In a culture like ours, a statement like this could cause a lot of heated debates amongst the opinionated (i.e. everyone) so, for the sake of argument, let us assume that this does not support any one religion or belief, and trust that Nearly Headless Nick was correct in his account of having the choice to stay or move on.
Death is perhaps the most avoided topic in our culture. We have been trained from a young age to be sympathetic towards those who have lost someone, and to tread lightly around the dying. What I find so odd about the whole thing is that anyone who has lost a loved one can tell you that it is HARD to talk about, but also that deep deep down there is a sort of need to tell others what you have seen and felt. The only problem is that the psyche of the people has managed to cause a reversal: You see, the point of avoiding the subject is to spare the mourner any pain, but somewhere along the way, that translated into the mourner wanting to avoid the subject simply because it wasn't decourous. This is the way of such things: Often what was inteded as a good moral code becomes too strict and causes unintended pain.
It isn't just the mourners who are negatively affected by this fear of the IDEA of death: the dying are treated with such delicacy, such distant sympathy, that I doubt any of them feel incredibly comfortable. Honestly people, we're all DYING, it's just a matter of when that's in question here.
Treat the living as such.
About a paragraph ago, you may have started wondering why I hadn't adressed the actual point of Dumbledore's quote: Death itself, on a personal level. Well, you'd be quite right in wondering, and the truth is, our culture is so out of touch with death related topics, that I felt it innapropriate to dive right in this time, but I will make you wait no longer.
While there is another dumbledore quote that would quite simplify my job here, I'm afraid it isn't up for discussion for some weeks, seeing as how it arises much later in the series, and I am adamant on staying linear. However, let us just say this: We are afraid of death; the idea, the actuality, the inevitability, because we do not know what to expect. The most upright beleiver may still fear death when it is on their doorstep, and the most adamant athiest may feel the same tremors of doubt: What is going to happen to me?
But, I think the point Albus (or the writer) was attempting to make was this: We spend our lives chasing adventure. We spend years hearing tales of heroes and princes and gallant deeds, and when we become old enough, we often desire the thrill of the unknown. Why should death be any different? We are all going to die. And many, many, people already have. Perhaps Nicholas Flemel, having lived his life to the fullest (and beyond) knew what we mortals cannot: Death is simply another chapter, one waiting to be written, if we could only open our eyes and hearts long enough to accept the opportunity to grab the pen.
(disclaimer: I am not encouraging you to hasten the process by your own means, simply to accept it when your time comes)
Death is perhaps the most avoided topic in our culture. We have been trained from a young age to be sympathetic towards those who have lost someone, and to tread lightly around the dying. What I find so odd about the whole thing is that anyone who has lost a loved one can tell you that it is HARD to talk about, but also that deep deep down there is a sort of need to tell others what you have seen and felt. The only problem is that the psyche of the people has managed to cause a reversal: You see, the point of avoiding the subject is to spare the mourner any pain, but somewhere along the way, that translated into the mourner wanting to avoid the subject simply because it wasn't decourous. This is the way of such things: Often what was inteded as a good moral code becomes too strict and causes unintended pain.
It isn't just the mourners who are negatively affected by this fear of the IDEA of death: the dying are treated with such delicacy, such distant sympathy, that I doubt any of them feel incredibly comfortable. Honestly people, we're all DYING, it's just a matter of when that's in question here.
Treat the living as such.
About a paragraph ago, you may have started wondering why I hadn't adressed the actual point of Dumbledore's quote: Death itself, on a personal level. Well, you'd be quite right in wondering, and the truth is, our culture is so out of touch with death related topics, that I felt it innapropriate to dive right in this time, but I will make you wait no longer.
While there is another dumbledore quote that would quite simplify my job here, I'm afraid it isn't up for discussion for some weeks, seeing as how it arises much later in the series, and I am adamant on staying linear. However, let us just say this: We are afraid of death; the idea, the actuality, the inevitability, because we do not know what to expect. The most upright beleiver may still fear death when it is on their doorstep, and the most adamant athiest may feel the same tremors of doubt: What is going to happen to me?
But, I think the point Albus (or the writer) was attempting to make was this: We spend our lives chasing adventure. We spend years hearing tales of heroes and princes and gallant deeds, and when we become old enough, we often desire the thrill of the unknown. Why should death be any different? We are all going to die. And many, many, people already have. Perhaps Nicholas Flemel, having lived his life to the fullest (and beyond) knew what we mortals cannot: Death is simply another chapter, one waiting to be written, if we could only open our eyes and hearts long enough to accept the opportunity to grab the pen.
(disclaimer: I am not encouraging you to hasten the process by your own means, simply to accept it when your time comes)