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So is there anything worse than death/dying?

The Ü™

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If there's anything worse than death, then what's worse than death? Why is it worse than death?

Discuss.
 

juggernaut

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Living miserably. It's an attenuated state of being with no definite end.

At least with death it's over when it's over.
 

Fluffywolf

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For me, no.

Death for me is to cease existing. Anything existing is better than death.

Now, I have never been tortured so this is hypothetical. But I think I would be able to take any form of non lethal torture without wishing to die. I would even prefer eternal suffering over the notion of not existing.

As long as I have awareness and self consciousness that is. Not having that is the same as death to me.
 

The Ü™

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Oh and yeah, I should've clarified, my question is in regard to the death of yourself, not other people. (Obviously, the posters above me are on the right track, so this is just in case.)
 

professor goodstain

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Anything that compels one to commit suicide. Financial stress, divorce/seperation, passing a stone, living in North Korea, not being able to solve the rubix cube without the book, ect.
 

Fluffywolf

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Back then they weren't called the middle ages though. :D
 

Night

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The only thing worse than death is uncertainty.

How the individual chooses to respond to uncertainty shapes his approach to death.



If there's anything worse than death, then what's worse than death? Why is it worse than death?

Discuss.

Difficult question, as it invites speculation beyond what is reasonably available. More of an opportunity to gain insight into existential narratives, than to offer comparative measurement with things we've experienced.

So, what is death?

Death, insofar as we clinically understand it, is the cessation of biological systems critical to an organism. This can come in many different forms. In terms of 'aging', death could be thought of as the natural conclusion of some as-yet unidentified cellular 'expiration' code where physical processes eventually become less efficient over time until the organism is unable to continue self-sustaining behavior. Death follows.

Death can also come 'prematurely', as is the case with things like infection, or when the organism is caused to 'die' by a third party (predator-prey relationship in the animal kingdom; intentional killing/murder; accidental death; etc...). In these situations, natural termination of biological processes doesn't result in death. Something external intervens, thereby causing death.

To your question, is there anything worse than dying?

Maybe. What happens after we die? Spirituality and philosophy offer possibilities, but we're unable to empirically theorize what happens to the organism after measurable biology ends. Some think we simply cease to exist; our consciousness (such that it is) evaporates alongside our physiology. Others choose to accept a post-death scenario, where we continue to experience some expression of 'life', even after our bodies stop working.

It's more a matter of personal choice what you choose to believe.

Is anything worse than before birth? We look to the end of our lives as a period of uncertainty, but generally overlook the time before we lived as valuable data when considering what happens after we die.

How was 'life' before we were born? Does this relate to 'life' after we die?
 

Fluffywolf

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An interesting thought I just had is.

Would you be capable of sacrificing yourself for the survival of someone else?

At the moment, there isn't anyone in my life for whom I can say this is true. But curiously, the thought of sacrifice for the right person or people. Is not something I can consciously reject of ever happening.

Despite my view on death.

I think for me a situation is possible where I could find the survival of someone else more important than my own survival.
 

juggernaut

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There are exactly three people on the planet I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice my life for and they all have my mitochondrial DNA. The rest of the human race can...well you know me well enough to know how that sentence will end.
 

Sentura

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There are exactly three people on the planet I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice my life for and they all have my mitochondrial DNA. The rest of the human race can...well you know me well enough to know how that sentence will end.

those of us that should survive would survive anyway.
 

kyuuei

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I think the only thing worse than dying, for me, would be if I lived because someone else died due to my selfish actions somehow. I'm not sure how to elaborate on it besides that.

I'm totally with the people saying that death = #1 bad thing. Surviving is the key to changing your life. It's pretty essential.
 

Fluffywolf

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I think the only thing worse than dying, for me, would be if I lived because someone else died due to my selfish actions somehow. I'm not sure how to elaborate on it besides that.

I'm totally with the people saying that death = #1 bad thing. Surviving is the key to changing your life. It's pretty essential.

Living with unbearable regret?

Unbearable obviously being subjective. Personally, I don't think I have that. As long as my actions were of honest intentions, which is something I strive to the best of my capabilities. I will not regret anything, regardless of the outcome.
 

kyuuei

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^ I have unbearable regrets now.. but if I did have a regret too heavy on my mind, I'd go out ala 7 pounds style.
 

Nadir

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Why is there a presupposition that death is something bad? I'll humor you, though. I think pain is worse. At least from a biological perspective, pain is a feast for your nervous system, and it doesn't even feel any good. You don't need to worry about any of that once you die.
 

Fluffywolf

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Why is there a presupposition that death is soemthing bad? I'll humor you, though. I think pain is worse. At least from a biological perspective, pain is a biological feast for your nervous system, and it doesn't even feel any good. You don't need to worry about any of that once you die.

Why is there a presupposition that death is not something bad?
I personally see pain as living. A good thing. Something we learn from, something our conscious expands on. Something that ultimatly makes us who we are.

But hey, I respect your philosophical views, all I ask is the same respect in return for mine.
 

Nadir

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Why is there a presupposition that death is not something bad?
I personally see pain as living. A good thing. Something we learn from, something our conscious expands on. Something that ultimatly makes us who we are.

But hey, I respect your philosophical views, all I ask is the same respect in return for mine.

I was responding to Uberfuhrer's original post. I'm hoping that you're not implying I'm not respecting your views, given that I haven't read about them until now. In any case, I'd venture to say that asking "Why?" in response to a view is a statement of respect in itself.
 

Fluffywolf

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The 'I'll humor you though' gave me the feeling it was a somewhat negative response to the view that death is the worst thing there is, given the fact it followed the question that directly challenges that view. (It felt condenscending specifically towards a particular view, rather than an explanation of ones own individual view.)

Just a misunderstanding then. x)
 
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