--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If sub specie aeternitatis there is no…" description: "\"If sub specie aeternitatis there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/thomas-nagel-9440_absurd_if-sub-specie-aeternitatis-there-is-no-r_831564.jpg" --- # If sub specie aeternitatis there is no reason to believe… ![“If sub specie aeternitatis there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair.” quote by Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/thomas-nagel-9440_absurd_if-sub-specie-aeternitatis-there-is-no-r_831564.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/thomas-nagel-9440_absurd_if-sub-specie-aeternitatis-there-is-no-r_831564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/801/thomas-nagel-9440_absurd_if-sub-specie-aeternitatis-there-is-no-r_831564.jpg) > “If sub specie aeternitatis there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair.” [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life lacks inherent meaning, so we can meet absurdity with irony rather than heroic or despairing attitudes. **In simple terms:** Absurdity can be faced with irony. Key Takeaway Embrace irony over despair. Themes existentialism absurdity irony meaninglessness Mood reflective philosophical Type aphilosophical existential When to use this quote - personal reflection - literary analysis - public speaking Key Concepts nihilism existential dread philosophical coping Questions to Reflect On - How does irony change your daily choices? - Can humor replace despair? A Different Perspective Irony may not resolve practical suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-matters-523406/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Instead Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-heroism-563610/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Irony Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony-instead-563609/) [Lives Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-irony-563611/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [ If sub specie aeternitatis \[from eternity's point of view\] there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/if-sub-specie-aeternitatis-from-eternity-s-point-of-view-there-is-no/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [Never let the negativity get to you. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lentz/sometimes-you-are-faced-with-moments-in-life-that-literally-scare-you/) [Carl Lentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lentz/) > [What you believe matters, however. It’s all anyone has to act on. And since what you do is who you are, your actions define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-banks/what-you-believe-matters-however-it-s-all-anyone-has-to-act-on-and/) [Russell Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-banks/) > [“You have to believe that your voice can mean something. You have to believe that what you do matters. 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L. Austin said about ordinary language, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/common-sense-doesn-t-have-the-last-word-in-ethics-or-anywhere-else/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“I am drawn to a fourth alternative, natural teleology, or teleological bias, as an account of the existence of the biological possibilities on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/i-am-drawn-to-a-fourth-alternative-natural-teleology-or-teleological/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“The existence of consciousness is both one of the most familiar and one of the most astounding things about the world. No conception of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-nagel/the-existence-of-consciousness-is-both-one-of-the-most-familiar-and/) [Thomas Nagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-nagel/) > [“Are there any alternatives? 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