Lessons from Tuesdays with Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is a conversation about life, love, and what really matters. It feels less like reading and more like sitting down with an old friend who has seen the world and wants to pass down everything he’s learned before it’s too late. Morrie Schwartz, a retired professor facing ALS, doesn’t dwell on self-pity. Instead, he shares wisdom that makes you stop and rethink how you're living your own life.
One of the things that struck me most was his perspective on emotions. He says, "I give myself a good cry if I need it, but then I concentrate on all good things still in my life." That’s such a simple but powerful approach to dealing with pain. Instead of avoiding sadness or pretending things don’t hurt, Morrie embraces it fully -then moves forward. It’s a lesson in resilience that feels so different from the usual “stay positive” mindset.
Morrie’s advice on love and marriage is brutally honest. He lays it out clearly - "If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise... If you can’t talk openly... And if you don’t have a common set of values... Your values must be alike." It’s easy to get caught up in romance, but at the end of the day, relationships come down to these fundamentals. Love isn’t only about passion; it’s about understanding, patience, and being on the same page about what matters in life.
And family! Morrie puts it simply - "This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It's knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work. In a world that often prioritizes career and success, this is a reminder of what actually lasts.
Morrie doesn’t sugarcoat life’s difficulties. He acknowledges fear and loss but refuses to be controlled by them. One of the most eye-opening lines in the book is -The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live." That sounds dramatic, but it makes sense - when you fully accept that life is limited, you stop wasting time on things that don’t matter.
His take on trust also stuck with me - Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling. Trust, like love, requires vulnerability. And vulnerability is scary. But Morrie makes it clear - it’s the only way to live fully.
One of my favorite moments in the book is when Morrie talks about culture - "Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves... If the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own."
How often do we chase things just because we’re told they matter - money, status, approval - without asking ourselves if they actually make us happy? Morrie’s advice here is a wake-up call. Just because something is “normal” doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
He also warns about the trap of status -"If you’re trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down on you anyhow. And if you’re trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."
That’s the kind of advice that makes you rethink your priorities. Are you doing things for yourself, or just to impress others?
The heart of Tuesdays with Morrie is summed up in one of its simplest lines - "Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites... Which side wins? Love wins. Love always wins."
Morrie teaches that love, connection, and meaning are what truly matter. And his last piece of advice?
"Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hold on too long."
This book is about simple truths we tend to forget. And it’s the kind of book that lingers with you long after you’ve finished it.
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