Lucius Arruntius killed himself, he said, to escape both the future and the past.

This quote by Michel de Montaigne, a French philosopher, explores the concept of escaping from both past and future through suicide. The character Lucius Arruntius is said to have killed himself as a means to escape his past and future. This suggests that he was haunted by his past actions or experiences and feared what the future might bring.

The phrase “to escape both the future and the past” can be interpreted in two ways. Firstly, it could mean that Arruntius was overwhelmed by regret or guilt from his past actions, which led him to fear facing any consequences in the future. Secondly, it could imply that he was anxious about an uncertain or potentially harmful future.

Applying this idea in today’s context can provide insights into mental health issues such as depression and anxiety disorders where individuals often struggle with ruminations about their past mistakes or worries about their futures. It emphasizes on how important it is for people to live in the present moment instead of being trapped by their regrets of the past or fears of what lies ahead.

In terms of personal development, this quote highlights how detrimental dwelling on negative aspects of one’s life can be. It illustrates how vital it is for one’s mental well-being to learn from mistakes but not let them define oneself; similarly, planning for a better tomorrow but not letting fear paralyze present actions is also crucial.

It serves as a reminder that while we cannot change our past nor predict our future perfectly, we do have control over our present moment – how we choose to react towards our experiences shapes us more than those experiences themselves.

In essence, this quote encourages mindfulness: embracing each moment as it comes without letting burdens from our history or anxieties about unknown tomorrows rob us off enjoying life today – because ultimately all we truly possess is ‘now’.