How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
In a strange way, I envied the quality of Morrie's time even as I lamented its diminishing supply. Why did we bother with all the distractions we did? […] They didn't know O.J. Simpson. They didn't know anyone involved in the case. Yet they gave up days and weeks of their lives, addicted to someone else's drama. (7.2)
In our modern age, our life is filled up with the lives of people we barely even know or care about. We get distracted by watching other people in the media rather than understanding what our own lives mean. Morrie, on the other hand, is maximizing his human experience by surrounding himself with people he really loves and cares about.
Quote #2
But it was also becoming clear to me—through his courage, his humor, his patience, and his openness—that Morrie was looking at life from some very different place than anyone else I knew. A healthier place. A more sensible place. And he was about to die. (10.15)
The irony of the situation is not lost on us. As Morrie gets closer to dying, he starts living a busier and fuller life. Part of human nature is taking things for granted until they're running out; losing something wakes us so that we finally appreciate it. Life is no exception.
Quote #3
I wanted that clarity. Every confused and tortured soul I knew wanted that clarity.
"Ask me anything," Morrie always said.
So I wrote this list:
Death/ Fear/ Aging/ Greed/ Marriage/ Family/ Society/ Forgiveness/ A meaningful life (10.31-34)
Mitch makes a list of all the things about life that he wants clarified. These are things that he wishes he could understand in order to understand his own existence. Part of human existence is to question things; we're able to understand so much, but so much is left unanswered.