Tuesdays with Morrie
As we watched Tuesdays with Morrie, we saw Morrie teach life
lessons to Mitch during their Tuesday visits that involved the three
dimensions of health. (Physical, Mental/Emotional, and Social/Family).
Below are Morrie Schwartz’ ‘aphorisms.’ (An aphorism is another word
for a statement of purpose or principle; a concise statement that carries a
moral lesson or observation) Please respond to the ‘aphorisms’ below
based on your interpretation of the movie. Use specific examples to
help support your answers. Comment on what Morrie meant by each
aphorism. Next respond on how the statement applies to you, your
health or your life.
All work must be typed.
1. It’s what I call the tension of opposites; Life pulling you one way and you think that‘s what
you want to do. Then it pulls you another way and that’s what you think you have to do.
(What did Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and
life?)
2. Death ends a life, not a relationship. (What did Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch?
How does this apply to your health and life?)
3. When you know how to die, you know how to live. When you know how to live, you know
how to die. (What did Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your
health and life?)
4. We must love one another or die. Love always wins. (What did Morrie mean when he said
this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and life?)
5. When we are infants we need others to survive. When we are dying, we need others to
survive. But here’s the secret; in between we need others even more. (Imagine trying to live
life now without help, love, support from family and friends.)(What did Morrie mean when
he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and life?)
6. Morrie said, ‘My father was afraid of love. He couldn’t give it and he couldn’t receive it;
maybe that’s worse. Not letting ourselves be loved, because we are too afraid of giving
ourselves to someone we might lose, is no way to live. We think we don’t deserve love, that
if we let it come in we’ll become soft. Love is the only rational act.’ (What did Morrie mean
when he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and life?)
7. Morrie had a hard time forgiving his father. What did he mean when he said, ‘first I had to
understand myself and forgive myself, before I was able to forgive my father. All those years
I shut my heart to him. Why couldn’t I stop and see what was in his? I was selfish. I thought
of nothing but how I needed him. Oh, the waste of it all! Forgive everybody;
everything……..now, don’t wait. (What did Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch? How
does this apply to your health and life?)
8. We learn from what hurts us as much as what loves us. (What did Morrie mean when he
said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and life?)
9. Considering death, say to yourself; am I leading the life I want to lead? Am I the person that
I want to be? If we accept the fact that we can die at anytime, we’d lead our lives
differently. (What did Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your
health and life?)
10. Dying is one thing to be sad about. Living unhappily, that’s another matter. (What did
Morrie mean when he said this to Mitch? How does this apply to your health and life?)
11. Finally, at the end of the movie Morrie said to Mitch, ‘what if you didn’t come back?’
Respond to your reaction to this. Did you ever do something you were so glad you did
because it turned out to be the right choice?
12. Overall Final Thought - What did you get out of the movie that you can possibly apply to
your life?