[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fQnOr514k6a0wFdcmojqPmSzAoGyssfNpOpZ6ZLnDQTw":3,"$fDW0xc7bNFT2w2oyiEd7zx66I2D1DwYLchV8p1iRSfMM":50},{"author":4,"tags":49},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":10,"bio_jsonld":11,"slug":47,"image_url":48},210671,"Walter Breuning","W",2,"On April 14, 2011, Walter Breuning died in Great Falls, having lived for one hundred fourteen years and made his life as a railway worker in the United States.\n\nBorn on September 21, 1896, in Melrose, Breuning grew up as an American citizen during a period that would see extraordinary change across the country and the world. He went on to work in the railway industry, an occupation that placed him within one of the defining sectors of American labor and infrastructure during the twentieth century.\n\nBreuning spent his final years in Great Falls, where he died on April 14, 2011, at the age of one hundred fourteen. His birth in 1896 and death in 2011 meant that his life spanned portions of three different centuries, from the late Victorian era through the early decades of the twenty-first century. Having been born in Melrose and working as a railway worker throughout his career, Breuning's life traced a path through the practical, working dimensions of American life. His death in Great Falls in 2011 marked the end of a life that had extended well beyond the ordinary bounds of human longevity, a fact that distinguished his biography from those of nearly all his contemporaries.","On April 14, 2011, Walter Breuning died in Great Falls, having lived for one hundred fourteen years and made his life as a railway worker in the United States.",{"@graph":12,"@context":46},[13,23],{"@id":14,"name":6,"@type":15,"sameAs":16,"birthDate":20,"deathDate":21,"description":22},"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1752030","Person",[14,17,18,19],"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Breuning","https://viaf.org/viaf/315534079/","https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2014128020","1896-09-21","2011-04-14","American supercentenarian (1896–2011)",{"@type":24,"author":25,"headline":28,"isBasedOn":29,"mainEntity":30,"reviewedBy":31,"articleBody":9,"dateCreated":32,"dateModified":33,"additionalProperty":34,"creativeWorkStatus":45},"Article",{"name":26,"@type":27},"Editorial Team","Organization","Walter Breuning — biography",[14,17,19],{"@id":14},{"name":26,"@type":27},"2026-05-24T01:19:09.723628+00:00","2026-05-24T01:38:43.217281+00:00",[35,39,42],{"@type":36,"value":37,"propertyID":38},"PropertyValue","Q1752030","wikidata",{"@type":36,"value":40,"propertyID":41},"1.000","factscore",{"@type":36,"value":43,"propertyID":44},"claude-sonnet-4-6","draftModel","AI-drafted, auto-published","https://schema.org","walter-breuning",null,[],{"quotes":51,"pagination":67},[52,61],{"id":53,"quote_text":54,"author_id":5,"source_id":55,"has_image":56,"author":57,"source":58,"quote_tag":59,"commentary":60},3501760,"Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you’re born to die.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":47,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":48},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nWalter Breuning, an American supercentenarian who lived from 1896 to 2011, was known for his longevity and philosophical outlook on life. While the exact origin of this quote is unclear, it reflects Breuning's stoic perspective on mortality, shaped by his experiences living through two world wars and witnessing countless friends pass away.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nAt first glance, the quote appears to be a straightforward affirmation about accepting one's own mortality. However, upon closer examination, it reveals a profound paradox: Breuning is urging us not to fear death itself, but rather the unknown that lies beyond it. This means embracing the impermanence of life and letting go of the anxiety associated with the uncertainty of what comes next.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply this mindset today, approach your own mortality as an opportunity for rebirth and renewal, rather than a source of fear. By accepting the finite nature of our lives, you can focus on making the most of each moment, unencumbered by anxiety about the future or regrets about the past.",{"id":62,"quote_text":63,"author_id":5,"source_id":55,"has_image":56,"author":64,"source":65,"quote_tag":66,"commentary":48},3501750,"Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":47,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":48},{},[],{"currentPage":68,"totalPages":68,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":69},1,10]