To be able to look back upon one's life in satisfaction, is to live twice.

The saying links a well-lived life with the capacity for reflective joy. “To live twice” suggests that experience is not only endured in the moment but can be re-experienced through memory—provided one’s past actions and choices can be recalled without regret. The emphasis on “satisfaction” implies an ethical or purposeful life: integrity, love, and meaningful work become sources of enduring value because they yield a second life in recollection. It also hints at the human need for narrative coherence—being able to look back and see one’s life as a whole, rather than as scattered episodes, is itself a form of fulfillment.