The Second Death - Zelda Peach
"Do we know the dead by their noble words?
They lie unknown.
If you suppose the breath of a name
might lengthen life,
the day comes that snatches fame as well.
It persists- that second death." (book two, metrum 7, p.60)
I have always heard that you die twice, once when you actually die, and once when someone says your name for the last time. I have often thought about this idea and would wonder about its meaning and relevance. Is it true? Does one's reputation carry on such a life of its own that it can live on entirely without the person? And if so, is this fact a dangerous thing, considering then that one's reputation could take on something that doesn't reflect the person's true self/identity at all? I mean, in a way it must be true, or I wouldn't be reading this book. Boethius died many years ago and even though I am reading his book, he could have been someone entirely different than he portrays in it. A modern day example of this would be our online profiles, such as Facebook or Instagram. If one were to go on my personal Instagram, they would only see the highlights and things I want people to see, not the struggles, stress, or responsibilities that often fill my daily life. Now, this division between my personal life and my online presence doesn't have to be a bad thing, in fact, it is sometimes better to keep a personal and public division in place. However, It can start to become a problem when we feel as if we are two entirely different people who occupy the same space.
But this idea of a second death really intrigues men because the basis of the idea is from that of leaving a legacy and making a mark. How important is it for us to feel remembered, and is that level of importance too much? Wanting to make a difference is not evil, but when ego exceeds purpose there becomes a problem. It just made me think more about my actions. Is what I am doing for the glory and good of God? Or is it for personal enjoyment and glory of the self? I hope to remember these questions more often as to better influence myself and hopefully others.
Also, Lady Philosophy is really cool. I have decided that I will now only refer to Sophia was Lady Philosophy considering Sophia means wisdom and therefore Sophia is wise. Henceforth, from this point forward, Sophia shall be called Lady Philosophy. I will get with marketing about a name tag change. ;)
I commented on Owen and Madison's blog posts
They lie unknown.
If you suppose the breath of a name
might lengthen life,
the day comes that snatches fame as well.
It persists- that second death." (book two, metrum 7, p.60)
I have always heard that you die twice, once when you actually die, and once when someone says your name for the last time. I have often thought about this idea and would wonder about its meaning and relevance. Is it true? Does one's reputation carry on such a life of its own that it can live on entirely without the person? And if so, is this fact a dangerous thing, considering then that one's reputation could take on something that doesn't reflect the person's true self/identity at all? I mean, in a way it must be true, or I wouldn't be reading this book. Boethius died many years ago and even though I am reading his book, he could have been someone entirely different than he portrays in it. A modern day example of this would be our online profiles, such as Facebook or Instagram. If one were to go on my personal Instagram, they would only see the highlights and things I want people to see, not the struggles, stress, or responsibilities that often fill my daily life. Now, this division between my personal life and my online presence doesn't have to be a bad thing, in fact, it is sometimes better to keep a personal and public division in place. However, It can start to become a problem when we feel as if we are two entirely different people who occupy the same space.
But this idea of a second death really intrigues men because the basis of the idea is from that of leaving a legacy and making a mark. How important is it for us to feel remembered, and is that level of importance too much? Wanting to make a difference is not evil, but when ego exceeds purpose there becomes a problem. It just made me think more about my actions. Is what I am doing for the glory and good of God? Or is it for personal enjoyment and glory of the self? I hope to remember these questions more often as to better influence myself and hopefully others.
Also, Lady Philosophy is really cool. I have decided that I will now only refer to Sophia was Lady Philosophy considering Sophia means wisdom and therefore Sophia is wise. Henceforth, from this point forward, Sophia shall be called Lady Philosophy. I will get with marketing about a name tag change. ;)
I commented on Owen and Madison's blog posts
I absolutely love when you said that wanting to make a difference is not evil but when our ego exceeds the purpose, there is a problem. Often it is so hard to remember that our purpose in this life is not to glorify ourselves or our name but to glorify Christ. This was a great reminder, thanks Zelda!
ReplyDeleteMadison Flowers
I actually had a conversation with a friend the other day where we came to the conclusion that without Christ, many of us would only hope to make those around us happier. We would have no eternal goal or purpose in mind. So ultimately as Christians, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30). If we seek to bring God glory in all that we do, we must not seek for the fame of our own name but rather desire to see His Name lifted higher.
ReplyDeleteThis actually made me think of the movie Coco. I won't give spoilers but, if you have seen it, you understand why. As someone who is fascinated with history, I love this concept! One quote caught my attention. On page 57, Philosophy asks, "How many famous men of your own era have been lost to memory because of forgetfulness and the absence of written records!" It makes me think of how many people who have lived and died and we don't even know about them. It blows my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the second death made me think of The Fault in Our Stars, about the dynamic of Hazel and Gus -- Hazel was more focused on her physical death while Gus was worried about the death of the legacy he had yet to create. It's an interesting concept to say the least, because our physical deaths represent that we are passing over to be with God but the death of a legacy is the death of your Earthly self really. The death of a legacy is an interesting one, because people are prideful so we want to be remembered, even if that shouldn't be our main focus in life.
ReplyDeleteSo actually in Mexican culture it is thought that to be forgotten is the second death, not just in terms of fame but in family. This thinking fuels that kind of life the glories success and honor to the position that is meant for god, and never really has any kind of end.
ReplyDelete