"When immortality becomes for us no longer a matter of academic discussion, but the most vital of all questions; we shall find our comfort where so many before us have found it, in the ancient words"
- Henry Norris Russell
About this Quote
This quote by Henry Norris Russell speaks to the idea that when immortality becomes a pressing concern, we must want to the knowledge of the past for comfort. Russell suggests that when we are faced with a tough concern, such as the possibility of immortality, we should turn to the ancient words of our forefathers for guidance. He implies that the answers to our concerns can be found in the wisdom of the past, and that we ought to not hesitate to look for this knowledge. Russell's quote motivates us to look to the past for responses to our questions, and to find convenience in the ancient words of our ancestors. He advises us that the responses to our concerns can be found in the knowledge of the past, and that we must not be afraid to look for this understanding.
"Poets have said that the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality. Immortality? Now that I have five children, my only hope is that they are all out of the house before I die"
"If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once"
