Think as a mortal

Think as a mortal is one of 147 precepts inscribed at Delphi. It invites us to remember our mortal condition. At first glance it could mean something like “enjoy your life” because you are here as a passenger and someday your time will be over. But considering that it is in a sacred place for the Greeks, and that the precepts claim to have been given by the Greek god Apollo himself, it is likely that the phrase intends to make a contrast between the condition of us, mortals, and the condition of the gods, immortals, thus, the meaning of the aphorism invites us to recognize our place in the cosmos, and not to exceed our limits.

If you are a mortal, think as a mortal. It is also a way of recognizing our limits, recognizing our time limit, and that whatever we do, we cannot exceed, because we are hopelessly mortals. And recognize our nature, because we can never change it. Recognize that we make mistakes, because we are not perfect. And to remain humble, because although we can be great among mortals, we will always be mortal.

It is also a way to keep it simple and not worry much about existential questions, which although they can open our minds and give us a broader perception of life, they can also leave us in a great void, and of course, they have no practical utility. Worry about the human, and let the gods worry about the superhuman, about what goes beyond our limits.

The exemplification of this is shown in our difficulty in understanding concepts such as the infinite, the eternal, or the uncreated.

Although of course, it is advice, not a rule.

It is about always keeping in mind that death is an important and decisive factor in our lives, and that life is ephemeral, both for us and for our acquaintances. That we will not live forever and that everything in life has an end, including life itself.

Think like a mortal is a reminder that life is ending soon, and that the world will continue to spin in spite of that.

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