What Does Memento Mori Mean?

Imagine this; you’re a Roman general who’s just won a huge battle, this is a huge occasion and the streets are cheering your name, you’re loved by all and you’re at the peak of your own glory. Then you hear a whisper in your ear “remember you will die one day”.

More often than not, especially when things are going well we often forget this vital part of human existence. Mortality. You will die one day, everyone around you, who you love will also die.

Sounds like a letter from a serial killer doesn’t it. In reality though it’s a harsh truth that most people tend to ignore.

Memento Mori is a practise to remember death, remember your own mortality, remember you are not a god.

The idea behind it is not to scare people, but to remind them that they need to live life to the fullest. Not to worry about trivial things that don’t really matter because guess what, you’ll be dead one day.

Thinking about your own mortality is a great tool that gives meaning to what it is you’re doing in your life. A lot of people believe they have all the time in the world, “I’ll get round to that one day”, “I’ll talk to my parents tomorrow”, “I’ll make it up to my sisters when I have the time” etc.

This simple reminder can be exactly what we need to take life by the neck and live it.