Have You Accepted Death? Share Your Experience and Age

[Oscar Wilde]

An old friend used to always urge me to wake up in the morning, look at myself in the mirror, and say, "I will die an ignorant man". Inspired by Socrates, this concept of dying ignorant is one that must be accepted in order for us to truly accept death itself.

 

[planck]

Its going to be one or the other... fear of the unknown or love of life that keeps someone from actually carrying through with suicide. Many try and fail and this could be their subconscious wish to live prevailing.

Many don't try to commit suicide but die in domestic situations, accidents and in war... this could be their subconscious death wish prevailing.

An analogy, which might be appropriate, in this instance, would have you look at how many people are afraid to jump into a lake where the water is an unknown as far as how cold it is. Only a few brave people actually jump into the unknown (waters) regardless of temperature and weather conditions.

I don't quite agree with the analogy of the water. Only because, the person jumping is still aware of the outcome that results from jumping in the water. In other words, the water is cold, it's deep, one could drown, there are sharks or other animals waiting to eat him, etc...
So, jumping into the water is not a complete unknown to the person.

But death is much much different, in the sense that absolutely no one knows what the result will be. No one can imagine what death is like.

In trying to answer my original question, as to the reason why more people don't commit suicide--it must be pain. If we, or any animal, experience some form of pain--we register this as something negative and should be avoided. So from an evolutionary standpoint, our nerves are telling us that excessive pain will not keep us alive. So in one sense, if pain is not good, therefore dying is not good, therefore death is not good.

But the natural order of the universe to survive. The theories even suggest that the reason why matter exists is because of the one more matter particle than the anti-matter particle shortly after the big bang.

I agree with your initial point about the two reasons against committing suicide--fear of the unknown, or love of life.

 

[DaveC426913]

I'm still alive, I think, so no I'm not dead yet.

Quiet you. You're not fooling anyone you know. *thunk*

 

[lubuntu]

Age 23

All things being equal I would like to live an indefinite amount of time. That might be the reality for some our descendants but it is unlikely for us. I recently reached a sort of self awakening on the death issue through my love of science. I take solace in the fact that I am here at all and get to examine this fascinating universe.

I think this great fear of death in our species stems from this human tendency to need to attach conscience meaning to everything. As if this universe has some sort of cosmic plan for each and everyone of us. There is no reason to think that is the case. You are free to define your own meaning your life and just because you weren't created by some overbearing sky monster doesn't make you any less special.

By far I seem to take Sagan's view on the big questions, he ellucidated many of these ideas for me. So I quote him now,

" Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy."

 

[lubuntu]

I determined this myself when I was about 12 yrs old. In my own mind I find it impossible to simply not exist. Even after my body is gone. I believe others have come to this conclusion early in human history and it led to the belief in the after-life, reincarnation, among other theologies. Personally, I've come to the conclusion that we are, in fact, eternal. Just not in the physical realm.

Well, I don't think I've ever seen the argument from personal incredulity trotted out in this fashion. You find it impossible not to exist?

How do you account for the 13.69999 Billions years preceding your existence?

 

[Brilliant!]

In his defense, "non-existence" is pretty difficult to fathom. If our mind thinks in the spoken language that we've developed to describe existence, it can be really hard to use it to describe nothingness. This is most obvious when talking to people who don't consciously bother with philosophy and also believe in an afterlife. Eventually, I begin hearing questions like "Well wouldn't that suck to just not exist?" and "Doesn't it make you sad to think that you just disappear when you die?" They don't understand that those questions are ludicrous, for reasons I don't need to explain.

 

[baywax]

"Not existed in this present form" would be more appropriate way to put it since every one of us is 13.8 billion years old. Get over it granpa...

 

[lubuntu]

Don't get distracted from the core of my argument, the key point I'm trying to make is just because you can't personally imagine something doesn't effect the reality of the situation.

 

[baywax]

just because you can't personally imagine something doesn't effect the reality of the situation.

If you imagine death to be a horrible, horrible experience... it will be.

If I tell you the ice you're about to put your hand in is actually hot coals, it will feel like hot coals because you imagined .. or "imaged" it as hot coals.

When you felt the ice your imagination was ahead of your senses telling you "this is hot coals", and your hand felt like it had been burnt.

Never say die.

