It is all well and good for children and acid freaks to still believe in Santa Claus - but it is still a profoundly morbid day for us working professionals. It is unsettling to know that one out of every twenty people you meet on Xmas will be dead this time next year... Some people can accept this, and some can't. That is why God made whiskey, and also why Wild Turkey comes in $300 shaped canisters during most of the Christmas season.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Thompson contrasts childlike holiday belief with adult awareness of mortality. He suggests whiskey helps cope with knowing many will die within a year.
- In plain terms
- Adults cope with holiday mortality awareness using alcohol.
- What can you take from it?
- Mortality awareness changes how holidays feel.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you cope with mortality?
- What do holidays mean to you?
Another view
The quote uses dark humor that may obscure grief.
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