"If you wish to make a man look noble, your best course is to kill him. What superiority he may have inherited from his race, what superiority nature may have personally gifted him with, comes out in death"

This quote by Alexander Smith presents an intriguing perspective on the understanding of nobility and human character, suggesting that death functions as a revealing and elevating experience for an individual's virtues. At first glimpse, the declaration appears deeply negative, however it invites deeper contemplation about the human condition and the nature of legacy.

Smith seems to argue that in life, the intricacies and defects of a person can overshadow their inherited and intrinsic virtues. The mundane and frequently morally ambiguous choices of daily living might obscure one's fundamental nobility. Society, human weak points, and the needs of survival can often mask the natural qualities an individual may possess. Nevertheless, in death, there is a finality that enables reflection and idealization. The cessation of action puts a halt to any further errors the person might make, and the focus shifts solely to their accomplishments and inherent qualities.

Furthermore, Smith suggests that death strips away the shallow layers that cloud judgment. The deceased can no longer actively take part in the petty squabbles of life, nor can they be affected by personal or social flaws. Death affords a kind of filtration, permitting observers to value the person's vital character untainted by ongoing human failings. It is in this cessation of the struggles of life that a person's real character, or what was possibly worthy about their character, emerges and is highlighted.

Therefore, death raises a specific to a location where their favorable characteristics can be idealized without the disturbance of their failings. It catches the romantic concept of death as the fantastic equalizer, highlighting that traditions typically burn brighter in the lack of the topic's existence. In conclusion, Smith's observation might reflect how death supplies an opportunity to recognize and commemorate the intrinsic nobility of the human spirit, even if it was not obvious in life.