Tag: aristotle

“Long life, and short, are by death made all one; for there is no long, nor short, to things that are no more. Aristotle tells us that there are certain little beasts upon the banks of the river Hypanis, that never live above a day: they which die at eight of the clock in the morning, die in their youth, and those that die at five in the evening, in their decrepitude: which of us would not laugh to see this moment of continuance put into the consideration of weal or woe? The most and the least, of ours, in comparison with eternity, or yet with the duration of mountains, rivers, stars, trees, and even of some animals, is no less ridiculous.” -Montaigne

When I read the above passage in Montaigne’s Essays, especially the reference to the short lived creatures described by Aristotle, I thought of the incredibly short lived midges that make an appearance at my home every year. When they do, I have often reflected on the extreme brevity of their time among us, and then by extension, our equally brief time among the cosmos. And yet, at the same time, reflecting on the mundane midge, and the brevity of their and our own vitality, I am amazed nonetheless, and rejoice at the wonderment of it all.