Why we shouldn't fear death.

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Pip28

Well-Known Member
#1
Death should be easy to define, its just life coming to an end, but is it more than that?
Now I'm not getting into religion here and nor will I ever but our own death is much more important in our own minds than any other. This is, I believe, purely down to our evolved instinct to survive, an instinct all life forms have, from your "basic" single celled organism up to your "highly evolved" primate, simply because if we did not have this instinct we would not be here to question it. So purely by existing is proof of our evolved state.

So why should we fear death, It's one thing to have an instinct to survive but another to fear not surviving, now this could just be a fear of going against our instinct, which in It's self is instinctive, or could it be something more. I've heard many people say " I stay alive for my …………" insert any title there, but really? I mean really think about that statement, do we really have such an impact and influence on other people that we save them from torment and suffering or improve there existence by existing? All deaths I've experienced during my short life on this planet have been followed by a short period of grief and then I move on, I forget, I visit graves once a year just to remind myself of these people, as if society makes me feel guilty about forgetting former loved ones. Can anyone truly say that anybody else would suffer forever if said person wasn't alive? And if so is that true or arrogance? or does that statement just serve to justify our evolved instinct to survive? It's definitely true that children strive with parents, but must that parent be you? I'm sure that a child would strive in the company of any suitable adult whether they call them mom and dad or something else. I believe that statement to be null, for example, I love my mother and I know I'm better off that she is alive as she is better off that I'm alive, but what if we never met? Or if she had a son that wasn't me, would she or me care if the other were alive? And as we are related how long would it be to "get over" one another's death.

Fear of death is, in my opinion, purely instinctive, evolution of society has made people believe that one persons death has a lasting impact where it cannot, respect of life and fear of death are not taboo's we shouldn't explore and define, we are just not that important.
The universe didn't care I wasn't alive for 13.7 billion years before my birth and it will not care for billions of years after I'm gone.

I write this not to provoke or annoy but I'm truly curious of people's opinion on the subject.
 

justMe7

Well-Known Member
#3
Tbh I don't particularly fear death.. but i do fear it aswell. It depends how and when I look at it. I can drive myself past it, depriciating the reality of my existence, as far as I am aware of it, but the reality I exist in ..

In a moment I can not fear death, in a moment I can fear death. It depends alot tbh, alot of care and choices. Idk, the cosmos and existence beyond myself exists as it does, as do I in conjunction with it. Isolated or not from my own point of view is a different story. Fears a feeling so... idk. :) It's very personal this is. I agree with sadeyes, but I would wonder if fear isn't per say cliche, but a feeling of loss to who we are as an individual, or however we exist. Fear exists well before society or groups. Fear of death depends on lots of things, but when you come to those moments.. it's .. a dodgy topic perhap.
Idk.. I tend to think I am what I am, and never limited to what I am, but limited to what I am until I explore it. A perceptive mind game of respectable balance for my "awareness". It just keeps getting broader and broader, but I suppose despite the any limitations, such as fear, or more specifically death...

Well.. how does one fear something if they don't particularly understand or comprehend it? Do you step back and appricate it's touch on other aspects of life and fear it's approach? Or like many have a more personal connection with it. I try to appricate "death" to my own limitations as far as reality goes. From a chosen and forced connection to reality. Death is something I respect enough to feel the consequences of living as I feel the consequences of dying. I can dilute the personal connection by the emmense perception on what we can touch with, as far as our (my) reality goes. But.. Idk. I don't let death get in the way anymore. I crash to it alot, but I find choosing life is my only option because death ends something that I currently have, and since I have it now, I appricate that. To a degree. Death will come knocking one way or another, unless my dillusional brain finds a method to immortality :P Which I dont play with :) I will be honest, I dont fear death one bit atm. I balance it, respect it from where im at, but when it comes to my face..idk. It's humbeling at one point.. then I fear it. So... fuck it :) Why fear it. Deaths a part of life, but by no means the dominate nor core part of it. Trying to find and touch with life without letting death get in the way is a big part of it imo. It helps to remember that no matter what you percieve or think, there's more to life than a few dominating aspects that seem to blot out the stars that have been dancing since before this planet existed :P Who cares right. Meh.. I care sometimes :) The problem with vast views like this for some people is they just throw their hands up and say, well what's the point. Well.. for me, the point is what you make it. Kinda.. Partly :) Another part perhaps comes with respecting and not fearing death, aswell as respecting and not fearing life. A balance with a choice I guess. who knows. Just my random thoughts on it at the moment.

Tbh though, it depends how you're connecting(feeling, thinking, touching) with fear/death. A moments situation can drastically change things.. so while fear may not exist now, it may considerably exist in a different situation. I appricate it enough to know it's beyond my awareness, so it will eliminate me.. possibly. Thats.. frightening from one point of view.. But fuck it :)
 
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#4
If you belive in the bible either in Psalm or Proverbs it says:

The living are conscience that they will die but the dead are conscience of nothing at all.

