memento mori, memento vivere

Author: Khiem (lum)
Posted: 2026-05-23

Written: 2026-01-03

   There is a rule in this world that, someday, you must die. You may die in tears, in happiness, in grief, or in regret. Some may think that death is a tragedy, while others may suppose it is a gift from the sky, or a sign received after enduring unknown hardships. After all, however, we cannot predict our death. Thus, the ancient Romans came up with an extremely famous quote that survives to this day: “Memento mori, memento vivere.” Along with this quote is another well-known phrase: “Carpe diem,” popularised by the 1989 film Dead Poets Society.

    The ancient Romans were wise enough to acknowledge the importance of fully living their lives because, although they could not know the exact date of their death, the exact moment they would say goodbye to this world, they understood that they should not leave life with regrets over unfinished chapters. They knew that life was meant to be enjoyed and experienced because, if not; what a waste!

    In a world where the pressure to succeed is overwhelming, where people are constantly competing for jobs, and where society is filled with conservative expectations, it is difficult to find time to carpe diem. Maybe modern people, I believe, have lost the true purpose of life. We are born only to end up in a competition where we are forced to run barefoot, without ever realising that we have not truly breathed in the taste of life. Spiritually, life is like something magical appearing before our eyes, yet we are told to stop caring about it once we turn twenty. Our bodies seem destined to type on computers and write on exam papers, but not to grow flowers or hold someone’s hand. I am sure we yearn for those feelings, yet somehow our minds do not allow us to pursue them.

    So take time to carpe diem. You are still alive, and you must continue living your life. I know you do not want to suffer from poverty, but besides fearing that, please also fear losing the purpose of life itself. We shall all die, but let it never be said that we forgot to live.