Memento Mori

We're all going to die. This life will come to an end. Death is the "great equalizer" because we're all going to draw our last breath at some time in the future. It's good for all of us to keep that in mind, but some need to be reminded of this fact more than others...

_{source: YouTube}

I'll start by sharing some remarkable statistics about humanity. With a world population of approximately 8 billion people, 7 percent of all people that have ever lived since 190,000 BCE are alive today. Starting at 190,000 BCE, 109 billion people have come before us. At that starting point, the global count of humans was an estimated 30,000 individuals. If we add the 8 billion that are alive today, we arrive at 117 billion people that have ever lived. Now here's something we don't realize often enough: it's the 109 billion people that came before us we have to thank for the civilization that we live in today. All 109 billion of them we have to thank for everything we know, the languages we speak, the food we cook, the music we enjoy and the tools we use. The same people who need reminding that they are mere mortals, also need to be reminded of this fact because they live in the delusional conviction that everything they've achieved, they've achieved on their own.

Since the beginning of life on earth, death is the one universal and inescapable commonality; king or peasant, brilliant or stupid, rich or poor, we'll all leave this world at some point in time. "Memento Mori" is a symbolic trope acting as a reminder of the inevitability of death. Translated into English it means "remember that you (must) die." Now why is it good for us to remind ourselves that we have to die, how's that not completely morbid? The answer is simple; it reminds us that we have to live! Not just be alive, but live. That doesn't mean we have to descend into hedonism, but that we try to make our lifes meaningful for ourselves, for the ones we love and the greater community. Death is inevitable, so we'd better use our time wisely and try to prevent we regret doing something, or not doing something by the time we draw that inevitable last breath. That's one reason why "Memento Mori" is a useful reminder.

There's another reason though. It's to keep our feet planted on the ground. Roman military generals were paraded through the streets to the ecstatic roars of the masses after a major military victory. Such a procession could span an entire day, with the military leader riding in a chariot drawn by four horses; it was the most coveted honor, and the triumphant general was idolized by his troops and the public alike. But riding with him in the chariot, standing right just behind him, there was a slave. The sole responsibility of the slave was to continuously whisper in the general's ear:

“Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento! Memento mori!”
_{source: Quote Vadis}

"Look behind you! Remember that you are human! Remember that you'll die!" Now, I don't know how effective that practice was, using a slave to do the whispering. I think we all need someone in our personal lifes, someone we trust completely, a loved one, to remind us of our mere humanity whenever we do something stupid or when we let too much praise rise to our heads. For me, that person is my wive. We've been a couple for 36 years now and we share everything. She is my safe harbor and my anchor. But... I'm not rich, I have no real power, my words and my actions don't affect the world as much; my influence ends with you, my dear readers. Our contemporary Roman generals need someone like my wive in their lifes, but it seems that some of them are surrounded by boot-licking yes-men exclusively. You know the type, and we all know at least two of them; Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The success of those men have turned them into the most petulant, bad-tempered, egotistical, narcissist asswipes. They've forgotten that they're mere mortals, that they are not better than you or I, they've forgotten the 117 billion people who have contributed to their success and believe they are gods among men. They have completely bought into the great man theory and are constantly confirmed in their delusion by millions of spineless yes-men who will defend their honor even when they do the most dishonorable things. Trump was so popular among his loud following that he famously proclaimed that he could shoot someone without losing any of his fans. For him it's too late; he'll die believing that he's better than everyone else. In the announcement video for his worthless NFT trading cards he implied that he's the best president America has ever had, "better than Lincoln, better than Washington"...

Elon Musk's behavior on Twitter, which is now his private toy, reminds me of a lonely teenage boy who desperately tries to be popular, but doesn't know how to act cool. He's the typical spoiled brat who took the ball home; "You're not being nice to me, so I'll take my ball and go home! You find your own ball to play with!" That's Elon Musk, banning everyone he doesn't like from Twitter, including journalists who only report on him banning other people. I strongly suggest you watch the below linked video, especially if you're not aware of Musk's recent behavior on and with Twitter. It's a reaction video by Hasan Piker, reacting not only to Musk's childish behavior but also to random persons in his chat who still defend this behavior. Watch it, it says so much about Musk and his fans...

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