Age Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“Every new born being indeed comes fresh and blithe into the new existence, and enjoys it as a free gift: but there is, and can be, nothing freely given. It's fresh existence is paid for by the old age and death of a worn out existence which has perished, but which contained the indestructible seed out of which the new existence has arisen: they are one being.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The World as Will and Representation, Arthur Schopenhauer, 1818
Life is a cycle where each new being emerges from the death of the old, sharing an indestructible essence.
In simple terms: New life comes from old death.
Key Takeaway
Recognize continuity in change.
Themes
philosophy
life
continuity
death
renewal
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
existential
When to use this quote
- birth
- grief
- legacy
- inheritance
- personal growth
Key Concepts
metaphysics
cyclical existence
essence
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you see your own life linked to past generations?
- What does “indestructible seed” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex biological and existential processes.
![“[T]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be6/arthur-schopenhauer-226_addresses_t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between_32897.jpg)
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