So I belive that there is no resaon to fear death that at the time we die we just become nothing at all. No flouting heaven (that no one can explain) and no burning hell. (that if there was a LOVING GOD would not make sence) .
 

youRprecious!

Antiquities Friend
#5
If you belive in the bible either in Psalm or Proverbs it says:

The living are conscience that they will die but the dead are conscience of nothing at all.

So I belive that there is no resaon to fear death that at the time we die we just become nothing at all. No flouting heaven (that no one can explain) and no burning hell. (that if there was a LOVING GOD would not make sence) .
Ummm
The verse you refer to vjred is from Ecclesiastes, and is often misunderstood to mean that there is no consciousness after death. However, please - such assumptions must be thoroughly gone into and checked to prevent our thinking from becoming misguided over such an important issue.

Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon and most of it is a rant. Against what he perceives as the futility of existence. He probably wrote it during a down time. So a verse such as this must not be taken as literal gospel truth that it means there is no consciousness after death - because that would be taking it out of context, and if we do that, understandably we will end up misguided and confused.

To the original poster - the universe did not care about us for all those millions of years before we were born, but that does not mean that's the end of the story, there's far more to it than the extrapolation that our lives don't matter.
 

Pip28

Well-Known Member
#6
To the original poster - the universe did not care about us for all those millions of years before we were born, but that does not mean that's the end of the story, there's far more to it than the extrapolation that our lives don't matter.[/QUOTE]

I can't agree, all my logic tells me it is the end of the story, surely any and all argument about meaning of life is proof of our need to be defined, created in our own minds, and used to justify an evolved existance we are yet to fully understand.
 

youRprecious!

Antiquities Friend
#7
To the original poster - the universe did not care about us for all those millions of years before we were born, but that does not mean that's the end of the story, there's far more to it than the extrapolation that our lives don't matter.
I can't agree, all my logic tells me it is the end of the story, surely any and all argument about meaning of life is proof of our need to be defined, created in our own minds, and used to justify an evolved existance we are yet to fully understand.[/QUOTE]

If we are yet to fully understand it - do you mean by that, looking for 'textbook' answers to existence? Philosophers have been debating this for centuries.

Mankind has been blessed with an intricate computer in our heads, and deeper things within us "the inward parts" (soul, spirit, heart, etc...) that defy textbook answers. and yet that computer of ours still wonders and yearns for understanding - unless we make a conscious decision not to and shut it down.
 

Pip28

Well-Known Member
#8
We understand the concept of natural selection by random mutation, It's the "human nature" and how/why we evolved these habits we don't fully understand, and yes I believe that one day we will have a "textbook" of explinations about why we are the way we are, for example there is some awesome work going on trying to explain where our intelligance originates and also where our need for a higher farther figure started in our early years.

Philosophers have failed over the years, as science improves philosopy becomes redundant.
 

Perhapsa3

Well-Known Member
#9
The phrase human nature implies lack of self control and somewhat gives justification for our destructive 'natural tendencies' that only occur because of lack of cohesion and goal setting. I'd like to think we are or can get beyond that. That a textbook or science is not what's required for our advancement towards a positive future. Early on we know the difference between right and wrong. The creation or destruction of a higher being or science is not required to know this. Self-governance and accountability are needed.

Death via unnatural causes (ex suicide) goes against moving forward or existence (life) which is all we know. It could possibly be fear of the great unknown which is the rationale I choose to believe responsible for the existence of religion today. In healthy circumstances, no-one wants to die or commit suicide.

What happens when we go to sleep? Loss of consciousness until we wake up. Death is the same loss of consciousness but with no return of known consciousness. This can create anxiety since all we know to exist and have documented is life. Other ideas drilled in our heads over the years adds to anxiety as well. The unknown creates a bit of a safety issue. Since birth we are instructed, at death it's just you alone or a few or all together at a level of consciousness and environment which no-one knows or has documented. There are no evidence based instructions for guidance or plan just goodbye and in most cases ideas of awaiting judgement to be shuffled off to the right or left.

What I do know (if people weren't messing with me) about the process of death is that in the beginning images throughout your life do flash through your mind (like still frames), which I'm sure science could give a explanation for.

Adherence to good philosophy reduces redundancy. Do no physical or psychological harm and respect personal space is a good start.
 
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#10
Yes you are right I realized that it was from Ecclesiastes however it was to late to change it. There are other places that talk about death just being the end of ones being. But I really don't think this is the place to fight over religion. My answer to this thread was to just show why I feel that there is no reason to fear death. NOT to encourage someone to take their live. Walking around with out fear that I feel is not need I think can make someone feel a little better.

This is just my point of view.
 
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