'Do not die that we may not die,' the dead cry out within you. 'We had no time to enjoy the women we desired; be in time, sleep with them! We had no time to turn our thoughts into deeds; turn them into deeds! We had no time to grasp and to crystallize the face of our hope; make it firm!' ... But you must choose with care whom to hurl down again into the chasms of your blood, and whom you shall permit to mount once more into the light and the earth.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The dead urge the living to seize time and turn thoughts into deeds, but one must choose which spirits to elevate.
- In plain terms
- Listen to the dead who say live fully and act now, but choose which ideas to bring to life.
- What can you take from it?
- Act on your hopes before time runs out, but be selective.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do you owe the past?
- What will you do with your time?
Another view
Living by the desires of the dead may limit new possibilities.
More from Nikos Kazantzakis
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