Memento Vivere Onyx Necklace
Eco Sterling Silver & Sterling Silver

Many of us are familiar with the phrase ‘memento mori’. A Latin expression, which translates as ‘remember that you must die’.

Throughout history, this phrase has served as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life. The awareness of our impermanence creates a burning desire to live fully now, not delaying experience and pleasure for an imagined future.

Some have found this phrase sombre but really it’s a positive call to live. That’s why sometimes memento mori has been used in conjunction with the phrase ‘memento vivere’ which translates as ‘remember to live’.

These two phrases work in combination. Without the reminder of its unavoidable endpoint, we could become complacent and frivolous in life, imagining that we have endless time to pursue our dreams and desires. Equally, by focusing excessively on death we can become depressed and nihilistic, feeling that existence is meaningless or doomed. This is why the two, in conjunction, create an approach to life that rides the perfect middle way, avoiding both despondency and delusion.

Despite the endless distractions of Western civilisation, an awareness of death seems to keep us focused on what is important, it prevents us from being dragged into the frivolous and allowing our true selves to become servants to the desires and will of others. With this knowledge, we can live our lives with the awareness that each moment is individual, unique and never to be repeated and start to treat life with the reverence and passion that it deserves.