Uncomfortable Truth: Memento Mori

In Stoic philosophy, there is a concept called "Memento Mori". It's a Latin phrase meaning "remember that you must die.". It isn't to be sad; instead, it intends to clarify and inspire people to do the right things. It is a philosophical tool for attaining clarity, creating the right priorities, staying humble, and unlocking our growth in whatever we do.

This concept of remembering your mortality, "Memento Mori", has been around for a long time. It's believed that in the Roman tradition, after tasting victory in a war, the Dux (Latin word for Leader, Commander or General) were paraded through the streets on chariots. As people were idolizing them, they might have even felt like superhumans. To prevent extreme pride and overconfidence, which might lead to a national disaster, the Romans placed an Auriga (slave) in the chariot. Auriga would continually whisper Memento Homo (Remember, you are only a man) or Memento Mori in the Duces ears.

In Latin, they say, "Respice post te. Hominem te esse memento. Memento mori!". It loosely translates to:

Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man! Remember that you will die!

One of the famous sayings of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius is, "You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.".

If one remembers that they will die, they will stop wasting time and make better decisions now. They face the truth that life is short, and they make the most of whatever time they have.

This Stoic philosophy is a reminder that no one is going to escape death. The thought of this would only be depressing if one misses the point.

It isn't supposed to be a sad and depressing reminder of death. Instead, it intends to clarify, inspire, and helps one to remain humble.

Humans mostly are prone to hide from death, to push it to the back of our minds. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and other Stoic philosophers taught the exact opposite. Bring death to the front of your mind. Let your mortality serve to clarify your daily motivation. Let it inspire you.

Modern day Example:

Steve Jobs spoke about the power of accepting his mortality in his famous 2005 commencement address at Standford. In his speech he told 3 interesting stories and the last one was about "death" (It starts at 9:05 mins in the linked video).

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.

Jobs battled rare pancreatic cancer at the time of the addressal, making words all the more powerful.

Almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment of failure fall away in the face of death; Leaving only what is truly important. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

For your easy reference, I have embedded the video of Steve Jobs 2005 speech:

If you are still reading this article :) here are the 5 Stoic Strategies for Happiness:

- Stop worrying about what you can't control 
- Focus on what you can control 
- Remember you're going to die (Memento Mori) 
- Want less 
- Simplify your life

So, as you face the coming days of your precious life, remember to let it motivate and inspire you to do the right things.

Memento Mori.

Reference:

1. What is Stoicism?
2. Ryan Holiday (Creator of DailyStoic)