Death Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“To desire immortality for the individual is really the same as wanting to perpetuate an error forever.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Essay: The World as Will and Representation, 1819
Desiring personal immortality is essentially clinging to a flawed idea forever.
In simple terms: Immortality repeats error.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the futility of endless self‑preservation.
Themes
mortality
error
philosophy
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
skeptical
When to use this quote
- ethical debates
- life planning
- philosophical study
Key Concepts
existentialism
legacy
human limitation
Questions to Reflect On
- Is seeking immortality selfish?
- What errors persist when we avoid change?
A Different Perspective
Immortality may perpetuate suffering.
![“[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)
