The life of our bodies is only a constantly prevented dying, an ever deferred death…Every breath we draw wards off death that constantly impinges on us, in this way we struggle with it every second…Death is far more familiar than we generally think. Not only have we a taste of death daily in our sleep or in states of unconsciousness, but we have all passed through an eternity of nonbeing before we existed.
This quote deeply probes the perpetual dance between life and death, urging us to recognize that our existence is fundamentally a series of shields against mortality. In daily life, each breath becomes a testament to our resistance to the inevitable, a small victory over the void that awaits us all. Such a perspective might seem somber at first glance, but it invites us to reflect on the profound humility and resilience inherent in human life. Rather than viewing death solely as an end, we can consider it the backdrop against which our moments of vitality acquire meaning. The idea that death is more familiar than we believe challenges common denial or trivialization; it reminds us that from the moment of consciousness, we are privy to a looming sense of mortality, which in turn imbues our conscious moments with urgency and significance. Moreover, contemplating our existence before birth as a passage through eternity of nonbeing removes the fear of death from the realm of the unknown, replacing it with a natural part of a continuum. Such reflections may inspire a richer appreciation for living, urging us to embrace life and mortality simultaneously, understanding that every fleeting breath is a gift in the context of the infinite cycle of being and nothingness. Ultimately, accepting the closeness of death can free us to live more genuinely and fully, appreciating the transient beauty of our fleeting moments on this earth.
