Death

**Lacquer Head** · 08-25-2012, 09:36 PM

You may ask "Lacquer Head, what's with all the darkish threads today brah?" and my answer shall be "Hey, I think about a lot of topics, all the time. These are just interesting!" Anyway, how do you feel about death? Does the prospect of it scare you? So on and so forth.

I'm not religious what so ever, and I'm undecided on theism/atheism. Either way, I'm not really afraid of death, that is, if I have lived my life and really left my legacy. The thought of dying before I make a difference is truly unpleasant. But if my memory lives on and I fell accomplished, I wouldn't be afraid. An eternity of non-existence or an eternity of existence both have pros and cons to me, so that part doesn't really concern me.

**Heartless Angel** · 08-25-2012, 11:10 PM

I don't really fear death, at least no more than the human psyche requires me to. I'm an agnostic atheist, and don't believe in an afterlife. Of course I also HOPE there isn't an afterlife. I'd get bored of eternity pretty quickly.

As for death itself, I don't exactly welcome it, but neither do I run and hide from it. All men must die, it's a fact of life. If you can't change it, there's not much reason to worry about the destination, just try and enjoy the ride. When the reaper comes, I'll not ask for whom the bell tolls, I'll greet him with a smile, maybe engage in some small talk, perhaps even a philosophical debate on his duty as the living embodiment of death, and then I'll pass silently into the eternal state of death, disappearing from this world, likely without a blip on the radar. From there I'll either cease to exist, which isn't as terrible a prospect to me as it might be to others, or I'll begin a very, very long period of incredible boredom in the afterlife. Which again, isn't too bad, it'd give me plenty of time to contemplate the nature of existence. Maybe even enough time to truly understand it. Either way, not too bad an ending.

**lovehearty42** · 08-26-2012, 12:32 PM

Death is an inevitable part of living. I think, if anything, rather than having a fear of death, it would be better for people to use death as a reminder that they have numbered days, and that they should use the time they are given in a manner that enriches the lives of others. Hopefully, they will find themselves enriched by similar actions from other people. On the flipside, though, we can't all make a huge name for ourselves, and rather than seeking to have our names remembered, I think we should be working to do good things without worrying about posthumous recognition.

**Order** · 08-26-2012, 09:41 PM

I would like to live on.
I would like to get second chances at life.
I would like to be remembered fondly and respectfully.

I don't know if anyone gets any of these things. I won't know until it's too late if I'm right. If I'm wrong, I'll never know.
I can't change it anyway.

Do I fear death?
Yes.
I do my best to avoid it.

Do I worry about it?
Not until it becomes an immediate possibility.

What will I do when I'm faced with death?
Die.

**Kyrel** · 08-27-2012, 05:32 AM

What scares me the most is being away from the people I love, forever.

**Pete** · 08-27-2012, 08:30 AM

I don't think it's necessarily death that freaks me out, as opposed to dying. Death is death, and when you're gone, that's it. Sure it would be cool if there were an afterlife and we could see our dead loved ones again; and that'd be awesome I'd it were the case. The fact is that we just don't know, but we can have our own beliefs.

I'm mortified at the idea of dying though, and watching the people around me become upset as i go. Really, a long suffering death would be horrible, not only for me, but i don't think i could bear to see everyone looking at me and feeling sorry, or trying to remember me as i was. That freaks me the hell out. If i died, I'd want it to be from old age, or something quick and final. Nothing long or dragged out, where i could become a burden

**darknesse** · 10-21-2012, 02:10 AM

Personally, Im one of those who would hold on to life at every moment, but ive gone through many stages of the opposite. But in the same sence, without bringing up a religeous debate, if an afterlife had any effect on this world, there would be traces of it in our existance. With that in mind, i treasure this world above everything, because of those that i love. In a way, I have the thought that i would only be comfortable with those going with me. However, that could only really come in the form of suicide or accident, niether of which would be without regret in most cases. Thats just a part of my perspective.

I do not fear death, but i will resist it with everything i have unless my death is of my own accord.

**EmperorLeo** · 10-21-2012, 09:52 AM

Death is the end of a journey. Without an ending, we'd wander aimlessly, searching for closure. For me, I have no fears of death, but I feel a majority of people have become desensitized to it. I just had a discussion about this in my Sociology class but on a more defined topic related to death: could you take another person's life? Of course, if someone walks into your house with hopes to steal your stuff or murder you, then that's fight/flight emotional response, but could you do it while your head is completely level? I know I wouldn't be able to it, but could you? Even if we get hypothetical with it and say it was an execution, Game of Thrones style, would you have the stomach and willpower to do something like that?

