On the Shortness of Life

it takes a whole life to learn how to die.

Life is divided into three periods, past, present and future. Of these, the present is short, the future is doubtful, the past is certain.

Old age surprises them while their minds are still childish, and they come to it unprepared and unarmed, for they have made no provision for it;

ld age surprises them while their minds are still childish, and they come to it unprepared and unarmed, for they have made no provision for it;

so there is no reason for you to think that any man has lived long because he has grey hairs or wrinkles; he has not lived long—he has existed long.

it takes the whole of life to learn how to die

It takes the whole of life to learn

But life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future. When they come to the end of it, the poor wretches realize too late that for all this time they have been preoccupied in doing nothing.

So what is the reason for this? You are living as if destined to live for ever; your own frailty never occurs to you; you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full and overflowing supply – though all the while that very day which you are devoting to somebody or something may be your last. You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire.

life, if you know how to use it, is long.