Description
Meaning: "Remember that you are mortal" or "Remember death."
Origin: Medieval Western Christianity.
Purpose:
To reflect on mortality.
To contemplate the illusion of the world and the transience of all material and secular endeavors.
Comparison: Often compared to the art of dying (Latin: ars moriendi) and similar literature.
Etymology:
"Memento" means "to remember."
"Mori" means "to die."
Carpe Diem
Meaning: "Seize the day."
Origin: From Book 1 of the Roman poet Horace's work Odes (23 BC).
Purpose:
To encourage enjoying the present moment.
To exploit opportunities while they are available.
Etymology:
"Carpe" means "to pick or pluck" and is used by Horace to mean "to enjoy, to seize, to use, to exploit."
"Diem" is the accusative form of "dies," meaning "day."
Thus, a more literal translation is "to seize the moment [when it is ripe]," emphasizing the importance of making the most of the present.