The fact that you will be dead soon for the second time

[Virtual ghost]

If we take all people that are alive today and ask the question :Where those people were in 12. century what will be the answer?

I have done some thinking about this and only thing that makes any sense is the answer : They were dead.

That means that all of us were dead for billions of years before we were born.
From that point of view (billions of years) we will again go back into dead state soon and it looks like we will stay like that forever.

Because of this I came to conclusion that, fear of death is probably one of the most irrational things out there.


Any comments ,wishes , desires for explanations about this?

 

[Dark Razor]

Fear of death serves an evolutionary purpose, preservation of the species.

I would agree that fear of death is otherwise irrational, for most people it's probably really about fear of dying and the associated pain.

 

[disregard]

Death is the cessation of everything you know. People fear the unknown.

 

[arcticangel02]

I think i've gotten over it, but the idea of death used to scare me really badly. Not the pain associated with dying, just the unknown nothingness that is death. Something in me is terrified of the fact that that's it. You are done and you never will be again.

Thinking about it in terms of the unknown nothingness that you were before you were born kinda helps to calm some of the fear.

 

[reason]

Because of this I came to conclusion that, fear of death is probably one of the most irrational things out there.

Huh? Really?

Traditionally, an irrational fear is one which, relative to the phobic's beliefs, is an inappropriate response to some circumstance. For example, arachnophobia is usually an irrational fear: in most cases the spider is harmless and the arachnophobic believes that it is harmless. The fearful response is a problem, evoking a reaction which may thwart any efforts to achieve other goals, such as cleaning the cupboards. If the arachnophibic genuinely believes that the spider is dangerous, then the feaful response is not inappropriate, even if the assessment of the spider is mistaken.

Anyway, since most people want to stay alive as long as possible (why they might want this is irrelevent), fear of circumstances which might bring an early death is quite sensible, far from irrational. There is, perhaps, a futility to a fear of death itself, since everyone is going to die eventually, and most people would be happier if they stopped fearing that which they cannot control. However, the idea that we should not fear death because everyone has been dead before is quite proposterous, and akin to saying that a rape victim should not be scared of being raped because she was raped before.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

I think what's you're saying is interesting, Antisocial.

 

[erm]

Pre-birth must've been one hell of a party because I can't remember a thing! Can someone fill me in on what happened?

If your theory is true, all it suggests is that we can be revived again and again. Which, to be fair, is pretty awesome.

Death and Pre-birth are totally unknown to me, I wouldn't put money on any theory about them being true. Too many possibilities.

 

[Mole]

If we take all people that are alive today and ask the question :Where those people were in 12. century what will be the answer?

I have done some thinking about this and only thing that makes any sense is the answer : They were dead.

That means that all of us were dead for billions of years before we were born.
From that point of view (billions of years) we will again go back into dead state soon and it looks like we will stay like that forever.

Because of this I came to conclusion that, fear of death is probably one of the most irrational things out there.


Any comments ,wishes , desires for explanations about this?

Fear of death fits us to reproduce. Those who didn't fear death didn't reproduce and those who did fear, did.

Fear of death simply works - that is why we are here.

Even animals fear death - so it really does look like fear of death has an evolutionary function.

What needs to be explained is your need to wish away your fear of death.

This is a common wish that is fulfilled in the Resurrection or Reincarnation or drowned in Consumerism.

It seems to me that this kind of wish-fulfillment lacks dignity - it is unseemly.

I suggest you pick up your sword, like a good Roman, and look Death in the eye.

Your measure is whether you can look Death in eye and keep your Reason.

 

[Mempy]

My friends and I were discussing exactly this the other night in the car. My best friend and I don't believe in an afterlife, and the two of us were discussing the idea that, before we were conceived, we hadn't existed for all of the time before that. It is a comforting thought, because if it's true, it means I've been through it already; that in fact, I've been dead a lot longer than I've been alive; that my life is just one blink in the lifespan of the universe. There's just something really comforting about believing that I've lived through it (haha - died through it?) before and have no memory of it. To me, it's a neutral state. For a long time I've thought that when I die, I will simply be without any fiber of consciousness. That is how I imagine nothingness to be: lack of consciousness, lack of awareness of anything.

However, the idea that we should not fear death because everyone has been dead before is quite proposterous, and akin to saying that a rape victim should not be scared of being raped because she was raped before.

The difference is that being dead before hasn't apparently harmed us in any way; I suppose you have to believe it's a neutral state.

