70 phrases about death and the afterlife

Death is something that has always troubled and worried man since ancient times. There are a multitude of beliefs in this regard, through which it has been tried to give meaning to both our existence and the inevitability of our own death.

Many people consider this topic as something taboo or unpleasant to comment on, but despite this it is a recurring theme for philosophy, science, religion or art to talk about it. Below you can see a selection of 70 phrases about death and the afterlife.

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Phrases and reflections about death and the afterlife

Death has permeated the minds of most of or people at some point in their lives. Some have reflected their thoughts on the matter in writing, leaving us interesting reflections about it.

1. "Death is something that we should not fear because, while we are, death is not, and when death is, we are not." (Antonio Machado)

This reflection makes us see that we will never really experience death. If we consider that when we die we cease to exist, we are never really going to be aware of what it is. That is why the author considers that one should not be afraid of the fact itself of dying.

2. "Often the grave encloses, without knowing it, two hearts in the same coffin." (Alphonse de Lamartine)

This phrase refers to the pain caused by the death of someone who loved him and are still alive, such as his partner.

3. "Just as a well-spent day produces sweet sleep, so a well-spent life produces sweet death." (Leonardo da Vinci)

This phrase indicates to us the need to live a full life, so that when our time comes we can leave this world without regret.

4. "It is easier to bear death without thinking about it, than to bear the thought of death." (Blaise Pascal)

The author of this phrase tells us the anxiety and concern that the idea that we are going to die can produce us.

5. "The man who does not perceive the drama of his own end is not in normality but in pathology, and he would have to lie down on the stretcher and allow himself to be cured." (Carl Gustav Jung)

In this sentence Jung reflects that being anguished and fearing death is something normal and not something to be ashamed of, since it is something that we do not know. Not being able to see it and feel the loss of life as something dramatic is unusual.

6. "Death is the beginning of immortality." (Maximilian Robespierre)

This phrase leads us to think that dying is not the end of everything, but that our history will continue to be present in the world for those who have surrounded us.

7. “I am not afraid of death, what I am afraid of is trance, going there. I confess that I am curious to know what it is about. " (Atahualpa Yupanqui)

The curiosity to know what happens after dying is a constant in humanity, being the origin of multiple beliefs.

8. "Death is sweet; but his anteroom, cruel. " (Camilo José Cela)

This phrase tells us that what is cruel and what is actually had it is not death itself, but the suffering before it.

9. “When death falls on man, the mortal part is extinguished; but the immortal principle withdraws and walks away safe and sound. " (Plato)

Plato believed in the existence of the soul, considering that death was its separation from the body and that after it it returned to the world of ideas.

10. "Death is important only insofar as it makes us reflect on the value of life." (André Malraux)

The author of this phrase makes us see that the fact that our life has an end has to make us reflect on how important it is what we live.

11. “On the day of your death it will happen that what you possess in this world will pass into the hands of another person. But what you are will be yours forever. " (Henry Van Dyke)

This phrase makes us see the banality of greed. Our goods and possessions can be appreciated, but in the end they are still accessory things that we will end up losing. The really valuable thing we get throughout life, the only thing really ours, is who we become and what we do with our lives.

12. "Cowards die many times before their true death, brave men like death only once." (William Shakespeare)

This phrase invites us to live our life, not to give up and dare to act and do what we really want despite the possible buts.

13. "Different in life, men are equal in death." (Lao Tse)

Regardless of our differences in life, the fact that we are going to die is something we all share.

14. "Death is a punishment for some, for others a gift, and for many a favor." (Seneca)

The author of the phrase tells us that there are different ways of seeing death.

15. "After all, death is just a symptom that there was life." (Mario Benedetti)

The fact that something dies means that it has been alive before. It indicates that that something has grown, matured and experienced the world in a unique way, leaving its mark on it.

16. "Fear of death? One must fear life, not death. " (Marlene Dietrich)

Pain, suffering, despair... Everything that hurts us, hurts us and makes us suffer we experience it throughout life, not with death. If this is so, why fear something that we do not know what it is or understand?

17. "Pale death calls the huts of the humble the same as the towers of kings." (Horacio)

We are all going to die regardless of our social and economic position, this being something in which we are all equal.

18. "If you want to endure life, prepare for death." (Sigmund Freud)

Knowing that we are going to die makes us consider whether or not to project our impulses in time, since death can occur at any time. That is why it is important to enjoy the present and try to meet our objectives.

• Related article: "Sigmund Freud: life and work of the famous psychoanalyst"

19. "If death were not the prelude to another life, the present life would be a cruel mockery." (Mahatma Gandhi)

Mahatma Gandhi shows us through this phrase the hope of the existence of other lives, a key concept of many religious professions.

