How do 'normal' people think they will die?

[resolutory]

If there is one thing I've learnt in all my researching of death, it's that like 95% of ways people die are horrendous. It baffles me that 'normal' people seem to be more than happy to just leave their inevitable deaths to chance when they could support society allowing people to take it within their own hands and ensure a peaceful death (barring accidental and unforeseen deaths of course). How do they think they will die? Is it TVs and films perpetuating the idea that everyone is going to die in their sleep of old age that causes people to just not worry about this kind of thing?

It's confusing to me that society hasn't advanced to the point of allowing people to choose how to die, even though the tools could be made available. But it's even more confusing to me, that 'normal' people don't seem an ounce bit concerned about this. I guess they just don't even think about this inevitability? How!?

 

[CatLover]

They spend their lives distracting themselves so they can put it out of their minds. Forget who said 'humankind cannot bear much reality' but it's so true. Most people are ignorant - I used to think it was just a benign ignorance but now I think it's a deliberate one as all the info is out there and it's one of the reasons I've come to despise humanity. It's not just about death, it's how their food is made, how their clothes are made, climate change, how the class system 'works', how most industries 'work', how there's no real meritocracy, what people they idolise are really like, how much of the world lives in poverty, war and aggression of the 'good guys'... just so much.

 

[makethepainstop]

If there is one thing I've learnt in all my researching of death, it's that like 95% of ways people die are horrendous. It baffles me that 'normal' people seem to be more than happy to just leave their inevitable deaths to chance when they could support society allowing people to take it within their own hands and ensure a peaceful death (barring accidental and unforeseen deaths of course). How do they think they will die? Is it TVs and films perpetuating the idea that everyone is going to die in their sleep of old age that causes people to just not worry about this kind of thing?

It's confusing to me that society hasn't advanced to the point of allowing people to choose how to die, even though the tools could be made available. But it's even more confusing to me, that 'normal' people don't seem an ounce bit concerned about this. I guess they just don't even think about this inevitability? How!?

Human society progresses at the speed of its slowest members. Hence we are condemned to live our unwanted lives by a bunch of well meaning pro-life idiots.

 

[anxiousguineapig]

I realize this concept is alien to most people on here but most people genuinely enjoy being alive. They're ok with a bad death eventually (with a chance of it happening soon) because being alive outweighs it.

Also, suicide just isn't something a lot of people would ever consider. There are a lot of people who see life as something inherently worth preserving and don't take how "good" it is into consideration (and many aren't pro-lifers; I have friends who would never consider suicide themselves, but support the right of others to choose it).

 

[jodes2]

Exactly. They just think they'll die in their sleep in old age

 

[LaVieEnRose]

I realize this concept is alien to most people on here but most people genuinely enjoy being alive. They're ok with a bad death eventually (with a chance of it happening soon) because being alive outweighs it.

Also, suicide just isn't something a lot of people would ever consider. There are a lot of people who see life as something inherently worth preserving and don't take how "good" it is into consideration (and many aren't pro-lifers; I have friends who would never consider suicide themselves, but support the right of others to choose it).

I do believe anyone is one bad experience away from at least contemplating suicide (which isn't all that drastic if you think about it)

As far as what conventional people think I'm sure they take for granted that they'll die peacefully at home or in hospice surrounded by loved ones. The truth is that that vision isn't really fulfilled all that often. If euthanasia/assisted suicide continues to gain traction that could change.

 

[universe]

That's a very good question. However, I have the impression that for "normal" people, death is not even an option, it does not exist. It's an event that seems far away to them, which concerns people over 80 years old. It's so far out of their daily thoughts that it's a non-topic. Thus, in certain societies, I observe a great taboo on all questions relating directly or indirectly to death: the will, the last wishes in the event of serious illness, the choice of funeral, the end of life, suicide, the different causes of death. Each time a person dies prematurely, that is to say under the age of 60 for them, they experience it as a real tragedy, an unnatural death because for them, it is not possible to die at certain ages.
This results in denial, the impossibility of conceiving death and certainly a misunderstanding of suicidal people. I experienced it: we tell them that we are going to die before the end of the year and they act as if nothing had happened. They are in denial, it is so unthinkable for them.

 

[almaranthine]

Idk if "most people genuinely enjoy being alive" considering how many people live in poverty, terrible living conditions, war-torn areas, live under some form of abuse, are trafficked, live with some kind of debilitating illness... I think there are plenty of people out there that suffer pretty much every single day that don't really get much enjoyment out of life but continue to persevere. I suspect a lot of people just keep death at the back of their minds and don't really give it much thought, and use what mental fortitude they have to just try to survive.

