A Person Doesn't Die When He Should but When He Can

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam

10 February 2026

Though I read Colombian Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 1967 novel, " One Hundred Years of Solitude " in English long ago, I'm re-reading it in original Spanish despite my Spanish not being in excelsis. There's a quite heavy-hitting line in it, " Que uno no se muere cuando debe, sino cuando puede " (A person doesn't die when he should but when he can), said by Colonel Aureliano Buendia in the novel. This encapsulates the enigmatic nature of human existence. It hints at the complexity of mortality and suggests that death is not necessarily constrained by predetermined circumstances or external factors.

Instead, this quote proposes that one's demise is ultimately determined by an individual's own internal capacity to let go, come to terms with their mortality, and embrace the finality of life. Marquez invites us to contemplate the significance of personal readiness and acceptance, suggesting that it is the individual's subjective experience of life and their ability to confront mortality that truly determines when their journey comes to a close.

If we further delve into this pithy observation, it also suggests that it's not exactly a fatalistic or slavish resignation and timid submission to death. Agreed, death has the last laugh, the individual's acceptance and preparedness for it cannot be ruled out and must be acknowledged. A perceptive reader is reminded of Dr Muhammad Iqbal's famous couplet, " Mana ki teri deed ke qaabil nahin hoon main / Tu mera shauq dekh mera intazaar dekh " (Agreed, you're far greater, at least, see my enthusiasm, ebullience and eagerness to welcome you with fortitude).

Death requires Socratic stoicism. You must try to stay alert till it takes you away. Dying with awareness is what we call a 'cerebral end to life.' What's inevitable must be welcomed with a sense of beatitude. Death is not dictated by logic, time, or necessity, but by fate and individual readiness. It implies that we survive beyond expected limits, dying only when the time is right or possible.

It also highlights the uncontrollable, arbitrary, and often magical nature of life and death, a hallmark of Márquez’s magical realism.

The great Persian poet and astronomer Anvari wrote, " Death is the breath and breadth of life." It sure is. He took his own life in 1189 CE as he wanted to live and die on his own terms.

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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian.

URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/person-doesnt-die-when-he-should-he-can/d/138787

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