Death Quote by Robert Jackson Bennett
““Die. Do you think I will? I suppose I must...I exist now, and everything that exists must end, one day. I wonder how I will die, and what it will be like. It will be most interesting, don't you think? [...] Yes. Yes, I think it will," said the wolf. "I look forward to it. On the whole, I think it is a very strange and terrifying thing, to exist. I really don't understand how you do it. Tell me - how do you deal with the fear? "The fear?" asked George. "Yes. That fear that comes from the feeling that there is you, and then there is...everything else. That you are trapped inside of yourself, a tiny dot insignificant in the face of every everything that could ever be. How do you manage that?" George considered how to answer. "I...guess we just never think about it." "Never think about it!" cried the wolf. "How can you not think about it when it confronts you at every moment? You are lost amid a wide, dark sea, with no shores in sight, and you all so rarely panic! Some days I can barely function, so how on earth can you never think about it?" "Well, I...suppose we distract ourselves," said George. "But with what?". "I don't know. With all kinds of things.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Wolves of Memory by Robert Jackson Bennett, 2014
The dialogue explores existential dread and the human tendency to avoid confronting the inevitability of death and the vastness of existence.
In simple terms: We fear being insignificant and try to distract ourselves from that awareness.
Accept the fear and find meaning despite it.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- philosophical discussion
- creative writing
- mindfulness practice
- therapy sessions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you confront existential fear without being overwhelmed?
- What practices help you find meaning in insignificance?
Avoiding the thought can lead to unresolved anxiety and emotional numbness.