20. “Men fear death as children fear the dark, and in the same way that this fear The natural nature of children is increased by the stories that are told, the same happens with the other. " (Francis Bacon)

What happens after that death has always been a mystery. The fact of not knowing it causes us fear, a fear increased by the different explanations offered in this regard.

21. “I am not afraid of death, but I am in no rush to die. I have a lot to do first. " (Stephen Hawking)

Most people do not want to die, as they consider that they have much that they want and would like to do with their life.

22. “It is stronger, if the green oak is old; the sun seems more beautiful when it sets; and this is inferred because one loves life when one dies. " (Rosalía de Castro)

Being close to the end makes us assess in a more positive way what has already happened and has been left behind.

23. "Because that is death: living that instant dominated only by that instant." (Juan Benet)

The author of this sentence indicates that although In agony we can think about the past and worry about what will happen, at the moment of death there is nothing else.

24. “It is convenient to live thinking that one has to die; death is always good; it seems bad sometimes because it is bad sometimes the one who dies. " (Francisco de Quevedo)

Again, in this sentence we are exhorted to live our life taking into account that one day has to end, and this is not bad since it makes us value what we live.

25. "I am not worried about death, I will dissolve into nothingness." (José de Saramago)

This phrase reflects the position that after death there is nothing, so it should not be a cause for concern.

26. "Since men have not been able to remedy death, misery and ignorance, they have imagined, in order to be happy, not to think about them at all." (Blaise Pascal)

This phrase makes us reflect on the taboo that death supposes for a majority of society, which has chosen to avoid thinking about it since it is something that it has not been able to solve.

27. "Death is the last journey, the longest and the best." (Tom Wolfe)

After we die we leave never to return. The comparison of death with a trip is frequent in the different arts, as for example in poetry.

28. “The dead don't care what their funerals are like. Lavish funerals serve to satisfy the vanity of the living. " (Euripides)

Great goodbyes may be beautiful, but they are really only useful to the living.

29. "Death makes angels out of all of us and gives us wings where before we only had shoulders... soft as raven claws." (Jim Morrison)

After the death of a person, only the positive aspects are usually remembered, sometimes exaggerating the virtues of the deceased.

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30. "If we still do not know what life is, how can the essence of death disturb us?" (Confucius)

Through this phrase Confucius raises the incoherence of the fear of death when we don't know what's beyond the end of life, which on the other hand we cannot define either.

31. "Love now while you live, since dead you will not be able to do it." (William Shakespeare)

The well-known playwright urges us with this phrase to dare to love with intensity without keeping anything, taking advantage of the time we have.

32. “Death does not exist, people only die when they forget it; If you can remember me, I will always be with you. " (Isabel Allende)

Even if we die, a part of us will continue to live in the memories of those who loved us and those we affect in some way throughout our lives.

33. "Death is life lived. Life is a death that comes." (Jose Luis Borges)

Death and life are two sides of the same coin and are closely related. To die you have to live and living implies that in the long run you are going to die.

34. "How unfair, how cursed, what a bastard death that kills us but those we love." (Carlos Fuentes)

This phrase reflects the pain that the death of loved ones supposes for those who continue to live in their absence.

35. “Death does not rob us of loved ones. On the contrary, it keeps them for us and immortalizes them in our memory. Life does steal them from us many times and definitely. " (François Mauriac)

When someone dies, those who love him retain his memory, recording the things and moments that made him loved.

36. "The only thing that comes to us for sure is death." (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

Death it is something inevitable that sooner or later we will all experience. The rest of the things that can happen do not have the same level of security.

37. "I have meditated a lot about death and find that it is the least of all evils." (Francis Bacon)

Death being something inevitable and at the same time something that we are not able to understand, worry and fear in excess can be not very adaptive and can make it difficult for us to see serious problems that we can solve.

38. "Death is nothing more than a change of mission." (Leo Tolstoy)

Tolstoy reflects in this phrase the belief that death is not the end of everything.

39. "Like a sea, around the sunny island of life, death sings its endless song night and day." (Rabindranath Tagore)

Death is part of our life just like everyone else's.

40. "Death is taken face to face with courage and then invited to a drink." (Edgar Allan Poe)

This phrase pushes us to face death without fear and without seeing it as something malevolent, because regardless of our wishes it patiently awaits us.

41. "Death for the young is shipwreck and for the old it is reaching port." (Baltasar Gracián)

The author of this sentence considered that while the death of an old man is expected and fortunately he has been able to live in a His life whole, the death of a young man is a misfortune since he will not be able to experience great experiences that otherwise would have touched him to live.

42. “It is not enough to think about death, but it must always be in front of you. Then life becomes more solemn, more important, more fruitful and more joyful. " (Stefan Zweig)

Bearing in mind that one day everything is going to end makes us value more what we have and can do.

43. "Death will only be sad for those who have not thought about it." (Fénelon)

Ignoring one's own mortality causes that when the end comes to us we are not prepared and we have not made our lives in anticipation of that end.

