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“I fear the immortality of the soul because I am tired of being Borges”
🇦🇷 Argentina /Health & Science

“I fear the immortality of the soul because I am tired of being Borges”

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges expressed fear of the immortality of the soul, stating he wished to "die whole" and not continue as 'Borges'.
  • He clarified this fear was not of death itself, but of a potential continuation of consciousness and memory after physical demise.
  • Borges also discussed his disbelief in a personal God, viewing the universe as potentially magical or dreamlike, and emphasizing ethics over divine reward or punishment.

Argentine literary icon Jorge Luis Borges once confessed a profound fear: the immortality of the soul. In Madrid, he told journalists, "I only fear the immortality of the soul. I know I must die and I wish to die whole. That is my only fear." This statement surprised many, but back in Buenos Aires, the elderly writer elaborated on his anxieties.

I only fear the immortality of the soul. I know I must die and I wish to die whole. That is my only fear.

— Jorge Luis BorgesExpressing his primary fear during a public appearance.

Borges explained his fear stemmed from being "tired of being Borges, tired of 'being'." He suggested that if his afterlife involved a completely different state, it might be acceptable. However, he worried that if identity persists through memory, he might not be himself but someone else. He stressed that this was not a fear of death, but rather the opposite. As he did not believe in immortality, he hoped to cease existing entirely, both physically and mentally.

I’m afraid of the immortality of the soul because I’m tired of being Borges, because I’m tired of ‘being’.

— Jorge Luis BorgesElaborating on the personal reasons behind his fear of eternal existence.

When questioned about the immortality of a great writer through their work, Borges accepted the hypothesis but hoped humanity would progress, rendering his work a mere curiosity. He stated that such prolonged existence of his work would not bother him, as he would not be around to perceive it. This led to discussions about his beliefs regarding God.

No, quite the opposite. Since I don't believe in immortality, I believe that – contrary to Horace's verse – I will die whole. I hope to die bodily and mentally.

— Jorge Luis BorgesClarifying that his fear is not of death but of unending consciousness.

Borges clarified he did not believe in a personal God who concerned himself with his conduct, feeling unworthy of heaven or hell and thus undeserving of rewards or punishments. He affirmed his belief in ethics, knowing right from wrong in his actions, but stated he had "left behind the bribe of heaven." He described mysticism as a belief in a magical, dreamlike universe, a shared hallucination, or perhaps a solitary dream, aligning with idealist philosophies like Buddhism, Berkeley, Schopenhauer, and Hume, without necessarily believing in a personal deity.

I don't believe in a personal God, I don't believe there is a Lord who cares about my conduct and as I said in a sonnet I feel unworthy of both hell and heaven. I don't think I deserve rewards or punishments.

— Jorge Luis BorgesDiscussing his views on the nature of God and divine judgment.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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