phrase
Latin
Carpe Diem
lit. “seize the day”
Make the most of the present.
Origin
From Horace's Odes (~23 BCE). The full line is 'carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero' — 'seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.' Dead Poets Society burned the phrase into 1990s pop culture.
Modern usage
Now nearly inescapable — yearbook quotes, motivational posters, tattoos. Sometimes mocked, but still everywhere.
Tags
present
stoicism