There are some things in life which are unavoidable. Death - of oneself and of one’s loved ones - is one of these things. For some, death means the beginning of something new and better; for others, it means the end of everything and existence dissipates completely. What is certain is that the sensation-based experience that we call life will end. This is the sobering reality which the concept of memento mori grapples with. I will look at this concept and discuss problems, particularly those of nihilism, that arise as a result of being aware of one’s death.
The Stoics were hyper-aware of the fragility of human existence - how it could end at any moment and that the world we inhabit could disappear in an instant. Moreover, death is the great equalizer which ‘places all mortals on the same level’ (Seneca) - no man can outrun death. For them, death was not something to be forgotten or pushed aside. Rather it is a necessary part of existence, and a massively significant element of the human experience – time is not unlimited and consciousness is something that we only have for a number of decades before it is gone, probably forever. Keeping this in mind will inevitably change how an individual approaches life.
Perhaps an individual does recognize the reality of his life and realises that death is something that will most certainly happen to him. Why does he not turn to nihilism? If everything will eventually cease to exist and nothing in this world will remain, why even do anything? Why does anything matter?
A person can turn to religious answers – the promise of another life provides structure to this one. To the irreligious this answer will not suffice. Even the religious will be doubtful about such an answer. The problem remains – this form of existence will certainly end – everything we know about the world suggests this. Nihilism is an easy step to make from this reality. Rather than turning to action and making the most of existence whilst we have it, the temptation is to turn to inaction and throw existence away as something useless, something wasteful and empty, as something vain. If it will all end at some point, why even bother?
But would things be more meaningful if life did not end? Would life suddenly be injected with meaning if life were to go on for perpetuity, as a constant cycle of pain and pleasure, or better, a constant cycle of pleasure? Or wouldn't the meaning of everything be diminished if pain and death were eliminated - pleasure is not beautiful without pain. And by that, I mean - pleasure does not mean anything without pain. Something does not mean anything without nothing. Life does not mean anything without death. The limited nature of existence is where its value lies.
The purpose of remembering death is to change one’s actions towards life. One day we will all be buried in the ground or cremated into ash. Though at first depressing, once we come to terms with this inevitability this can become a liberating idea. There is an urgency to existence, and the limitation of time means that time becomes more valuable. Scarcity is intricately linked to value, and once we become fully aware that life is something that is scarce, its value becomes apparent. The time granted to us will pass whether we like it or not – we can only use this time in a way that we see fit.
memento mori is essentially a tool to gain more from life. When used properly it should invigorate direction and purpose, rather than diminish it. Nihilism is a path that leads nowhere. The alternative to nihilism is a matter for a whole other discussion, but I will end with this: a good story necessarily has a beginning, a middle containing struggle, pain and difficulty, and an ending where struggle is overcome. One missing element and the story collapses – it becomes incongruent. Life can seem to become incongruent very quickly and very easily, but there is, at least, a beginning, a middle containing struggle, and an ending. Sometimes the ending is tragic, sometimes glorious. All an individual should do is strive to make their life a good story. It is all an individual can do. He has no other choice.
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