 

[lubuntu]

What are you talking about? You seem to believe in some sort of metaphysical existence, my point is the universe doesn't care what you can imagine, you are going to probably cease to exist. Death isn't a state of experience, you can't imagine yourself out of it, I'm sorry.

 

[baywax]

Death isn't a state of experience, you can't imagine yourself out of it, I'm sorry.

Death is the act of dying. You're talking about after-death. Slightly different "experiences".

 

[lubuntu]

I still don't see your point, your logic isn't obvious.

I never made any conjecture about the "act of dying", it can be painful or it can be not, obviously it depends on the circumstances. That person was making claims that he believed he would survive his own death.

 

[baywax]

I still don't see your point, your logic isn't obvious.

I never made any conjecture about the "act of dying", it can be painful or it can be not, obviously it depends on the circumstances. That person was making claims that he believed he would survive his own death.

I see.

In any event... one can never "accept death" until death takes place. I, for one, am not waiting for it. Its simply part of life and that's the end of it... so to speak.

 

[khemix]

Here's my definition of 'Accepting Death': To accept death is to be ready to die, free from stress, anguish, or personal emotion. Personal emotion is limited to self inflicted emotion. A counter example to personal emotion would be emotion that one has because of someone else's emotion, i.e. crying because someone else is crying; I'm saying that you can have non-personal emotion even after accepting death.

I'm curious as to who actually has accepted death so far in their life. Please post if you have or not and your current age.

I'm 16, and I have to say that I have for myself. The way I see it, if I die today, one, I wouldn't care once I'm dead anyways because care is an emotion and you need a brain to execute emotion, two, I know that everything I once loved, loves me back, and three, I wouldn't care about the time I wasn't able to spend on earth, because see example one.

Edit: Post your age, and how long you have felt that way, and why.

Your definition borders on suicide, something your age suggests as well. Your criteria for "ready to die" implies death is available to anyone who has settled their debt in life, and they should just wait to accept it. Where is life for the sake of living? According to your criteria, no I have not accepted death. I fear it and know it is inevitable, but I would rather be living even for no purpose in mind. I'm 21.

Yes, possibly you would not care that you were dead when you were dead, I think that applies to everyone (assuming there is no afterlife). But you can't project your feelings in that state. Right now you are capable of emotion as your brain is presumably working. At your current state you profess to not minding death and use a future state as a rationalization. By your logic, you should have no fear of anything because you can use adaptation as an excuse.

[i only read the first post, this has likely already been put out there]

 

[petm1]

Quiet you. You're not fooling anyone you know. *thunk*

*thunk* Do you mean "dead right there" or drt for short?

 

[DaveC426913]

*thunk* Do you mean "dead right there" or drt for short?

No, I meant http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/grail/grail-02.htm"

 

[petm1]

No, I meant http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/grail/grail-02.htm"

Thanks, lol, I think I'll go for a walk...

 

[Jacob Perry]

A description by a neuroscientist of a near-death experience:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html

Make of it what you will.

It's really weird, I've kind of thought about the same ideas. I am 19 and I have accepted the fact that I will "die" but I'm going to live it out as long as I can even though I don't really like life that much. I have decided that I live for the soul purpose of creating art and doing other things to help people with problems and to help resolve problems. Also to "wake people up" to truth.

 

[antd]

I'm 22 and I've accepted death :)

I accepted it from 15, as I realized I cannot stop myself from dying. Before 15 I didn't really think about it.

My genes have done a good job in stopping me from committing suicide :D
Otherwise I'd happily die tomorrow.

Maybe it sounds pessimistic, but I am happy, just that I have accepted death.

 

[DaveC426913]

Also to "wake people up" to truth.

Careful with that "truth" thing. You wouldn't be the first teenager who knew everything and whose duty it was to share it.

 

[swat4life]

That which was never born can never die...
Water wets it not...
Fire burns it not...
Wind blows it not away
(The Upanishads)

"Matter/energy can be neither created nor destroyed..."

Hence, death is not a part of my reality. Transformation however is...

 

[Huckleberry]

When I thought I was going to die I didn't have much problem accepting the idea. I remember thinking how funny it would be when they found me on the toilet. I remember thinking that I shouldn't think like that. Then I laughed at that thought. I just wanted to stop the anxiety. Death would have been preferable at that moment. Then I got better and didn't accept it anymore.

I'll worry about death when it finds me. I don't think it will be too difficult to accept at that moment.