Memento mori is a caution against excessive pride. We are all equal in the grave and we are all going to die. Memento mori tokens or reminders were carried by powerful people to remind them to temper their decisions and maintain humility. Definitely not the "fuck it" attitude of YOLO.
this post was submitted on 29 Dec 2023
144 points (83.0% liked)
Showerthoughts
28288 readers
187 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- Posts must be original/unique
- Be good to others - no bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
"Medieval Christians would place a YOLO in their art as a reminder of inevitable death".
Yeah, you're right, they're basically synonymous.
I think you mean carpe diem?
It does seem like YOLO = memento mori + carpe diem.
This is the only correct comment.
Memento mori = Remember that you are going to die Carpe diem = Enjoy the day YOLO = enjoy your life, because you only have one and you are going to die
I always took it the opposite. You only live once so be super careful and don't do anything dangerous.
This is hilarious
The way people use it should’ve risen some eyebrows on your part if that is the case.
Shouting “YOLO” as one jumps off a roof (to a pool, for example) seems to be the contemporary stereotype for its usage. I’ve only seen it used that way.
If you’ve stuck with the interpretation this long, you must have very curious views on carefulness and safety 😁
You oughta look out
This couldn't be more incorrect. Memento mori is a call for humility. Carpe diem is a call for purposeful action. YOLO is a "hold my beer" moment preceding a calculated stupidity.
What if waiting for conditions to be perfect before you come out of your shell is placing too much value on one’s own dignity?
While I meant what I originally said, this is a great thought! Thanks for the comment!
I think they meant what they said. "Remember that you will die" does mean something similar to "you only live once."
It does if you remove it from its context where they used it more like "you should be humble, you'll die like everyone else", carpe diem was used more similarly to yolo
Carpe diem is a call to action - to not fritter your life away on inconsequential things. YOLO is a polite way to say "fuck it".
I said more similar, as in more than memento mori
Similarer, if you will
No?
Memento Mori means “remember that you must die”. That is pretty much the same “you only live once”.
YOLO is a little more... eh.. pro-active? Knowing that you are going to die is not quite the same as saying fuck-all and leaping to a possible death. However, there are multiple contexts for YOLO, so there is that.
Morituri te salutamus
We who are about to be YOLOed salute you.
Standard greeting of aspiring YouTube extreme video channels.
I think the similarity comes from the literal meaning of the two but doesn't extend beyond that. "Memento Mori" carries a distinctly humble meaning related to the concept of "vanitas", the idea that death is inevitable, even for the rich and powerful, and that earthly pleasures are vain and meaningless. That's really in the opposite direction of YOLO.
I think memento mori means more like "remember that someday you will die like everyone else" - so pretty much "be humble". The ancient Romans used to say that to generals when they returned from a successful campaign as to remind them that they are not almighty.
You’re technically correct, which is the best kind of correct.
Not technically correct, superficially correct. "A cat on a pillar and a caterpillar are basically the same thing! Amirite?"
I would definitely argue that it is at least technically correct.
Your example points to a vague resemblance in how it sounds spoken, which has barely nothing to do with the meaning. This much ought to be obvious.
My thought points to an unlikely lesson found in both phrases. That is, both remind to make the most out of life, because inevitable death. As others have pointed out, the connotations just have been formed such that YOLO ends up generally achieving that with recklessness and "Memento Mori" generally with caution and healthy respect for mortality.
However, that does mean that the same lesson is still found in them, which indeed makes them mean pretty much the same thing. Note that I don't claim them to be synonymous, like a certain comment claims, or interchangeable, which they aren't.
TL;DR: Your example relies on how it sounds and it is indeed superficial. In my thought the similarity indeed exist in the language and is technically correct.
You're focusing on the wrong part of my argument. The cat bit was a humorous throwaway.
Memento mori is directly and explicitly tied to humility and mindfulness. This is well documented from both contemporary and historical sources and is absolutely distinct from the indulgence of "making the most out of life". YOLO is about risks and embracing the experience rather than contemplating the consequences. YOLO is closer to "hold my beer" than anything else.
Making the most of life doesn't necessarily mean indulgence. It can mean living a long and meaningful one.
Also in my previous response I already made a point about the connotations, which I feel responds pretty well to this too.
EDIT: typo
Unus Annus
I came here looking for this lmao
Bruh the comment section is basically a highschool circlejerk
I'm inclined to agree