Monday, February 04, 2008

Freud on death

I don't like most things Sigmund Freud has to say, but I thought the following quote was dead on. I found it as I finished up with my latest Ravi book, Can Man Live Without God?. By the way, it's an incredible book. Here's the quote:





"...at bottom nobody believes in his own death...every one of us is convinced of his immortality. We regularly emphasize the accidental cause of death, the mishap, the disease, the infection, the advanced age, and thus betray our eagerness to demote death from a necessity to a mere accident. Toward the deceased himself we behave in a special way, almost as if we were full of admiration for someone who has accomplished something very difficult. We suspend criticism of him, forgive him any injustice, pronounce the motto, de mortuis nil nisi bene, and consider it justified that in the funeral sermon and on the gravestone the most advantageous things are said about him. Consideration for the dead, who no longer needs it, we place higher than truth."

2 comments:

  1. Yep. The best thing you can do for your reputation is die.

    Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. you made a fun pun..."this quote was dead on"

    ReplyDelete