start chemo next week while everyone is getting laid off. It sounds cliche, but man I plan on getting this tatoo'd on me if/when I recover. Life is too short and delicate. Meditate, read the classics, and fucking get after it HN because ya never when your time is up. Sam Harris has a great quote about the fact that you almost never know when you're doing something for the last time. My last skydive, my last run, my last rejected PR :p It's a reminder to stay present and entirely focused, because the present moment is all we have and it's fleeting. I love you all.
- mrleinad 4y agoBest to you, my friend. Stay strong.
- Wonnk13 4y agoThank you! Millions of folks are going through the same thing, I have to remind myself that I'm so so fortunate to live close to world class hospitals and have a job that provides health insurance.
- cgartner 4y agoBest of luck. You inspire me!
- labrador 4y agoYou've probably seen this, but in case you haven't. Good luck with your treatment. Steve Jobs on Death https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR6-elnwBmM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR6-elnwBmM
- Wonnk13 4y agoI'll check that out- thank you!
- chrisweekly 4y ago
- no_time 4y agoIf you get death anxiety like me, try focusing on the fact that the alternative to death (living forever) is actually way more scary. Somehow it helps.
- alach11 4y agoInteresting. I find death far scarier than living forever.
- DontchaKnowit 4y agoThe worst fear for me is both. You remain conscious forever even as your body dies and decays.
- Aeolun 4y agoThat seems like just a variant of living forever? Don’t particularly need your body to be alive.
- lm28469 4y agoSome quotes from Seneca that made me think about death under a new light: > Death either annihilates us or strips us bare. If we are then released, there remains the better part, after the burden has been withdrawn; if we are annihilated, nothing remains; good and bad are alike removed. > What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who reckons the worth of each day, who understands that he is dying daily? For we are mistaken when we look forward to death; the major portion of death has already passed. Whatever years lie behind us are in death's hands. > And I ask you, would you not say that one was the greatest of fools who believed that a lamp was worse off when it was extinguished than before it was lighted? We mortals also are lighted and extinguished; the period of suffering comes in between, but on either side there is a deep peace. For, unless I am very much mistaken, my dear Lucilius, we go astray in thinking that death only follows, when in reality it has both preceded us and will in turn follow us. Whatever condition existed before our birth, is death. For what does it matter whether you do not begin at all, or whether you leave off, inasmuch as the result of both these states is non-existence? > we do not suddenly fall on death, but advance towards it by slight degrees; we die every day. For every day a little of our life is taken from us; even when we are growing, our life is on the wane. We lose our childhood, then our boyhood, and then our youth. Counting even yesterday, all past time is lost time; the very day which we are now spending is shared between ourselves and death. It is not the last drop that empties the water-clock, but all that which previously has flowed out; similarly, the final hour when we cease to exist does not of itself bring death; it merely of itself completes the death-process. We reach death at that moment, but we have been a long time on the way. > We must make ready for death before we make ready for life. Life is well enough furnished, but we are too greedy with regard to its furnishings; something always seems to us lacking, and will always seem lacking. To have lived long enough depends neither upon our years nor upon our days, but upon our minds. > But we shall ask this question also: "Is the extremity of life the dregs, or is it the clearest and purest part of all, provided only that the mind is unimpaired, and the senses, still sound, give their support to the spirit, and the body is not worn out and dead before its time?" For it makes a great deal of difference whether a man is lengthening his life or his death. > There are these three serious elements in every disease: fear of death, bodily pain, and interruption of pleasures. Concerning death enough has been said, and I shall add only a word: this fear is not a fear of disease, but a fear of nature. Disease has often postponed death, and a vision of dying has been many a man's salvation. You will die, not because you are ill, but because you are alive; even when you have been cured, the same end awaits you; when you have recovered, it will be not death, but ill-health, that you have escaped. > But tell me, pray, do you consider it fairer that you should obey Nature, or that Nature should obey you? And what difference does it make how soon you depart from a place which you must depart from sooner or later? We should strive, not to live long, but to live rightly; for to achieve long life you have need of Fate only, but for right living you need the soul. What benefit does this older man derive from the eighty years he has spent in idleness? A person like him has not lived; he has merely tarried awhile in life. Nor has he died late in life; he has simply been a long time dying. He has lived eighty years, has he? That depends upon the date from which you reckon his death! Your other friend, however, departed in the bloom of his manhood.
