Change Quote by Natalie Angier
““We lived so long and so self-consciously that we assumed we must live forever, and we buried our dead with enough talismans and spare change for eternity.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Women Who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, 1992
We act as if life is endless, surrounding death with rituals and objects to feel permanence.
In simple terms: We pretend death isn’t final, using symbols to feel eternal.
Key Takeaway
Recognize mortality, cherish present moments.
Themes
mortality
ritual
impermanence
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- funeral planning
- legacy building
- daily mindfulness
Key Concepts
existentialism
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do rituals shape your view of death?
- What does “eternity” mean to you?
A Different Perspective
We may cling to symbols, ignoring deeper acceptance of death.
![“[On women:] We are all yeses. We are worthy enough, we passed inspection, we survived the great fetal oocyte extinctions. In that sense, at least - call it a mechanospiritual sense - we are meant to be. We are good eggs, every one of us.” quote by Natalie Angier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/901/natalie-angier-21271_eggs_on-women-we-are-all-yeses-we-are-worthy_272801.jpg)
![“As [The Nation columnist Katha] Pollitt points out, when one starts looking beneath the surface of things and adding together the out-front atheists with the indifferent nonbelievers, you end up with a much larger group of people than Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Unitarians put together.” quote by Natalie Angier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/67a/natalie-angier-21271_atheism_as-the-nation-columnist-katha-pollitt-po_604043.jpg)
