I suspect if we were as familiar with our bones as with…
““I suspect if we were as familiar with our bones as with our skin, we'd never bury dead but shrine them in their rooms, arranged as we might like to find them on a visit; and our enemies, if we could steal their bodies from the battle sites, would be museumed as they died, the steel still eloquent in their sides, their metal hats askew, the protective toes of their shoes unworn, and friend and enemy would be so wondrously historical that in a hundred years we'd find the jaws still hung for the same speech and all the parts we spent our life with titled as they always were - rib cage, collar, skull - still repetitious, still defiant, angel light, still worthy of memorial and affection. After all, what does it mean to say that when our cat has bitten through the shell and put confusion in the pulp, the life goes out of them? Alas for us, I want to cry, our bones are secret, showing last, so we must love what perishes: the muscles and the waters and the fats.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote reflects on humanity’s neglect of the inner, structural self (bones) compared to the superficial (skin), suggesting that if we understood our inner anatomy, we would treat bodies—both our own and enemies’—as historical artifacts, preserving them with reverence rather than discarding them.
In simple terms: We ignore our inner selves, treating bodies as objects to be displayed if we understood them.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and honor the hidden parts of ourselves and others.
Themes
mortality
memory
humanity
remembrance
body
identity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
literary
poetic
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- museum c
- war memorials
- personal reflection
- artistic writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
anthropology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How would our rituals change if we valued our inner anatomy?
- What does treating bodies as artifacts say about our relationship with mortality?
A Different Perspective
Our focus on external appearances can blind us to deeper truths about life and death.