Help identifying the author (quote)

[LesLucid]

I read something decades ago that stuck in my mind but I don’t remember the exact quote and am trying to find it and the author. The author was an atheist if I remember correctly and he was talking about our relationship with other living creatures. His statement was something like...

All living creatures must die. We are all traveling a path to a common doom. Recognition of this should make us all more compassionate towards our fellow creatures that live with us and must die with us.

I can’t remember the author but for some reason the name Santiago keeps popping into my mind. Has anyone ever stumbled across this?

[Quietude]

Santayana? He was a Spanish writer who wrote in painfully beautiful English and is famous for several sayings along the lines you quote - "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" being one of the best-known. Also "Fanaticism is best described as redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim."

[Nerys52SoSilver]

Try at the site of www.goodreads.com there are also discussion threads on all sorts book related things so identify a book too.

[LesLucid]

Originally Posted by Quietude

Santayana? He was a Spanish writer who wrote in painfully beautiful English and is famous for several sayings along the lines you quote - "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it" being one of the best-known. Also "Fanaticism is best described as redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim."

Aha, I think you might be right. That “clicked” as soon as I read it. I’ll keep looking based on that. Thanks! I’m also familiar with the quote about fanaticism, so that makes it all the more promising.