Self Preservation

[radracula]

So how is your sense of self preservation? Assuming there is no god, its reasonable to assume there is no place to join god. Or not join god. Anyways, so perhaps you do, perhaps you don't believe in an afterlife, I'm not as curious about what you think happens after death, rather does atheism, agnosticism, naturalism, etc. affect how you live your life by means to whatever end? I myself loooove my cigarettes, beer and whiskey. I smoke damn near a pack a day, have a beer or two a night unless its the weekend (I'm 23, male and live in the city, go figure, right), I eat like an idiot and don't get enough sleep. I could give a damn about there being an afterlife, and the aspect of dying isn't nearly as daunting as it was when I was religious. So thats me. And I am not suggesting I am a reasonless nihilist, or an idiot who thinks atheism is the key to dropping all sense of responsibility, I'm just saying I have a lousy sense of self preservation. However, I know others feel differently about their lives, how they live them and how they'll allow them to end, have they any control at all, and I thought it might be a neat subject to chat about. So please, feel free to speak up.

[Whitney]

My sense of self preservation is more highly motivated by my not wanting to be so unhealthy that life is not pleasurable than it is by trying to avoid death.  I'm a lot more comfortable with the idea of death than when I was religious, but that also doesn't mean I want to try to get there faster.  I figure we only get one chance to enjoy life and that's it...so I might as well find a happy balance between indulgence and health.  Having preventable medical issues when I am older isn't something that's very appealing to me...I already know I'm going to have joint issues, no reason to add more problems to the list if I can prevent them.  That said, I do drink on the weekends and smoke a little (but my husband and I are in the process of quitting; I'm pretty much there since I was already down one or two a day).  Eating reasonably healthy and sleeping enough is stuff I just do because I feel better that way.

In other words...I just do what makes me feel good.  I'm not a big health fanatic but also think twice before grabing a hamburger for lunch.  

I think I rambled a bit but will just leave it that way since it's getting kinda late here and I'm tired.

[Asmodean]

I guess in a weird way, I'm a fatalist. What will be, will be. If my smokes and junk food and generally un-healthy way of life kills me, so be it. Have to die of something eventually. I would prefer a quick and flashy departure though.

I know others feel differently about their lives, how they live them and how they'll allow them to end, have they any control at all, and I thought it might be a neat subject to chat about. So please, feel free to speak up.

My POV goes like this: Live the best you can. It's good enough. And if it's not, f*ck it.

[rlrose328]

My POV goes like this: Live the best you can. It's good enough. And if it's not, f*ck it.

Hear, hear!