Legacy and Fear of Death #10 #cong24 #legacy
Synopsis:
Legacy is often understood in terms of inheritance, but it holds a broader meaning tied to the lasting impact we leave behind. While many view legacy as a monumental achievement, the drive to leave one is often rooted in our fear of death and desire to live on by proxy. However, not all legacies need to be grand—small, personal impacts on others can carry just as much significance. Ultimately, legacy is about the effect we have, whether noticed or not, and we all leave one behind, whether we intend to or not.
Total Words
Reading Time in Minutes
2
Key Takeaways:
- Legacy is about lasting impact, not just material inheritance.
- The desire to leave a legacy often stems from our fear of mortality.
- Small, personal actions can create meaningful legacies.
- Everyone leaves behind some form of legacy, whether they realize it or not.
About Craig Browne:
My name is Craig Brown. I am from Nova Scotia and have been living in south Galway since 2015. I am the founder of StratifyLearning.com.
Contacting Craig Brown:
You can connect with Craig on LinkedIn.
By Craig Brown
Legacy is one of those words we think we understand intuitively, but when we take a closer look, it turns out to be a bit fuzzy. What exactly does it mean? Specifically?
Most dictionaries start with the idea of inheritance—leaving behind money or assets in a will. But there’s a much broader interpretation, and I think the Oxford English Dictionary sums it up nicely: “A tangible or intangible thing handed down by a predecessor; a long-lasting effect of an event or process.”
That got me thinking more broadly. Why do we care about leaving a legacy? Should we even care? Frankly, the idea of creating something grand and impactful enough to resonate through the generations sounds like a lot of hard work. Do I really want to spend my life trying to craft something that will outlast me? Honestly, no thanks. It sounds exhausting.
Over time, I’ve come to the conclusion that our concern with legacy is deeply tied to our fear of death. Leaving a legacy, in whatever form it takes, feels like a way to live on by proxy. It’s an attempt to transcend our physical end, to create something that will carry a piece of us forward.
But here’s the thing: not all legacies are monumental. We don’t need to build an empire or make a world-changing discovery for our lives to leave an imprint. Legacies can be small, personal, even unnoticed by the masses. It could be a positive influence we had on a single person, a kindness that echoed in ways we’ll never fully understand. We don’t always get to choose how our legacy unfolds or how it’s remembered—if it’s remembered at all. But maybe that’s okay.
In the end, it seems to me that legacy is less about immortality and more about the impact we have, however small or fleeting. Whether we care to or not, we’re all leaving something behind.