“Neither the sun nor death can be looked at steadily.”François de La Rochefoucauld · Maxime · 1665 · Maxime, Maxima 26
Death and the sun are too bright to stare at directly
La Rochefoucauld says we cannot bear the reality of death head-on. The mechanism is psychological defense: our mind avoids the thought of death to keep functioning. Just as the sun blinds us if we stare at it, death overwhelms us if we think about it too much. An example: people postpone wills or avoid conversations about the end of life.
Why it matters It helps us understand why we avoid uncomfortable topics and find indirect ways to address them without becoming paralyzed.