Mason Cooley's quote talks to the idea that life and death are both frightening ideas. Death is a natural part of life, and it is something that all of us must deal with at some point. It is a pointer of our mortality and the fragility of life. On the other hand, eternal life is likewise a frightening idea. It suggests that life will never end, which we will never ever have the ability to leave the cycle of life and death. This quote suggests that life and death are both frightening, and that we ought to not take either one for approved. It is a pointer to value the life we have and to maximize it, while also bearing in mind the truth that death is inevitable.
"Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"