**Leon** · 10-21-2012, 09:46 PM

My biggest fear is dying before I meet that special someone and making a difference in someone's life, but death is something that happens every day and it's inevitable so I won't complain when my time comes. when I was younger, though, I had already understood the concept of death. Not knowing much about religion back then, I was scared whenever I thought about it. I believe I thought of it as endless slumber. In non-existence.

I'm Catholic so I do believe in three possible places I could end up in. And the way things are going now, I expect to be in Hell or Purgatory unless I put more effort into being a better person o_o But there you have it. At least I'm not afraid of non-existence anymore.

**Rowan** · 10-23-2012, 05:28 PM

I think the biggest fears lay within uncertainty. Because we dont know what to expect and because we have absolutley no way of ever finding out until it happens, theres no way to actually truly prepare yourself for it. I dont often think about myself dying, but I would hate to see my loved ones dying, it would just tear me apart. All the time id be wondering what has become of their thoughts and feelings, have they just dissapeared forever? Logic forces me to be agnostic, although I hate the idea of the possibility of a god; if there was, I would have absolutley no respect for it. I think the best we can hope for is some sort of re-incarnation. I find the concept of life utterly amazing and I hope science can one day explain the origins of it all, because one thing that plays on my mind constantly, is how my concioussness came to be. Its not as simple as parental coitus, theres always something undiscovered.

**Unknown Entity** · 10-25-2012, 01:48 PM

I'm not afraid of death, but I can't say I'm very fond of the ideas, notions or mentions of myself, my family and my friends dying any time soon. I get a stabbing pain in my chest if I think about my dog or grandmother, who are getting quite far along now, kicking the bucket any time soon. And trust me, there's been a few scares in the last year! All it takes is for the phone to go unanswered, or one of them to fall into a deep sleep, deep enough that they can't hear you knocking on their bedroom door in the morning, or yelling their name whilst standing less than two metres away, heh.

As for myself, I don't believe in God. I never will. Religion isn't for me. However, I'm not opposed to the idea of an afterlife. Yes, eternity is a long time, but I'd like to think I'd still get to see the future wonders of the entire universe, and be able to finally have all the time and resources to understand it better. I want to see our galaxy, The Milky Way collide with the Andromeda galaxy, I want to watch our Sun become a white dwarf, walk the ground of a black dwarf, I want to see the inside of a black hole and discover where it leads without being incinerated, stretched (if there'll even be anything left of me by that point) and never finding a way out, and perhaps watching other civilisations grow in other constellations and galaxies in the furthest reaches of the ever expanding Space.

...Ghey, and it probably won't end that way. But I fail to see how you could get bored of eternity if there's so much to observe. That is, of course, if that's how death works. I don't believe that's what happens, but it's a cool thought and something I'd love. I don't like the idea of death being eternal - that sounds empty and scary. You think of how much we've accomplished and the history we've built (good and bad), and for that to all just one day just end... seems like a massive waste of time. I'd like to think there was more after this.

I also still think of my passed relatives and friends as watching over me. I'd say I was more spiritual than most atheists, but there's a limit in my beliefs before it crosses into agnostic threshold. I have no doubts; only ideas and wishes.

**Odin1199** · 11-26-2012, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Heartless Angel

I don't really fear death, at least no more than the human psyche requires me to. I'm an agnostic atheist, and don't believe in an afterlife. Of course I also HOPE there isn't an afterlife. I'd get bored of eternity pretty quickly.

I never think about it too much, but to me death is part of life. It's a mystery and a logical transition. Yeah, it's a transition from one state of existence to another. At least I try to be positive and think it will not be boring or the true end of a person. You never can tell, but assuming one thing or another is always wrong. Being an atheist is being just as ignorant as believing in something, because believing in nothing is still believing and you can never tell what it's like, until you die.

**Heartless Angel** · 11-26-2012, 09:52 PM

Hence the agnostic bit. Agnostic atheism just means while acknowledging an ultimate lack of knowledge, I act more in line with disbelief than I do with belief. Death is something one can never understand in life, which gives me an innate fascination with it. Eternal existence in any form, seems like it would become boring eventually. There's only a finite number of unique events that can conceivably occur within a system that has constant laws like out universe. It could take a few billion years, but eventually you're going to see everything there is to see. And as long a time as that may seem to most people, it doesn't even scratch the surface of eternity. I rather like the idea of having a definite 'end' to my existence myself. Nothing has value unless there's a limit to it. Without a finite time limit, life loses any real value it may have otherwise had.

