End-of-Life Lessons From Literature

Sage advice from a wise old wizard about what makes life worth living.

In this quote from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” the aged Professor Dumbledore was offering his student, Harry, a different way of thinking about death. Harry was questioning his role in the untimely demise of his friend, Cedric Diggory, and utterly drowning in grief. But Dumbledore insisted that Harry was looking at the situation backwards. Cedric died having experienced friendship, loyalty, and love.

Those we should pity, according to Dumbledore, are the people who must continue living, carrying that grief and facing the difficult choices that come with being alive. But even more so, we should feel sorry for those living an empty life, having shut themselves off from those human emotions.

Death is not the greatest tragedy; it would be a greater tragedy to have lived without love, connection, or purpose. And while those relationships cause us pain, they are also what makes life worth living.

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