Certainty of death Quote by Aldous Huxley
““Me as I think I am and me as I am in fact - sorrow, in other words, and the ending of sorrow. One third, more or less, of all the sorrow that the person I think I am must endure is unavoidable. It is the sorrow inherent in the human condition, the price we must pay for being sentient and self-conscious organisms, aspirants to liberation, but subject to the laws of nature and under orders to keep on marching, through irreversible time, through a world wholly different to our well-being, toward decrepitude and the certainty of death. The remaining two thirds of all sorrow is homemade and, so far as the universe if concerned, unnecessary.””
About This Quote
Most suffering is self‑generated; a fraction is unavoidable due to consciousness, but we can reduce the unnecessary portion through perspective and choice.
In simple terms: Two‑thirds of sorrow is self‑made.
Key Takeaway
Much suffering is optional.
Themes
suffering
human condition
psychology
Mood
introspective
somber
Type
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- dealing with grief
- overcoming self‑criticism
- mindfulness practice
Key Concepts
self‑inflicted pain
existential awareness
Practical Applications
- identify and challenge self‑imposed narratives
- focus on acceptance of inevitable hardships
Questions to Reflect On
- What practices help distinguish necessary from unnecessary sorrow?
- Can we ever fully eliminate self‑generated suffering?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that even 'unavoidable' sorrow is shaped by cultural narratives, blurring the line between necessary and self‑made pain.
![“And there we recognize that our frailty is not meant to cause us anxiety and sorrow. Rather, God means it to be a source of confidence, and even, as it was for Etty [the Dutch Jew previously mentioned that died in Auschwitz], a source of joy. For it is exactly that frailty--the strict limits to…” quote by Ellen F. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/435/ellen-f-davis-25448_certainty-of-death_and-there-we-recognize-that-our-frailty_726927.jpg)