- baking 4y agoFor those wondering about the significance, Scott Galloway has been saying all week that someone should be whispering this in Elon Musk's ear.
- lanamo 4y agoOne of my most used phone apps is WeCroak https://www.wecroak.com/ https://www.wecroak.com/ Reminds me several times a day of the impermanence of life and of death, with a thoughtful quote. It is a buddhist thing. It somehow makes your everyday world a little easier. The last quote of the app i took a screenshot of was: "Having no destination, i am never lost." [Ikkyū]
- mrleinad 4y agoIs this a good thread to recommend the movie "The Man From Earth"? Awesome sci-fi about living forever, made with just a bunch of people talking in a small room.
- Aeolun 4y agoI think I saw this, and if it’s the same one it’s pretty cool.
- mkrecny 4y agothis : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/ ?
- mrleinad 4y agoIndeed
- sammalloy 4y ago> Is this a good thread to recommend the movie "The Man From Earth"? I hope so, because it’s my favorite, low budget, independent film. I think I’ve seen it a dozen times by now.
- rrishi 4y agomine too.
- silvester23 4y agoIf you enjoy independent films that mostly consist of people talking in very few different locations, I strongly recommend Coherence. It's pretty different but I think I enjoyed both of these for similar reasons.
- gorilla0 4y agoOn the topic of recommendations, linking to one of my favourite short story of all time. I always get a slight shiver whenever I read it. https://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/Maugham-AS.htm https://www.k-state.edu/english/baker/english320/Maugham-AS....
- machinerychorus 4y agoMemento Mori is a surprisingly popular topic on HN. This Wikipedia page or some other blog post on the topic gets posted here fairly often. It's kinda interesting because when I bring this up with people I know they usually say it's depressing and strange. I like this idea so much I made an app that makes my wallpaper show what percentage of my life is already gone by, but only one person (a good friend) that I've shown it to IRL has actually liked it. App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.machinerychorus.lifeprogresswallpaper https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.machineryc... Source code: https://github.com/ethanmdavidson/DeathProgress https://github.com/ethanmdavidson/DeathProgress
- smeej 4y agoPart of me was expecting one-star reviews from people with really dark senses of humor about how their loved one had the app installed and died when it was only 31.244% full.
- mysterypie 4y ago> what percentage of my life is already gone by It's even worse when you consider your perception[1] of how much of your life has gone by. At age 20, you perceive that 50% of your life has gone by. That is, you feel like time passes equally slowly (or equally fast) between 0-20 as between 20-75. At age 40, you perceive that 75% of your life has been lived. [1] I don't recall the source, but it was a psychology or neurology article. I don't claim that the study is flawless, but it does feel to me like there is merit to the argument that a decade in your youth seems like a long time but a decade as an adult passes quickly.
- fknorangesite 4y ago> It's kinda interesting because when I bring this up with people I know they usually say it's depressing and strange. Is it the topic they find strange, or the timing and social situation in which you (keep?) bringing it up?
- motohagiography 4y agoIf you had to give an undisguised account of your life and actions today, could you say you were a good you? This memento mori theme figures prominently in the ceremonies of most fraternities and their organiations for that reason, as it's part of the foundation for living a moral life. The symbolism is important because it serves as a durable landmark for aspects of human experience that are essential, and by transmitting them, they form a map for following generations. "For the time will most assuredly come, and the best and wisest know not how soon, when all distinctions among men save those of goodness and virtue shall cease, and death, the leveler of human greatness shall reduce us all to the same level."
- jdironman 4y agoHow is your comment the only result for the quoted text you provided?
- justdontask 4y agoIt's a variation – or misquotation – from a masonic ceremony. As for its uniqueness, I've no idea. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Text_Book_of_Freemasonry_A_Complete/rptEBn_HnhoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22the%20grand%20leveller%22 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Text_Book_of_Freema...
- _ZeD_ 4y ago"sì, sì, mo me lo segno"
- Bubble_Pop_22 4y agoAlso not fall prey of FOMO. During the next trillion years We are going to miss out on stuff that is undoubtly much cooler than what we have during our lifespan. So dom’t fall prey of cruise FOMO or any type of FOMO. If you can go, great! If you cant, then remember to put it in perspective compared to trip to the Andromeda Galaxy you’ll miss for sure!
