Death is the event in life. It is our chief organizing principle. It’s why we rush and why we dawdle, why we butter up our bosses and fawn over our children, why we like both fast cars and fading flowers, why we write poetry, why sex thrills us. It’s why we wonder why we are here.

Russell Shorto (b. 1959) American author, historian, journalist

Descartes’ Bones, ch. 2 “Banquet of Bones” (2008)
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