--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Left to their own devices, human bodies…" description: "\"“Left to their own devices, human bodies rot, decompose, come apart, and sink gloriously back into the earth from whence they came. Using embalming and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/caitlin-doughty-12025_death_left-to-their-own-devices-human-bodies-r_2339561.jpg" --- # Left to their own devices, human bodies rot, decompose… ![“Left to their own devices, human bodies rot, decompose, come apart, and sink gloriously back into the earth from whence they came. Using embalming and heavy protective caskets to stop this process is a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable, and demonstrates our clear terror of…” quote by Caitlin Doughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/caitlin-doughty-12025_death_left-to-their-own-devices-human-bodies-r_2339561.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/caitlin-doughty-12025_death_left-to-their-own-devices-human-bodies-r_2339561.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/caitlin-doughty-12025_death_left-to-their-own-devices-human-bodies-r_2339561.jpg) > ““Left to their own devices, human bodies rot, decompose, come apart, and sink gloriously back into the earth from whence they came. Using embalming and heavy protective caskets to stop this process is a desperate attempt to stave off the inevitable, and demonstrates our clear terror of decomposition. The death industry markets caskets and embalming under the rubric of helping bodies look “natural,” but our current death customs are as natural as training majestic creatures like bears and elephants to dance in cute little outfits, or erecting replicas of the Eiffel Tower and Venetian canals in the middle of the harsh American desert.”” [Caitlin Doughty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-doughty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human bodies naturally decompose; embalming and elaborate caskets are cultural attempts to deny this inevitability. **In simple terms:** We die and rot; fancy funerals hide that truth. Key Takeaway Accept natural decay, reconsider funeral choices. Themes mortality culture environment death industry Mood reflective somber Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - funeral planning - green burials - cultural education Key Concepts existential ethical sustainability Questions to Reflect On - What does a natural death mean to you? - How can societies shift toward sustainable practices? A Different Perspective Denial can cause grief and waste. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caskets Embalming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caskets-embalming-5657703/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-industry-4882384/) [Eiffel tower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eiffel-tower/) [Embalming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embalming/) [Protective Caskets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protective-caskets-5657705/) [Using Embalming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/using-embalming-5657704/) ## Related quotes > [“... People like to know what they are getting ahead of time. Thus, McDonald's, Wal-Mart, F.W. 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