Neil deGrasse Tyson’s touching statement on dogs, joy and mortality is a real tear-jerker

“They are some of the most joyous creatures that live among us.”

neil degreasse tyson, dogs, dog's lifespan
Photo credit: via Karl Withakay/Wikimedia Commons and Helena Lopes/Pexels – Neil deGrasse Tyson's heartfelt speech on dogs.

Astrophysicist, best-selling author and People Magazine’s “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive,” Neil deGrasse Tyson, has made a long career educating people about the universe and helping us make sense of its seemingly infinite mystery.

But in a recent “Dropouts” podcast interview, Tyson focused on a subject closer to home: man’s best friend, the dog. During the interview, he discussed how dogs have an incredible lust for life that may somehow be tied to an understanding that their time on this Earth is far too short.


He also discussed how a dog’s joyous nature is something we should all aspire to because life is far too short for all beings. His words were set to beautiful imagery by the Lunas_Golden_Life Instagram page.

[Video]

“Every time you come back from wherever you went, your dog is happy, and it’s jumpy, and it wants to lick you in the face. Even if you just went to get the mail from the mailbox, they delight in your return,” Tyson says in the video. “If you wanna take them out on a car ride, they are the first one in the car. They don’t care where it’s going, but they’re there.”

He then put the lifespans of dogs and humans in perspective.

“If they only get one day for every week you’re alive, they make every day count. Their lives have already factored in their mortality,” he continued. “When I look at a dog, I use that as a reminder of how I should live every day of my life.”




“Every time you come back from wherever you went, your dog is happy, and it’s jumpy, and it wants to lick you in the face. Even if you just went to get the mail from the mailbox, they delight in your return,” Tyson says in the video. “If you wanna take them out on a car ride, they are the first one in the car. They don’t care where it’s going, but they’re there.”

He then put the lifespans of dogs and humans in perspective.

“If they only get one day for every week you’re alive, they make every day count. Their lives have already factored in their mortality,” he continued. “When I look at a dog, I use that as a reminder of how I should live every day of my life.”

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