Quote by Bertrand Russell
I believe that when I die I shall rot, and nothing of my ego will survive. I am not young and I love life. But I should scorn to shiver with terror at the thought of annihilation. Happiness is nonetheless true happiness because it must come to an end, nor do thought and love lose their value because they are not everlasting. Many a man has borne himself proudly on the scaffold; surely the same pride should teach us to think truly about man's place in the world. Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cosy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigour, and the great spaces have a splendour of their own.
Summary
This quote, possibly attributed to physicist and Nobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger, suggests a perspective on mortality and the human experience. It presents an acknowledgment that upon death, there will be nothing that survives beyond the physical body. Despite an appreciation for life, there is no fear expressed about the prospect of annihilation. The quote proposes that true happiness is not undermined by its eventual end, and that thoughts and love hold value even without eternity. It asserts that facing the reality of our place in the world, without reliance on comforting myths, can allow for the exhilarating discovery and beauty found in the vastness of scientific truth.
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