The Life We’d Live If We Knew the Secret

Have you ever noticed how the last day of vacation feels more vivid than the first?

There's something about endings that makes beginnings more beautiful. Something about impermanence that makes the present moment more intense. 

It's like awareness of ending doesn't diminish life; it reveals it.

I think we all can agree that we live in a ‘death-denying’ culture.

We hide it in hospitals, nobody really wants to talk about it, and we make tremendous efforts to defy it. Death is the ultimate taboo, the conversation killer, the thing that makes everyone uncomfortable.

But what if we're missing the point entirely?

What if death isn't trying to end the conversation? What if it's trying to start the most important one we'll ever have?

Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish captured this paradox in one haunting line:

But what secret? And why do we keep failing to notice it?

Hello and welcome to the 9th edition of Think About It. Today, we will be exploring this Mahmoud Darwish quote from In the Presence of Absence.

For the sake of simplicity, I will divide the quote into two parts. 

1. “Perhaps death is a metaphor…”

Here, Darwish does not declare anything; rather, he points to a possibility. The first word, “perhaps,” is significant here—it’s gentle and speculative. It's almost like he's thinking out loud, inviting us (readers) to consider this possibility alongside him. 

Notice how he calls death itself a "metaphor", which means Darwish is suggesting that death isn't just a literal end or a biological event. Instead, it serves as a symbol or a representation of something deeper. It's like saying death is a signpost, not a destination.

So, what’s the destination then? Well, that’s where we move to the 2nd part.

2. “…to remind us of a secret of life we failed to notice."

So if death is a metaphor, it must be pointing to something we’re missing while we’re alive.

Hence, the real destination is understanding the "secret of life" that Darwish is referring to. 

A secret implies something intimate, something known deep down but forgotten. Something we’re too distracted, too busy, or too afraid to notice. 

What might this "secret of life" be?

Darwish doesn’t define the secret, and that’s part of the genius. He leaves space for our interpretation. So, it could be many things like:

• The preciousness of time: That life is finite and every moment is invaluable.

• The importance of presence: That true living happens in the now, not in constant planning for the future or regretting and dwelling on the past.

• The depth of human connection: That relationships and love are paramount.

• The beauty of simple things: That joy can be found in everyday moments, which we take for granted and often overlook.

• The fragility of existence: That life is a gift and can be taken away at any moment, urging us to live fully.

• The true meaning of purpose: That we should align our lives with what genuinely matters, rather than chasing fleeting goals.

It’s also fascinating what Darwish writes later:

Look at that repetition! It's like he's pressing himself, almost desperately trying to crack his own riddle. It feels urgent, almost obsessive. He’s reminding us that we suspect there’s more to life, but we can’t quite name it.

Then he’s saying that whatever that “secret” is, it is so fundamental that knowing it would completely alter how we live.

And finally, he acknowledges the paradox of knowledge.
There are things beyond knowledge that still exist. They shape our lives despite our not understanding them. 

And everything that we know or have figured out is partial and temporary. (e.g., our beliefs, systems, and identities? They can shift or change.)
What we know today could be proven wrong tomorrow. 

This also made me wonder: Is Darwish referring to ‘memento mori’?

I think yes, he is echoing the sentiment of ‘memento mori’ with this quote. 

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase meaning "remember that you must die." It’s a philosophical concept that serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death. Its purpose is not to depress or morbidly dwell on death, but precisely to inspire a more meaningful and purposeful life.

Death as a reminder/teacher

"Perhaps death is a metaphor to remind us..." 

The direct use of "remind us" is a direct parallel. Death, as an abstract concept or a coming reality, is the teacher.

So yes, Darwish and the concept of memento mori are spiritually aligned in the sense that death is a lens. Something that redirects our attention to what we might otherwise forget.

Focus on life's "secret" or value

The point of remembering death is to value life. It's often used to encourage virtues, spiritual preparation, or a focus on what truly matters in this finite existence, rather than getting caught up in fleeting pleasures or material pursuits. It encourages living fully and meaningfully now.

That’s what Darwish means by “secret of life”.

The oversight of daily life

The very existence of the memento mori concept implies that humans need a reminder. We get caught up in the mundane, the trivial, the pursuit of wealth or status, and forget the fundamental reality of our limited time. We "fail to notice" life's true value. 

Cultural-philosophical context matters

Darwish wrote from a background of exile, displacement, and colonial violence. His idea of death wasn’t only personal or philosophical; it was political, historical, and collective.

So while memento mori is often inward and individual, Darwish may be hinting at something broader:

A secret of life we all, as a people, a world, a civilization, have failed to notice. His "secret" might be something about how death connects us, how it reveals the arbitrary nature of borders, how it strips away the illusions that divide us.

That's a much more complex meditation than classical memento mori.

I think Darwish is taking the concept and making it more questioning, more uncertain, and more mysterious.

Overall, this quote is supposed to make us feel both unsettled and strangely comforted. Unsettled because it forces us to confront mortality. Comforted because it suggests that even death has meaning, that nothing is truly random or cruel. It's all part of the greatest lesson we have to learn—how to live.

It is a timeless call to wakefulness. It uses the stark reality of death as a potent mirror reflecting the unlived or unappreciated aspects of our existence.

The impermanence of life is what makes it beautiful and precious.

Without endings, would beginnings even matter?

That’s all for this week’s edition. 

I hope you enjoyed it.
Will see you again next week.

Until then

Stay curious

Zaid

(P.S: I would like to say a big thanks to all the subscribers. We are now a group of 40+ members. I know it may not sound like a lot, but that’s certainly more people than I can fit in my house. And it’s not that bad considering the fact that I started this just over a month ago.
So, thanks again, and if you’re enjoying this, then consider sharing it with someone you think will enjoy it as well ✌️ )