- JetAlone 4y agoI'm most strongly reminded of Persona 3 by the phrase.
- randomopining 4y agoListen to the song Momento Mori by Lamb of God... it's amazing if you like metal
- jaza 4y agoLive fast, die young.
- anon291 4y agoThis is a very timely post as we are halfway through Western christianity's month of the dead. I highly encourage anyone, if they find the chance, to attend a Solemn High Requiem Mass on All Souls day. Very metal.
- v4dok 4y agoLong I wanted to tattoo this. My favorite (maybe false) story is that this was told to Roman generals when they came back from a victory. Kind of “be humble”. I don’t know if it’s true but having always in mind that death is there both humbles you and makes you appreciate things. Doesn’t make acceptance easier though and I think it’s normal. I also think it goes perfect with mono no aware from Japan. Know you will die but appreciate beauty in things even though they will finish/decay/die
- divbzero 4y agoA well known memento mori from the 1500s can be found in The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambassadors_(Holbein) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ambassadors_(Holbein)
- abhaynayar 4y agoI used to think the idea memento mori would make me more anxious so I never really thought about it beyond the surface. But I recently started tracking my life in weeks: https://abhaynayar.github.io/life.html https://abhaynayar.github.io/life.html And honestly it has made me less anxious and more aware of how precious life is. I keep it as a bookmark on my phone home screen and every time I look at it I feel grateful to be alive and prioritize things much better.
- hnu0847 4y agoThat reminds me of this article: https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html
- bartvk 4y agoHow do you prioritize things differently? What kind of stuff gets a lower priority?
- syl_sau 4y agoThis always sounded incredibly scary to me, especially when I was in my early 20s. I guess when you're that age you don't like the idea of things having an end, you are sort of overwhelmed by a feeling of infinity, of never-ending youth. Now I'm not even 30 but this kind of memento mori doesn't strike me as scary but as liberating. "Here's your precious, finite time in this world, and it's up to you to make it worth it." This is one of those things when knowing you're in charge makes you better, kind of how taking responsibility empowers you inside. > The most important thing I discovered a few days after turning 65 is that I can't waste any more time doing things I don't want to do. --- Jep Gambardella, La Grande Bellezza
- froggychairs 4y agoBeautiful visualization. I’ve thought of doing something similar but having some sort of automation so it is my desktop or phone wallpaper.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- dsign 4y agoTo those of you struggling with the meaning of life and death, here is some food for thought: the probability that you are going to die in the next 150 years is 99.999999 % or lower. It used to be 100.00... percent, with infinite zeros after that decimal point. It doesn't seem like much, but depending on where you are in life, your relation with (metaphorical) God, and the amount of humanity you have, that 0.0000001 % makes all the difference.
- account42 4y ago> It used to be 100.00... percent, with infinite zeros after that decimal point. Was it? There are lifeforms with longer lifespans so is it not possible that there is some "natural" mutation that will let you live longer? Of course this happening is incredibly unlikely that it might as well be impossible but I saying it that it is literally impossible will need something to back that up.
- q-big 4y agoA geek reference for visual novel fans (Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward): MEMENTO MORI, IF THE NINETH LION ATE THE SUN.
- t0bia_s 4y agoTwo things are inevitable. Death and taxes.
- rogue7 4y agoI have made a small app regarding this topic: https://deaths.pages.dev https://deaths.pages.dev
- jay3ss 4y agoThis is pretty neat and sobering. After I put it in my birth date, I got one value then it dropped nearly 8 years after I put in the correct sex and country of birth
- sophrocyne 4y agoThis phrase is deeply meaningful to me, and one that I’ve contemplated a lot. When I find myself in the depths of frustration dealing with my screaming kids, remembering that I will die one day makes me grateful for every cry. https://www.sophrocyne.com/p/memento-mori https://www.sophrocyne.com/p/memento-mori
- branon 4y agoLearned this from A Series of Unfortunate Events. Another one I've always liked is "This, too, shall pass."
- pyuser583 4y agoWe live in such an age/health segregated society. I’ve known only five people who have died. Even with family.