With the passing of days, people dedicate themselves to doing a lot of things in order to guarantee their future. For this, they spend many years studying or working for long and exhausting days. In the end, they are submerged in a kind of “loop” that makes them forget that life must be enjoyed today. Since death may be waiting for us tomorrow, this is a small part of what memento mori means, a philosophical phrase that can change your life.
What does memento mori mean?
Of Latin origin, the expression memento mori translated into Spanish means “remember that you will die”, it is among the main concepts from Stoicism. Those known as Stoics concentrated their efforts on bringing this thought to other minds. The purpose of this was to remind everyone that it is necessary to think about what is known as the last day. In other words, all living things are going to die sooner or later.
At first glance this phrase may seem quite sad, since nobody wants to die. However, it depends from where you look at it, that is, this expression has a clear meaning that many tend to misunderstand. The truth in all this is that constantly remembering death can generate a series of positive effects. These effects can make a person’s existence change completely and it helps to enjoy it as it should.
Many do not really understand what memento mori means, a clear example can be in the death of a loved one. When a sad situation like this happens, most of the time it causes us to reflect on many things. Life can be more fragile and shorter than many people believe, having the opportunity to live it can even be considered lucky.
The meaning of memento mori focuses precisely on that, being aware of everything that is lost when existence comes to an end. This term, as with carpe diem, is made to indicate that we should enjoy life so as not to regret anything. When people are about to die, it is normal for them to regret all the things they could not do. It is for this reason that the expression memento mori tries to encourage people to enjoy life and not waste time on useless things.
What is the origin of the phrase memento mori?
“Remember death” this is the original translation into Spanish, however, it was adapted to “remember that you will die”. This with the intention of reminding all people that one day they will die and when the day comes, nothing will matter anymore. Normally, the phrase memento mori is used in the field of literature and art, however, it has become a philosophy of life.
It is said that the origin of this expression began in ancient Rome, it happened at the moment when a general was walking through the streets of Rome. He had just finished a fight in which victory was obtained, at that time, one of his vassals helped him keep his feet on the ground. His way of doing it was by saying the phrase memento mori as many times as necessary. So it was the vassal who said memento mori for the good of his general.
With this expression, the vassal reminded his general that human beings had limitations, so he should not be carried away by arrogance. Apart from “Remember that you will die”, the servant also pronounced the following: “Respice post te, Hominem te ese memento”. This phrase translated into Spanish means “Look behind you, remember that you are a man”.
Although it was only a vassal who said memento mori, the general was always able to stay away from arrogance. Knowing the limitations of the human being, it is borne in mind that the end of all living beings is death.
What is the importance of applying the memento mori philosophy?
Today, due to everything that is happening in the world due to the pandemic, the expression memento mori is very important. Many people have died, young people and adults who had dreams and could not fulfill them, since they died unexpectedly. This only makes us really reflect on what memento mori means and why it is essential to apply it.
The fear of dying is something natural in any person, it is not easy to think that loved ones and ourselves are going to die. However, every living being will die and nothing can change it, even so, memento mori is not a phrase to depress. On the contrary, the idea is to reflect on how important life is and how lucky many are to be alive. No matter how difficult situations occur, losing a loved one is heartbreaking. But sadder is letting life slip from our hands without having achieved absolutely anything, that is what memento mori means.
Memento mori can be applied in daily life, the important thing is to keep in mind certain criteria that are necessary to achieve it. Some of these are the following:
Value life and what really matters
Today, almost everyone lives by working long hours in order to earn money. It is true that money is important to improve the quality of life, but is money everything? The answer is a definit no.
It is useless to spend the years working and not taking time to enjoy a little. A good vacation, delicious food, watching a series or movie in the company of loved ones, etc. There are so many things that can be done, but in the end they are left aside, allowing stress to win the game.
The term memento mori is to become aware that the body is mortal, so death can come from one moment to another. When this expression is assimilated, many aspects of daily life begin to be seen in a different way. The current priorities are no longer the same, while what is important comes first. Some of the things that are normally left out begin to move up the priority list.
Enjoy quality time with your family, take care of your health to prevent illness, go on a date, work on something you really like. These are just some of the things that many often neglect today and that must become priorities. If a vassal was the one who said memento mori, why don’t people apply it today?
Postponing important things goes against this philosophy, it is for this reason that it is time to see things differently. If there is something you don’t like, then say so, the same goes for work, if you don’t like what you do, look for something that you are truly passionate about.
Minimize problems
The perfect life does not exist, not even with all the money in the world are people free from problems. Thinking about negative things, getting upset about unimportant situations, being surrounded by people who are not positive at all. When it comes to the memento mori, getting away from problems so that they affect them to a minimum is of great importance.
Feeling good about yourself should always be a priority, living surrounded by worries only causes discomfort. Maintaining some control over some things can make a difference. Your own well-being and that of your family must come first.
Enjoy today with all your might
Memento mori and carpe diem are phrases that have a certain connection with each other, when they are assimilated they can completely change a person’s life. In the case of carpe diem, this tells us that life must be enjoyed in the present without thinking about what will happen tomorrow. While memento mori talks about the mortality of living beings, it tells us that we have to live in the now, and we are all going to die.
Both phrases, beyond being philosophical, help to reflect on the way of life we currently lead. It is useless to sit and watch as time progresses and we still do not do what we like, what we are passionate about. Taking the first step may seem difficult, but wasting time on something we don’t like is even sadder.
Remember that you will die, but also keep in mind that if you enjoy your life fully, there will be no regrets when that day comes.
Sources:
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