"It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world"

This quote by John Steinbeck is a pointer to live our lives in a way that will bring no pain or suffering to the world when we pass away. It encourages us to think thoroughly about our decisions and actions, and to think about the effects of our choices. It recommends that we must make every effort to make our lives meaningful and to leave a favorable legacy behind us. The quote also implies that we should bear in mind our mortality and utilize it as a motivation to live a life of function and stability. Ultimately, it motivates us to reside in a manner in which will bring pleasure and peace to the world, even after we are gone.