44. "Since I have not worried about being born, I don't worry about dying." (Federico García Lorca)

We cannot decide when we are going to die, so having this worry continuously is not practical or allows us to enjoy the moment.

45. "The authentic philosopher exercises in dying, and for no one is death less fearful." (Plato)

Reflecting on death and its meaning can make us more aware of its meaning, making us less scary.

46. “All things considered, the world has stopped thinking about death. Believing that we are not going to die makes us weak, and worse. " (Arturo Pérez-Reverte)

This phrase reflects the fact that society has decided to ignore and not address the issue of death, which we leaves few clear references on how to cope in an adaptive and resilient way.

47. "Death does not come more than once, but life makes itself felt at all times." (Jean de la Bruyere)

The author indicates that despite being something hidden and avoided, the knowledge of it largely permeates how society is configured.

48. "Life is a big surprise. I do not see why death cannot be greater. " (Vladimir Nabokov)

The human being usually fears what he is not able to understand. What happens when we die with all that we are? Is there something beyond? We can't know for sure until our time comes.

49. “When a man has done what he regards as his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe that I have made that effort and that, therefore, I will sleep for all eternity. " (Nelson Mandela)

Although the idea of ​​dying can be unpleasant, the idea of ​​having fulfilled our own duty is something that allows us to consider our life as well lived, and therefore rest in peace.

50. "Death, with the power of a ray of sunlight, touches the flesh and awakens the soul." (Robert Browning)

This sentence has a double reading. On the one hand, it can be understood as a reference to the belief that after death the soul separates from the body. On the other hand, that the knowledge of him makes us live more intensely.

51. “Someone spoke to me every day of my life in my ear, slowly, slowly. He told me: Live, live, live! It was death. " (Jaime Sabines)

Again, this phrase tells us that the fact of dying makes life valuable and worth living with the maximum intensity.

52. "Death waits for none." (Don Bosco)

Death usually comes unexpectedly, without leaving us time to act or finish pending things.

53. "At one time, I tried to convince myself that there is no life after death, but I have found myself unable to do so." (Douglas Coupland)

The belief in life after death it is shared by a large number of people throughout the world.

54. "Death is a dream without dreams" (Napoleon Bonaparte)

Death has often been identified as an eternal dream, this phrase being a reflection of it.

55. "Die in peace, both of you, as they say those who have loved a lot die." (Jaime Gil de Biedma)

As with the feeling of having fulfilled one's duty, having lived love intensely is another of the feelings that tends to be related to a peaceful death.

56. "The idea of ​​death, precisely, is what should make us aware of the importance of every minute." (Bertrand Regader)

The Spanish psychologist thus speaks about the happiness of living.

57. "Death is someone who withdraws from himself and returns to us. There are no more dead than those carried by the living. "(Pío Baroja)

The idea of ​​death is only understood from the world of the living.

58. "Remembering that one is going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking that there is something to lose. He is already being defenseless. There is no reason not to follow the advice of the heart. "(Steve Jobs)

A great reflection from the founder of Apple.

59. "Death is not distributed as if it were good. Nobody is looking for sadness. "(Juan Rulfo)

The Mexican novelist Juan Rulfo spoke thus about the sadness associated with any human loss.

60. "How many more deaths will it take to realize that there have already been too many." (Bob Dylan)

A phrase for the peace of the great American composer.

61. "Death is the lack of instruments of the soul by which life is prolonged." (Juan Luis Vives)

When life no longer blooms, death comes.

62. "The death of any man diminishes me, because I am part of humanity; therefore never send anyone to ask for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for you. "(John Donne)

Although death is alien, something makes us shudder.

63. "Death is the remedy for all ills; but we must not get hold of it until the last minute. "(Molière)

A solution for when there really is nothing left to do.

64. "When you are aware of death, you end up assuming your own loneliness." (Rosa Regàs)

The Spanish journalist and writer spoke with a certain regret about loneliness.

65. "Every moment of life is a step towards death." (Pierre Corneille)

A pessimistic (or crudely realistic) view of existence.

66. "Why not leave this life as the guest leaves a banquet fed up?" (Lucretius)

Go out in style.

67. "When you feel the proximity of death, you turn your eyes to your interior and find nothing but banality, because the living, compared to the dead, are unbearably banal. " (Miguel Delibes)

The Spanish poet thus presented death as the beginning of the solemnity.

68. "A beautiful death honors the entire life." (Francesco Petrarca)

Who leaves in peace, good memory leaves.

69. "The Mexican's indifference to death is nourished by his indifference to life." (Octavio Paz)

Great reflection on the culture of death in Mexico.

70. "Uncertain is the place where death awaits you; wait for her, then, in every place. "(Seneca)

He is everywhere, waiting in silence.