Samuel Butler: Legacy Die at Once
on Thursday, April 7, 2022Samuel Butler Money Quote saying that once somebody knows they are in your will, you should just go ahead and die. Samuel Butler said:
“When you’ve told someone that you’ve left them a legacy the only decent thing to do is to die at once” — Samuel Butler
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In this quote, Samuel Butler seems to be making a sardonic comment about the expectations that can be created by discussing bequests to others in one’s will. By stating that the “only decent thing to do” after telling someone they’re getting a legacy is to “die at once,” Butler implies it would be inconsiderate or awkward to continue living after raising someone’s hopes in this way.
The dry humor suggests lingering alive post-announcement could lead to discomfort as the beneficiary waits for the promised inheritance. Overall, Butler appears to be employing ironic understatement for comedic effect, jokingly implying the most courteous action is to promptly fulfill any bequest-related promises through immediate death.