If man were immortal he could be perfectly sure of seeing the day when everything in which he had trusted should betray his trust, and, in short, of coming eventually to hopeless misery. He would break down, at last, as every good fortune, as every dynasty, as every civilization does. In place of this we have death.

Summary

This quote suggests that immortality would lead to a perpetual state of disappointment and despair. It argues that if humans were eternal, they would inevitably witness everything they believed in and trusted eventually crumbling, bringing them to a state of hopelessness. Immortality would mean experiencing the breakdown of every good fortune, dynasty, and civilization, leading to constant misery. Instead of this bleak reality, death exists as a time limit, sparing humans from an eternity of inevitable downfall.

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