"Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time"

This quote by George Carlin is a humorous way of mentioning the inevitability of death. He is recommending that death is brought on by the accumulation of small, seemingly irrelevant things over a long period of time. This could be translated as a metaphor for how life is made up of small minutes that add up to create a larger image. It might likewise be analyzed as a reminder that death is unavoidable which we should maximize our time here on earth. Carlin's quote is a reminder to appreciate the small minutes in life and to take advantage of our time here.