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About this quote

What does it mean?
Creatures are immortal due to ignorance of death, while knowing one is immortal is terrifying and divine.
In plain terms
Knowing you live forever is scary.
What can you take from it?
Death awareness defines humans.

Where it applies

  • philosophy
  • existentialism

Putting it to work

  • self-awareness
  • mortality reflection

Questions to consider

  • How does death affect you?

Another view

Some believe in an afterlife.

More from Jorge Luis Borges

  1. Through the years, a man peoples a space with images of provinces, kingdoms, mountains, bays, ships, islands, fishes, rooms, tools, stars, horses and people. S…

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  2. 'The earth we inhabit is an error, an incompetent parody. Mirrors and paternity are abominable because they multiply and affirm it.' - (dogma of a fictional re…

    Permalink to quote #145
  3. The image of the Lord had been replaced by a mirror.

    Permalink to quote #142

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