Common denominator Quote by Barry Eisler
““People have rituals for communing with the dead, rituals that depend more on the idiosyncrasies of the individual than on the influence of culture. Some visit gravesites. Some talk to portraits, or mantelpiece urns. Some go to spots favored by the deceased during life, or mouth silent prayers in houses of worship, or have trees planted in memory in some far-off land. The common denominator, of course, is a sense beyond logic that the dead are aware of all this, that they can hear the prayers and witness the deeds and feel the ongoing love and longing. People seem to find that sense comforting. I don’t believe any of it. I’ve never seen a soul depart from a body. I’ve never been haunted by a ghost, angry or loving. I’ve never been rewarded or punished or touched by some traveler from the undiscovered country. I know as well as I know anything the dead are simply dead.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Last Empress by Barry Eisler, 2015
The quote argues that rituals honoring the dead are personal comforts, but the speaker denies any supernatural reality, viewing the dead as simply non‑existent.
In simple terms: Rituals comfort the living, but the dead are just dead.
Key Takeaway
Accept rituals as personal coping, not proof of afterlife.
Themes
comfort
belief
death
rituals
skepticism
Mood
reflective
skeptical
Type
philosophical
personal
critical
When to use this quote
- funeral services
- personal grieving
- memorial events
- spiritual counseling
Key Concepts
psychology
existentialism
cultural practices
Questions to Reflect On
- Do rituals help you process loss?
- Can belief in an afterlife be beneficial?
A Different Perspective
The quote dismisses all evidence of afterlife, which may overlook subjective experiences.