**Lily** · 11-27-2012, 07:36 PM

when im dead, im dead, there's not really alot - well, anything i can do about it, so whats the point fearing it? I dont believe in life after death, or burning for my sins or out like that, im just going to be gone. So balls to it, its not anything i ever think about until someone brings it up, and pardon me if this is offensive, but people that waste their time worrying about it, are idiots.

**Odin1199** · 12-02-2012, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by Heartless Angel

Hence the agnostic bit. Agnostic atheism just means while acknowledging an ultimate lack of knowledge, I act more in line with disbelief than I do with belief. Death is something one can never understand in life, which gives me an innate fascination with it. Eternal existence in any form, seems like it would become boring eventually. There's only a finite number of unique events that can conceivably occur within a system that has constant laws like out universe. It could take a few billion years, but eventually you're going to see everything there is to see. And as long a time as that may seem to most people, it doesn't even scratch the surface of eternity. I rather like the idea of having a definite 'end' to my existence myself. Nothing has value unless there's a limit to it. Without a finite time limit, life loses any real value it may have otherwise had.

Not necessarily. Infinity means infinite possibilities of infinite laws to discover and with that, you'll always have something to do. The mystery will always be there for you.

**Heartless Angel** · 12-02-2012, 10:15 PM

...Right, but there's no reason to believe that there is an infinite number of laws. it only takes a few to govern a universe. It's quite a stretch to simply assume there is infinity waiting. And if that stretch turns out to be too far (as is likely), and there is in fact NOT an infinite number of unique events to observe and understand, the only infinity you'll experience is one of continuous repetition and unfathomable boredom.

**Odin1199** · 12-09-2012, 10:37 AM

I don't know what infinity holds, but I think it has a chance to hold infinite everything. I think with certain laws it'll be possible to create an infinite number of smaller laws. All you need to do is know how and then you could create an infinity of matter and energy forms, but not in an infinite space. Then, only your imagination and time it takes to craft these laws would be the limit. Would I be bored if such things existed? Don't think so. Yeah, you wouldn't be discovering anything new, but you could create anything your imagination could come up with and that would be awesome.

**Heartless Angel** · 12-09-2012, 10:14 PM

That would require you to have some interaction with the physical world. Not to mention, the form of interaction you're simply assuming you'll have it near godlike in nature. Your ideas are based in wild assumptions with absolutely no support. Sure, it's possible, but a one in infinity chance is not a solid foundation for a system of beliefs.

**Odin1199** · 12-10-2012, 08:13 AM

Death is a mystery and noone knows if you can or can't influence physical world or even exist. Just saying that existence after death, if possible wouldn't necessarily have to be bad or super boring.

**Heartless Angel** · 12-10-2012, 11:24 AM

And it wouldn't necessarily have to be good. The odds are greatly in favor of it not.

**Odin1199** · 12-10-2012, 01:14 PM

From a physical stand point yeah, but from religious or spiritual is another story. All comes down to whether you believe in ghosts, gods, souls, afterlife or other existences. If you choose to believe that you're a sum of molecules that recycles energy and irreversibly decays once and for all, sure.

**Heartless Angel** · 12-11-2012, 10:15 AM

Actually, that would be the ideal sort of end for me. My problem isn't that I fear there might not be an afterlife, but that I fear there might be. Eternity anywhere would invariably become a nightmare. A definite end, a complete termination of consciousness on all levels, that I'd consider a desirable state after death.

**ziroth** · 12-11-2012, 04:46 PM

When I die, I want a few things to occur. First I would not want a funeral, they seem like a waste of money and space. Second I would like to be used for science(My body) Yet I want my eyeballs removed and kept in a air tight dome (Like a snow globe size), because if theres anything I like most about myself its my eyes :0 I want these beauts kept amazing forever ya'know! I do believe that when I die I will be moved on to a after of such, I wont pertain to what kind or add a description because I dont know. Im a generally nice person so I believe if I were to go anywhere it would be a nice place at least!

**Odin1199** · 12-13-2012, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Heartless Angel

Actually, that would be the ideal sort of end for me. My problem isn't that I fear there might not be an afterlife, but that I fear there might be. Eternity anywhere would invariably become a nightmare. A definite end, a complete termination of consciousness on all levels, that I'd consider a desirable state after death.

What do you consider a life well lived then? What do you strive to accomplish and what if you do that too early before death? How would you cope with boredom then? Replay some FF games? I know I'd play FF alot if I lived in the afterlife.

**Heartless Angel** · 12-14-2012, 10:36 AM

Above all else, I am a seeker of knowledge and truth. A life well lived, I'd consider one lived in the pursuit of new knowledge about the universe, and the principles that govern it. That pursuit would easily outlast any human lifetime, so I've got nothing to worry about there. But compared to eternity, even that distant goal would eventually be attained.