I do not know if it has ever been noted before that one of the main characteristics of life is discreteness. Unless a film of flesh envelopes us, we die. Man exists only insofar as he is separated from his surroundings. The cranium is a space-traveler's helmet. Stay inside or you perish. Death is divestment, death is communion. It may be wonderful to mix with the landscape, but to do so is the end of the tender ego.
In the reflection on life, the author emphasizes that a key feature of existence is its separateness from the environment. Human beings are encased in flesh, which serves as a protective barrier that defines their individuality. Without this bodily encasement, the essence of being fades away into the surrounding world. The imagery of the cranium as a space-traveler's helmet illustrates this concept of isolation necessary for survival and identity.
Moreover, the passage explores death as a form of releasing one's identity and merging with everything that surrounds us. While blending with the landscape might seem appealing, it ultimately signifies the loss of the self. This tension between the desire for connection with the world and the need to maintain one's individuality is poignantly captured, revealing the complexity of human existence as both solitary and intertwined with the universe.
