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Are you afraid of death?
submitted 4 years ago by [deleted] from self.AskSaidIt
[–]StillLessons 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago* (0 children)
This is a crucial question today! Thanks for posting this.
Death is an inevitability. While intellectually all would agree with this, far too few have absorbed the resulting reality in their emotional response. We. Are. Going. To. Die. You. Are. Going. To. Die.
Those of us who have given a lot of thought to this issue are often accused of being morbid. But the fact of death does not require a reaction of morbid thinking. Having become quite explicitly aware of death and illness, I no longer worry about it or fear it. When I am sick, I am sick. When I am healthy, I am healthy. And when I die, I will be dead. None of these are "negative" things. They are woven into the fabric of reality. So I wake up and drink a cup of tea. I don't fear that either. There is no fundamental difference between drinking a cup of tea and dying. Both are events that occur. Also, please note that what is true for me individually is also true for those around me whom I love. They are going to die as well. Will I be sad about that? Of course. But my sadness is - again - part of the picture. This is what life is. Let's live it!
This question is of course critical in this time of pandemic. The fundamental foundation of the fear of the pandemic is rooted in the fear of death. This is the true tragedy. Because this fear changes very little. Those who fear to die will fear to die today, but they will also fear to die ten years from now. That fear is not going to change if life is extended longer. So we "save" lives, when the response to death is going to be equally tragic (from the perspective of she/he who fears it) whenever it occurs. What's improved?
So I say this is the true tragedy, because what people are doing is wasting this miraculous opportunity we have to be alive in fearing the death that is a natural part of the whole event. Rather than taking advantage of our time in this mysterious game we call life to do all the things we can think of, a crowd decision has been reached to spend this time cowering in fear of an event that cannot be stopped. It is the insanity of obsession harnessed in the pursuit of futility.
Live. Go out and live. Don't worry about this virus. If it gets me, it'll get me. If it doesn't, I will continue to live on looking for more new passions and relationships to try and to enjoy. This is the result of a true absorption that we are going to die.
Not morbidity; rather the ability to use our limited time here as efficiently as possible, not waste it wailing against what will not and should not change.
[–]Fictionsaur 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (1 child)
I'm honestly afraid of time. I want to live long enough to accomplish many things, but not long enough to see myself lose my energy and spirit.
[–]Yamyam 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
[–]meatball4u 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
Yes, as all healthy people should be
[–]NorfolkTerrier 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (2 children)
I'm not afraid of death. Letting fear of death overwhelm everything we do prevents us from really "living" in the time we have. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife, I also think that a good death leads to a form of rest.
But I am afraid of wasting the time I've been given here, and I guess I'm afraid of old age. I'm afraid that my last days might be bad ones, if my mind was going, my health was very poor, if I felt like a burden on my family or if I got stuck in a nursing home. I hope by the time I'm old, society will have found better ways to care for the elderly, both socially and medically.
[–]HugodeCrevellier 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
Homer expressed a similar thought through Achilles and the choice before him:
Life is not to be bought with heaps of gold. Not all Apollo's Pythian treasures hold, Or Troy once held, in peace and pride of sway, Can bribe the poor possession of a day! Lost herds and treasures we by arms regain, And steeds unrivall'd on the dusty plain: But from our lips the vital spirit fled, Returns no more to wake the silent dead. My fates long since by Thetis were disclosed, And each alternate, life or fame, proposed; Here, if I stay, before the Trojan town, Short is my date, but deathless my renown: If I return, I quit immortal praise For years on years, and long–extended days...
Life is not to be bought with heaps of gold. Not all Apollo's Pythian treasures hold, Or Troy once held, in peace and pride of sway, Can bribe the poor possession of a day!
Lost herds and treasures we by arms regain, And steeds unrivall'd on the dusty plain: But from our lips the vital spirit fled, Returns no more to wake the silent dead.
My fates long since by Thetis were disclosed, And each alternate, life or fame, proposed; Here, if I stay, before the Trojan town, Short is my date, but deathless my renown: If I return, I quit immortal praise For years on years, and long–extended days...
Achilles, The Iliad
[–]hennaojichan 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens. — Woody Allen
[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
No, I'm at peace with my life and what I've achieved with it thus far. If we end in oblivion, at least I left my mark on the world. If we are judged, at least I could relay the tale with pride.
Obviously I don't want to die, I have things I need to protect and there is more yet I could do.
[–]ctvzbuxr 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
No. If the Grim Reaper comes knocking on my door, I'll just give that fucker a taste of my fist.
Seriously though, of course I'm afraid of death. Who isn't?
Cogito ergo sum. Because only my body can die, my soul and my thought's, that i shared with the right people and especially my soul will live on. I'm sure of that. Literally every big book tells that death is not the end. Sometimes i even have this reverse-memory connections, which i regard as a clear sign of that, too.
[–]kokolokoNightcrawler 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc_PtRNI2Q4
[–]Odysseus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
The Denial of Death by Ernst Becker is highly recommended
[–]zyxzevn 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
For some reason, I can meditate and make contact with people in "heaven". I see life as precious and wonderful, but I am not afraid.
[–]Mallet22 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
It doesn't help that its hidden from us
[–]Yamyam 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
I just don't want it to be painful.
[–]takeyourjoyjohn 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - 4 years ago (0 children)
No. I see it everyday. Doesn't seem so bad.
[–]StillLessons 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Fictionsaur 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]Yamyam 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun - (0 children)
[–]meatball4u 6 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 2 fun - (0 children)
[–]NorfolkTerrier 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - (2 children)
[–]HugodeCrevellier 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]hennaojichan 3 insightful - 3 fun3 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 3 fun - (0 children)
[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]ctvzbuxr 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]kokolokoNightcrawler 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Odysseus 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]zyxzevn 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Mallet22 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Yamyam 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]takeyourjoyjohn 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)