To be forgotten is worse then death.’
It is both a lament and an ideal that is shared among many people in this world. At a glance, it appears a noble and meaningful way to live, making the most out of ones life so as to not be forgotten. Although under closer examination, it appears a selfish and egotistical wish be someone who cares only for their image. But is that really true? What is meaning behind the phrase?
It could be said that it means simply to live in a way that is memorable, to make changes that will be remembered for generations to come. Or perhaps it is meant in a more literal fashion, constantly interacting and relating to those around us in order to validate ones existence. It should of course be said that each individual has the right to take their own, personal meaning from the expression. But perhaps, more important then the meaning itself, is the line of thought that it provokes. This, I think is the true purpose of sayings such as this, it compels us to think, if only for a short while, upon the meaning.
I am a small player in a large world. For a long time a struggled with the reality of this fact, trying to find the purpose of my existence, and in this time of soul searching I found one question predominant over almost all others. Do we really matter? Dose any of it, anything we do or accomplish in our life, really matter in the grand scheme of things? I believe we all wish to matter, that most people in this world think (Or at least would like to) that what they do matters, that they make a difference in the world and to those we love.
So, what if one day you woke up and everyone you knew had completely forgotten about you, if everything you had ever done or accomplished, was wiped from the conscious memories of anyone you had ever met. It would be understandable to wonder if anything you had done had mattered, if any of it had actually made a difference. Of course, if it is examined in a logical sense, it is easy to say that it did make a difference, because even if it isn’t remembered, everything we do has some influence, however small, on the world. So the question is really whether or not any of it is worthwhile. If no one remembers, was it really all that important? Or was it all just a waste?
I think that maybe, the original phrase was not quite the same as it is now. For it makes for sense to me if it were to read, ’To be forgotten is death.’
Because being forgotten is no minor part of dying. No matter how hard we may try, eventually, we will be forgotten. In most cases, when one dies, there friends will remember them, especially if they where very close. And maybe these friends will even tell their children of this person, carrying on the memory to the next generation. But usually, it doesn’t go much further beyond this, the new generation will come and go, and there will be nothing left of but the another forgotten grave. Even those who achieved great things will be forgotten, the names and deeds of great leaders and kings are still remembered today, but who they where, and what was in their heart will crumble and fade like stone with the passage of time.
Many people, it seems, come to this conclusion and take it to mean that there is no purpose to life, and simply give up. Other have acted in fear of this reality, changing the flow of history in an attempt to be remembered for all eternity, which is, in essence, the search for immortality.
Maybe it is pointless, but whatever the truth may be, it is reassuring to me to know one thing for certain.
I do not care.
I accept the fact that when I die, I will be forgotten and fade away from this world. But I will not stop living. For I know that by being a part of the lives of the ones I love, I have made a difference and will continue to do so, however small it may be. And I know that they will continue to be a part of my life as well.
And that, I believe, Is enough.
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Confessions of a Crowned Clown
To be honest, I'm probably going to be using this as a place to vent out my thoughts when they get built up enough, and hopefully use it to help me sort through some things.
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everroyal
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