Tuesdays with Morrie

by Mitch Albom

‘Am I going to withdraw from the world, like most people do, or am I going to live?’

Life is a series of pulls back and forth.

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Maybe death is the great equalizer, the one big thing that can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another.

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Why are we embarrassed by silence? What comfort do we find in all the noise?

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“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

“Listen. You should know something. All younger people should know something. If you’re always battling against getting older, you’re always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.

“How can I be envious of where you are—when I’ve been there myself?”

“Fate succumbs many a species: one alone jeopardises itself.”

“Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I’m sitting here dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you’re looking for, no matter how much of them you have.”

“There’s a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,” Morrie said. “You need food, you want a chocolate sundae. You have to be honest with yourself. You don’t need the latest sports car, you don’t need the biggest house.

“Mitch, if you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you’re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere.

And love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.”