“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”
Jack London
This quote’s provenance requires careful attribution. Irving Shepard, London’s literary executor, included it in his introduction to Jack London’s Tales of Adventure (1956). Shepard drew from an article in the San Francisco Bulletin (December 2, 1916) by journalist Ernest J. Hopkins, who had visited London at his ranch weeks before the author’s death. Biographer Clarice Stasz notes that while the passage bears hallmarks of London’s style, its exact wording may be a journalistic reconstruction rather than verbatim transcription.
The quote articulates a philosophy distinguishing between passive existence and purposeful living. For London, mere existence—the biological continuation of life—represents an insufficient use of human potential. To truly “live” demands active engagement with experience, risk, and meaning.
The second sentence rejects what might be called a conservative approach to mortality: the cautious preservation of life at the expense of its quality. London refuses to subordinate present vitality to future longevity. This reflects his naturalist worldview, shaped by Darwin and Nietzsche, which valued strength, action, and the acceptance of mortality over timid self-preservation.
The final declaration—“I shall use my time”—transforms abstract philosophy into personal commitment. Time becomes a resource demanding expenditure rather than hoarding.
Given London’s declining health in 1916 and his awareness of his kidney disease, these words acquire particular poignancy. They encapsulate a life characterized by relentless productivity, adventure, and engagement—a credo London demonstrably practiced until his death at forty.
Jack London’s Tales of Adventure (Secondary source)
Tales of Adventure, edited by Irving Shepard, is a collection of Jack London’s short fiction drawn from his most popular adventure writing. The stories are typically set in extreme environments—such as the Arctic, the North Pacific, or remote frontiers—where characters face hunger, cold, isolation, and sudden violence. London’s protagonists often include sailors, prospectors, drifters, and working people who are tested by both nature and human conflict.
More about “Jack London’s Tales of Adventure” →
I would rather be ashes than dust!
I would rather that my spark
should burn out in a brilliant blaze
than it should be stifled by dryrot.I would rather be a superb meteor,
every atom of me in magnificent glow,
than a sleepy and permanent planet.The proper function of man is to live,
Jack London
not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.
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