Happy Atheist Forum

General => Philosophy => Topic started by: Arturo on March 17, 2017, 04:23:28 AM

Title: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Arturo on March 17, 2017, 04:23:28 AM
That is a question I was asked. The person's other question was that why be comfortable if you are going to die? Comfortable meaning that you can enjoy your life.

So I thought about that for a second and then I asked him this: how can you fuck up if you are going to die? Given that all you've ever done will be lost by time.

It wasn't really a counter to his question but it was fun to think about.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Dave on March 17, 2017, 05:49:53 AM
I know that I have related before that I should have died three times so far and, with a serious heart condition, am very aware of my vulnerability.

However, for some reason, I am still an optimist, living day by day but still looking forward to tomorrow, and the tomorrow in a few days time when I will go out to lunch with a friend. Even the fact that the friends in my age group are now dying does not cause me to fear my own death.

It will happen, chances are it will be a "kind death" without much warning or pain. Constantly fearing it could well make it happen sooner!
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Arturo on March 17, 2017, 05:59:45 AM
Quote from: Gloucester on March 17, 2017, 05:49:53 AM
I know that I have related before that I should have died three times so far and, with a serious heart condition, am very aware of my vulnerability.

However, for some reason, I am still an optimist, living day by day but still looking forward to tomorrow, and the tomorrow in a few days time when I will go out to lunch with a friend. Even the fact that the friends in my age group are now dying does not cause me to fear my own death.

It will happen, chances are it will be a "kind death" without much warning or pain. Constantly fearing it could well make it happen sooner!

Yeah I don't really have a problem with dying. From my experience it would be like I never existed in the first place, so all my experiences would be gone. My experiences, are to say, have been mostly negative so I don't really fear death, I accept it. Sounds suicidal to a psychologist but I take it as a free pass to learn how to enjoy things now, like my down time. Relaxing is one of the keys to success. Most people don't know or believe this but you can't go balls to ass 24/7, you need down time to be able to recover.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Davin on March 17, 2017, 02:10:20 PM
I am afraid of many kinds of dying, but I'm not afraid of death. If I had the choice between a short life and living forever, I choose a short life even if that means that I die tomorrow. But if I could choose to live for a thousand or so years, I'd probably go for that.

When I am dead, I won't care about anything any more because I won't exist to be able have cares.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on March 17, 2017, 02:25:53 PM
I don't fear death itself, but I don't want to die.  I have too many things that I want to do, and it will take many thousands of years to do them.  My bucket list will have quite a number of things not done when I kick off.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Dave on March 17, 2017, 02:56:43 PM
Quote from: Davin on March 17, 2017, 02:10:20 PM
I am afraid of many kinds of dying, but I'm not afraid of death. If I had the choice between a short life and living forever, I choose a short life even if that means that I die tomorrow. But if I could choose to live for a thousand or so years, I'd probably go for that.

When I am dead, I won't care about anything any more because I won't exist to be able have cares.

I can relate to that, burning to death really seems like about the worst way to go to me. OK, there diseases that might be just as painful and slower but ...

I gave stopped taking what the consultants seemed to think was an important medication for me on the grounds that the side effects made life really miserable - a possibly shorter but far more comfortable one was preferable.

(Digging deeper into it its greatest benefit for me, enhancing my potassium levels, could be achieved by eating lots of high potassium veg, nuts and fruit. I like veg, nuts and fruit!

Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: No one on March 17, 2017, 03:46:10 PM
Death? Absolutely not.
How I am going to die? Sure. Well, at least concerned.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Ecurb Noselrub on March 17, 2017, 09:20:17 PM
Quote from: Gloucester on March 17, 2017, 02:56:43 PM
I like veg, nuts and fruit!

I do, too.  It's all the other stuff that I like that is the problem.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Dragonia on March 18, 2017, 03:26:31 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on March 17, 2017, 02:25:53 PM
I don't fear death itself, but I don't want to die.  I have too many things that I want to do, and it will take many thousands of years to do them.  My bucket list will have quite a number of things not done when I kick off.
Me too! I don't want to die because I don't want to leave the people I love. Makes me sad. And there's so much world to see and so many fun things to experience. There's not enough time (or money....)
But I ain't afeared o' nothin!
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: hermes2015 on March 18, 2017, 07:56:57 AM
 "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. I don't want to live on in the hearts of my countrymen; I want to live on in my apartment."

― Woody Allen
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Curt on June 29, 2017, 06:36:59 AM
I would say I don't have a fear of being dead because I dont believe anything happens after you die.  But I do have a fear of method of death.  Don't want to suffer.  Hopefully its quick and painless
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Tank on June 29, 2017, 06:44:52 AM
Quote from: Curt on June 29, 2017, 06:36:59 AM
I would say I don't have a fear of being dead because I believe anything happens after you die.  But I do have a fear of method of death.  Don't want to suffer.  Hopefully its quick and painless
This^^^
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Sandra Craft on June 29, 2017, 08:17:01 AM
I'm not sure if what I feel is fear of death so much as resentment of its necessity.  As irrational as it is, I'd like to be an exception to dying just so I can see what happens next.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: OldGit on June 29, 2017, 09:38:36 AM
What Curt said.  And like Glos, I have a dodgy heart after a heart attack, so I might be lucky and get the ideal death  - pain-free and sudden.  Trouble is, I could also have a crippling stroke.  Oh well, no use worrying now.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Firebird on June 29, 2017, 02:27:50 PM
I have an annoying habit of what are called "intrusive thoughts." One of them is picturing my death and its effect on the people around me. Sort of imagining how people would respond at work, those who know me but haven't seen me in a while, etc. I'm sure there's a gold mine of psychological reasons as to why I do this, but it's just passing thoughts. I think I do it more now because my life is in a good place and I'm almost afraid of it unraveling, so why not see it end at the peak?  Not to scare anyone, I don't actually want to die. But the idea of it happening someday doesn't scare me as long as it's painless, which is why I'm very much in favor of assisted suicide for terminal illness.
But hey, even as an atheist you wonder how you came here and what happens afterward. I remember Bill Bryson's "A History of Nearly Everything" mention that we all probably have a little bit of Elvis's matter in us because of the nature of matter and how it spreads out once it returns to the ground. Given that, I probably want my body to rot in the ground as soon as possible in case that allows part of me to come back alive in something.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: xSilverPhinx on June 29, 2017, 06:36:01 PM
Afraid of the process, not the end result.
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: Icarus on June 29, 2017, 11:33:17 PM
Might as well make a joke of it:  http://boredomtherapy.com/humorous-headstones/16/?pas=1&as=701aol&bdk=a701aol
Title: Re: Are you afraid of death?
Post by: xSilverPhinx on June 30, 2017, 03:12:59 AM
(https://scontent.fpoa4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/19511055_1991177134445528_2110566940379740823_n.jpg?oh=0bd58ed8ca4e9115e7d8c3a89f09dc7b&oe=59D00CAC)