The quotation contrasts preserving life with making active use of it. Its central idea is that an excessive focus on extending one’s existence can become a form of avoidance, while a meaningful life depends on what a person chooses to do with the time available.

Within the novel, the words are proposed as an epitaph for Bond because his colleagues regard them as expressing his philosophy. They fit a character who repeatedly accepts danger rather than organising his life around safety, although the statement does not require recklessness; its emphasis is on purpose rather than mere survival.

More broadly, the quotation treats mortality as a reason for deliberate action. Because time is limited, value lies not simply in increasing its quantity but in deciding how it is used. The emphasis is therefore on engagement, agency and accepting that longevity is not the only measure of a life.

Full quotation

“I was happy and proud to serve Commander Bond in a close capacity during the past three years at the Ministry of Defence. If indeed our fears for him are justified, may I suggest these simple words for his epitaph? Many of the junior staff here feel they represent his philosophy: ‘I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.’”