09/27/24
Memento Mori : The Physical
I saw a picture today of an argali, stabbed to death by its own horns. The horn on its head kept growing, but instead of curving outward, it pointed inward, piercing its own skull and causing a slow, painful death. What kind of experience is it to watch death approach slowly, day by day, feeling its inevitability inch closer? Memento mori—a reminder of the certainty of death.
Is there something similar in humans to the bee’s stinger or the argali’s horn? A part of ourselves meant to protect us from the outside world but instead slowly destroys us? Perhaps it’s our fears, insecurities, or the relentless pursuit of perfection that mirrors the inward spirals of an argali’s horn. Are we, in our efforts to achieve and control, unknowingly creating the very tools of our own suffering? Or we could say our whole body is a double-edged sword. For instance, our nervous system, capable of warning us against potential danger, can be the source of endless anxiety. It's the paradox of being human: the very essence of what keeps us alive can also lead to our downfall.
The message of memento mori reminds us that death is inevitable and we are mortal beings, so we have to focus on what we want to achieve within our limited time. But if the intrinsic parts of us, both life-giving and potentially life-taking, are like a stinger we can't remove, what is the message then?