This reflection examines the multifaceted meanings of the word 'life', starting with the ancient Greek distinction between the terms zoé and bios. While Greek philosophy utilized these two concepts to differentiate between various aspects of existence, Latin and subsequently Czech merged them into a single term, which often leads to conceptual ambiguity. The text explores different perspectives on life, ranging from the Christian notion of life as a gift to the pessimistic ancient view of life as a burden. A distinction is drawn between life as a way of inhabiting the world and life as a mere chronological duration or 'course of life' (Lebensdauer). Furthermore, the author critiques the nature of biography, defining it as a mere description of events or a list of data. The essay concludes by questioning the ultimate purpose and value of such factual records, encouraging a deeper philosophical inquiry into what truly constitutes the essence of human existence beyond a simple timeline.