“We’re all gonna die.”
If you’ve seen the movie Predator, you might remember Billy Sole delivering this line in an unexpectedly calm, matter-of-fact way.
In that moment, he was talking about an immediate threat, but really, it’s a truth that applies to all of us, all the time. As morbid as it sounds, keeping death in mind can be a powerful reminder to truly live.
Aging and eventually passing away require no effort on our part—but living fully does. Of course, what that means differs for everyone, but it all starts with acknowledging that our time is limited and choosing to make the most of it.
The rapper Drake put it succinctly in Moment 4 Life:
“I’m really tryna make it more than what it is
Cause everybody dies but not everybody lives!”
A similar idea appeared in Braveheart when William Wallace said:
“Every man dies, not every man really lives.”
These references aren’t exactly new (Predator – 1987, Moment 4 Life – 2010, Braveheart – 1995), but they still feel modern compared to a much older reminder of mortality—the Capuchin Crypt in Rome.
Beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, this crypt holds the skeletal remains of Capuchin friars, arranged as a stark reminder of life’s brevity. One of the most striking rooms, the Crypt of the Three Skeletons, features a sign that reads:
“What you are now, we used to be; what we are now, you will be.”
Memento Mori: Remember You Will Die
The idea of reflecting on death—Memento Mori—has existed for centuries. Philippe de Champaigne’s Still Life With a Skull (c. 1671) captures it through three symbols: a tulip for life, a skull for death, and an hourglass for time.
This concept has resonated with many, to the point where some even tattoo the phrase Memento Mori on their bodies—a permanent reminder to live with intention.
Drake seemed to take his own advice, following Moment 4 Life with his 2017 mixtape More Life—a title emphasizing quality over quantity. He even commemorated it with a hibiscus flower tattoo, his own version of Montaigne’s tulip.
The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius put it this way:
Our lifetime is so brief… Three days of life or three generations: what’s the difference?
Meditations 12.7
And as Seneca wrote:
Life is like a play: it’s not the length, but the excellence of the acting that matters.
Letters 77.20
Similarly, William Wallace told his fellow Scots in his famous speech in Braveheart, that doing something worthwhile now, even at some risk, is better than treading eater and having nothing to speak of later. That’s really living.
Ultimately, only you know what it means to you to live fully. But if remembering death pushes you to take action—to really live—then that’s a good start.
Who knows? Maybe one day an action movie will feature the line:
“We’re all gonna live.”