For me, the two most likely afterlives are that, one, there is no afterlife, and two, we will all be reborn again and again. The second is a lot more idealistic and brings me more joy and excitement than the first. Since I can't prove whether or not it's true, I figure I might as well choose to believe the option that brings me the most happiness. The first gives me a good, but definitely less joyful, feeling.

If I've lived through nothingness for billions of years before and am not phased or scarred by it - indeed, can't even remember it - and if, for the overwhelming majority of the lifespan of the universe, I have not existed, the next half of nonexistence seems very neutral and manageable to me.

P.S. For the record, I'm not referring to the actual dying part. I'm referring to what happens afterward. I too think it's perfectly reasonable to fear the act of dying; but I think the OPer was talking about what comes after dying, and comparing it directly to what comes before being alive.

 

[Mort Belfry]

It doesn't bother me that one day I'll be dead, it bothers me that one day I'll die.

 

[sassafrassquatch]

No amount of mental gymnastics can make me feel better about my mortality. Obviously I'm not afraid of experiencing death since death is literally nothing. I'm afraid of dying but I'm not afraid of being dead.

Analogy time!

Let's say back during ST:TNG's original run I get a TV and watch seasons 4 and 5 then my TV is taken away and I don't get to watch seasons 6 and 7. Missing seasons 1-3 doesn't make me feel better about missing 6 and 7. I really like Star Trek and I really want to see seasons 6 and 7.

 

[Virtual ghost]

The the point of this thread is to discuss the fact that all of us were once dead.

My observation that fear of death is irrational is not the key part here.
But we can go in that direction.
I don't see purpose in fear of dying since you are dead most of the time and it is very likely that you will die with time.
Because of this death or dying does not scare me.

I think that someone could say that "As long you are afraid of dying you are not truly alive".

Also when you come to this level suicide becomes useless option and person looses many other fears as this way of thinking settles in persons head.


What can be quite usefull in life.
Many people died too early just because their fear overwhelmed them in key situation.
Also it is much more easier to deal with everyday life and stress that comes with it.
This way of thinking can be quite usefull in many areas of life.
Because you will get increased will to grow and expand(because you have nothing else to do).
And you will get ability to see things as they really are. By this I mean on emotional connection to things

Also you are not in danger because you still have reason and instincts to protect you from troubles.

The only problem is that you can come as cold and impersonal to other people.

 

[niki]

Antisocial: but do you think suicide is also a bad thing?
because if we were dead, and will be dead, (and added that with my philosophy that: 90% of our life is filled with pain & sufferings anyway, only 10% happiness, that is also if you get reallyy lucky) , then why not just commit suicide now, and just be dead ?
what's so bad about it?
even those who will be saddened, and "care" about us, will be dead anyway.
everybody will be dead.
everything will be dead.
and even our small blue-dot planet called earth in this vast universe (which is one of trillions trillions other universes) will eventually be 'dead' (ie: extinct) anyway.
right?

 

[01011010]

Interesting idea

 

[aguanile]

I disagree with the OP. We weren't "dead" before we were born because that means that we were once alive before now. Merriam-Webster's first definition is: deprived of life : no longer alive. (this is presuming that you are not considering reincarnation)

Who knows what we were before we were born. It is a very interesting idea.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I disagree with the OP. We weren't "dead" before we were born because that means that we were once alive before now. Merriam-Webster's first definition is: deprived of life : no longer alive. (this is presuming that you are not considering reincarnation)

Who knows what we were before we were born. It is a very interesting idea.

And I disagree with you because I am changing the meaning of concept "to be dead".



What were we back then?

Atoms scattered across the planet surface.

 

[raz]

And I disagree with you because I am changing the meaning of concept "to be dead".



What were we back then?

Atoms scattered across the planet surface.

Pssh. The sensor was just trying to be realistic!

 

[Samurai Drifter]

Interesting idea. However, the dictionary defines "dead" as "No longer living; deprived of life." I'd never been alive before 1989, so "dead" is not a valid word to describe my state. I was just nonexistent.

EDIT: I see this has been brought up above. Anyway, nonexistence is different than death, because I'm aware of the fact that I will one day be nonexistent.

 

[raz]

The dictionary was apparently written by an S.

 

[nightning]

The dictionary was apparently written by an S.

Who are we kidding... would an N ever write a dictionary?

I agree fully with disregard. People don't fear death. They fear the process of dying... because that's the unknown. The transition from being alive to being dead.