thestandrewknot: ‘The thought that all experience will be lost at the moment of my death make

thestandrewknot:

‘The thought that all experience will be lost at the moment of my death makes me feel pain and fear… What a waste, decades spent building up experience, only to throw it all away… We remedy this sadness by working. For example, by writing, painting, or building cities.’

 Umberto Eco (January 5, 1932 – February 19, 2016)

but also…

“Chi non legge, a 70 anni avrà vissuto una sola vita: la propria. Chi legge avrà vissuto 5000 anni: c'era quando Caino uccise Abele, quando Renzo sposò Lucia, quando Leopardi ammirava l'infinito… perché la lettura è un'immortalità all'indietro.”