“The tragedy of life is not death but what we let die inside of us while we live.”

—  Norman Cousins

Last update Dec. 28, 2023. History

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Norman Cousins photo
Norman Cousins 32
American journalist 1915–1990

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Context: Let us learn from the lips of death the lessons of life. Let us live truly while we live, live for what is true and good and lasting. And let the memory of our dead help us to do this. For they are not wholly separated from us, if we remain loyal to them. In spirit they are with us. And we may think of them as silent, invisible, but real presences in our households.

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Controversiae

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“Far more real than the ticking of time is the way we open up the minutes and invest them with meaning. Death is not the ultimate tragedy in life. The ultimate tragedy is to die without discovering the possibilities of full growth.”

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