Death Quote by Paul Auster
““When a man walks into a room and you shake hands with him, you do not feel that you are shaking hands with him. Death changes that. This is the body of X, not this is X. The syntax is entirely different. Now we are talking about two things instead of one, implying that the man continues to exist, but only as an idea, a cluster of images and memories in the minds of the other people. As for the body, it is no more than flesh and bones, a heap of pure matter.””
About This Quote
Death transforms a person from a physical being to an idea in others' minds
In simple terms: Death turns a body into memory
Key Takeaway
Cherish relationships before they become memories
Themes
mortality
philosophy
memory
Mood
somber
contemplative
Type
philosophical
existential
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- memorials
- philosophical reflection
Key Concepts
existentialism
legacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you want to be remembered?
- What legacy are you building now?
A Different Perspective
Physical presence is finite, but ideas persist
![“The body was the slave of the vortex; but the slave has become the master; and we must free ourselves from that tyranny. It is this stuff [ indicating her body ], this flesh and blood and bone and all the rest of it, that is intolerable. Even prehistoric man dreamed of what he called an astral…” quote by George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/504/george-bernard-shaw-68_blood_the-body-was-the-slave-of-the-vortex-but_2612664.jpg)
![“as the blessed Paul declares in his Epistle to the Ephesians, that “we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” He does not speak these words of some spiritual and invisible man, for a spirit has not bones nor flesh; but [he refers to] that dispensation [by which the Lord became]…” quote by The Church Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/503/the-church-fathers-1438_quote_as-the-blessed-paul-declares-in-his-epis_1752826.jpg)
