‘Memento Mori’: A Glimmer of Life from the Shadows of Death
Written By Christopher Yan (Cover Art By Vanessa Choy)
Fig 1: ‘Vanitas Still Life with a Tulip, Skull and Hour Glass’ A painting by Philippe de Champaigne in 1671.
The concept of death has existed since the beginning of time, proving to be an unavoidable yet enigmatic force of nature.
Humanity, throughout centuries and millennia, has tried to understand and make sense of this mysterious yet omnipresent phenomenon of death through the means of science, mythology, ideology, and philosophy.
Death is one of the earliest things we, as children, will encounter or learn about through the world around us. As a result, all of us have manifested different thoughts, beliefs, and emotions toward the concept of Death. Including yours truly.
This article will focus on the philosophical discussion of ‘memento mori’ and how it benefits our lives, actions, and existence.
Does ‘memento mori’ sound familiar? If it does, it’s probably because it is an extremely famous Latin saying originating from Ancient Rome that has been used for millennia and has been represented through art, politics, philosophy, and much more.
The rough translation of ‘memento mori’ is ‘Remember that you have to die.’. The saying essentially reflects the unavoidable result of death in the limited time we have to be alive in this world.
Consider the question; if you were informed that you would die tomorrow with 100% certainty, how would you spend your last day on Earth?
Everyone will have different answers, but a great portion of people will let go of any unimportant and unhappy task or problem they are doing or that they have, and instead dedicate their last moments to living life to its fullest potential- fixing past mistakes/regrets, enjoying the precious last moments with loved ones and family, finishing tasks they’ve always wanted to do, experiencing life in all its forms by going on vacation, living in luxury, and more—all so life shall end on a satisfying note.
Following the previous, here is another question; ask yourself, is there any obstacle that impedes your progress from conducting the action answered in the prior question, right now?
Many reasons can be given as answers to this question; whether it be a busy schedule or other priorities that have taken urgency, something is always delaying that action.
However, in the face of death, all these reasons are disregarded or insignificant; suddenly with death numbering the hours down, the schedule has been cleared up of everything, leaving only time for the most practical and urgent life purposes.
With death on the clock, all priorities are insignificant compared to actions that will bring happiness in your last moments of life.
As the book of life reaches its end, it seems that it has been short, abrupt, and unfair. It is only now that you notice how much you have taken for granted— the loving people around you, the beautiful world we live in, and the luxury and comfort you have.
The reality is that life can end at any given moment, for death can arrive at any given moment within our lives.
In this world, we are quite powerless when it comes to controlling fate because a lot of circumstances involve sheer misfortune; being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or simply doing the wrong things.
It only takes one diagnosis, one accident, or one unfortunate situation; for our lives to change forever, or for death to overtake us in an instant.
No matter the circumstance, whether you’re born into royalty or poverty, male or female, living in any country, the shadow of death will always linger behind us at every moment we are alive, biding for the perfect time to usurp us within its darkness.
The painting seen at the beginning of the article: ‘Vanitas Still Life with a Tulip, Skull and Hour Glass, by Philippe de Champaigne’ (See Fig 1), encapsulates the essence of ‘Memento Mori’.
On the left of the painting, the flower symbolizes the beauty and preciousness of life, yet also how it can wither away and die. In the middle, the skull symbolizes death and our mortality, and on the right, the hourglass symbolizes the limited time we have within this world.
The portrayal of this painting reflects life as a beautiful concept in the short time we are allowed to experience it, yet also reminds us of the impending arrival of death, and that life can be taken away at any notice.
From these newfound perspectives and realizations that death can arrive at any moment; whether it be the present, the day into the future, a week, a month, a year, or further, we must learn to cherish every moment of our lives and spend it meaningfully to live an accomplishing and everlasting life.
As R.A Salvatore once wrote, “We are all dying, every moment that passes of every day”. The quote reflects upon the perspective that time is only ever moving forward in one direction and that it can never go back. As a result, every second that passes belongs to Death, as the finite time we live on the Earth slowly decreases one moment at a time. It is only a matter of time before our unknown but inevitable end arrives.
So let this be an epiphany. Instead of spending all of the precious and valuable time we have playing the same addictive video games, scrolling through social media, and procrastinating all day, it’d be much better to allocate our time to long-term goals and passions rather than these instantly gratifying tasks.
With our long-term goals and passions, know that it is never too young or early to pursue these dreams or goals no matter how complicated they may seem. In this modern day and age of technology, we are one search away from information, one walk away from the library, and one conversation away from asking for help for we live in a truly advanced and fortunate time.
Do not cease to wait for opportunities to arise. Create opportunities, forge your own path, for every step we take under the sunlight, every breath of air we intake, and every memory we experience is an opportunity for greatness and another blissful moment we experience in the miracle of life.
Live life to its fullest extent, by knowing that every day might just be your last, and with this knowledge in mind, ensure your life is filled with experience, meaning, and remembrance.
Although death is morbid and at times a frightening and existential reality, the application of the philosophy ‘Memento Mori’ allows us greater insight and action in the long term, by enlightening us with the state of our uncertain life, which allows us to truly ‘live’ with fulfillment, meaning, and pride, all the way until the very end.
Works Cited
“A Quote by R.A. Salvatore.” Www.goodreads.com, http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/170784-we-are-all-dying-every-moment-that-passes-of-every. Accessed 1 Nov. 2022.
Luper, Steven. “Death.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2021, plato.stanford.edu/entries/death/#Dea.
“Memento Mori.” My Best Self 101, http://www.mybestself101.org/memento-mori. Accessed 1 Nov. 2022.
Wikipedia Contributors. “Memento Mori.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori.
Images Cited
Vanitas Still Life with a Tulip, Skull and Hour Glass, by Philippe de Champaigne, c. 1671. Tessé Museum, Le Mans, France.