 

[FuneralCry]

I believe that many people would prefer to avoid thinking about death because maybe they fear it or they are concerned with their own lives. Maybe it's part of the instinct to survive. As humans this existence is all that we know anyway and we cannot comprehend what it's like to be dead.

But yes, to me it makes sense to want to at least have the option to die peacefully at a time of our own choosing as it sounds so horrible dying from a disease. We will all die anyway so it's preferable to be able to exit at a time that I can control. But many people are horrified at the thought of someone choosing to exit and view suicide as being worse than suffering. I will never understand these people, I believe them to be delusional as to the cruel reality of this existence.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

That's a very good question. However, I have the impression that for "normal" people, death is not even an option, it does not exist. It's an event that seems far away to them, which concerns people over 80 years old. It's so far out of their daily thoughts that it's a non-topic. Thus, in certain societies, I observe a great taboo on all questions relating directly or indirectly to death: the will, the last wishes in the event of serious illness, the choice of funeral, the end of life, suicide, the different causes of death. Each time a person dies prematurely, that is to say under the age of 60 for them, they experience it as a real tragedy, an unnatural death because for them, it is not possible to die at certain ages.
This results in denial, the impossibility of conceiving death and certainly a misunderstanding of suicidal people. I experienced it: we tell them that we are going to die before the end of the year and they act as if nothing had happened. They are in denial, it is so unthinkable for them.

Especially nowadays where mortality is much lower and death has been shoved to hospitals instead of the home. I agree suicide makes people confront mortality in a very uncomfortable way which is one reason it's such a taboo subject.

Idk if "most people genuinely enjoy being alive" considering how many people live in poverty, terrible living conditions, war-torn areas, live under some form of abuse, are trafficked, live with some kind of debilitating illness... I think there are plenty of people out there that suffer pretty much every single day that don't really get much enjoyment out of life but continue to persevere. I suspect a lot of people just keep death at the back of their minds and don't really give it much thought, and use what mental fortitude they have to just try to survive.

Well, the opposite of enjoying life isn't wanting to die. Most people in any circumstances will want to continue to live, though certainly people do kill themselves for those reasons.

 

[universe]

Especially nowadays where mortality is much lower and death has been shoved to hospitals instead of the home. I agree suicide makes people confront mortality in a very uncomfortable way which is one reason it's such a taboo subject.

All right ! I couldn't have said it better. We forget that a few centuries ago life expectancy was not the same, children worked and died of exhaustion, others went to war, infant mortality was very high. Death touched all strata of society.
Suicide is not an insignificant choice of death. It really means something: it is a clear refusal of human life as a whole, presented as a sacred gift. And this choice deeply clashes with the convictions/lifestyle of normal people who wait for death to come by itself hoping that it never happens.

 

[anxiousguineapig]

Well, the opposite of enjoying life isn't wanting to die. Most people in any circumstances will want to continue to live, though certainly people do kill themselves for those reasons.

This is a better way to say it. Maybe not enjoying life per se, but most people actively don't want to die even if their lives suck.

Also, I'm not sure what percentage of people have "good" versus "bad" deaths but I don't think dying horribly is really the default, at least in developed countries (though it depends on how badly you view death in a medical setting - personally, it doesn't sound so bad to me, but I know for some people it's the worst thing they can imagine).

 

[theboy]

illnes

 

[resolutory]

Human society progresses at the speed of its slowest members. Hence we are condemned to live our unwanted lives by a bunch of well meaning pro-life idiots.

That's an interesting way of putting. It's a shame that's the case.

Also, suicide just isn't something a lot of people would ever consider. There are a lot of people who see life as something inherently worth preserving and don't take how "good" it is into consideration (and many aren't pro-lifers; I have friends who would never consider suicide themselves, but support the right of others to choose it).

Oh yeah that's true. I don't even mean pro-lifers necessarily too, I just mean.... it's something everyone will face, it baffles me that people wouldn't at least want that option, even those who enjoy life.

As far as what conventional people think I'm sure they take for granted that they'll die peacefully at home or in hospice surrounded by loved ones. The truth is that that vision isn't really fulfilled all that often. If euthanasia/assisted suicide continues to gain traction that could change.

I hope this happens soon. Society as it is scares me deeply.

That's a very good question. However, I have the impression that for "normal" people, death is not even an option, it does not exist. It's an event that seems far away to them, which concerns people over 80 years old. It's so far out of their daily thoughts that it's a non-topic. Thus, in certain societies, I observe a great taboo on all questions relating directly or indirectly to death: the will, the last wishes in the event of serious illness, the choice of funeral, the end of life, suicide, the different causes of death. Each time a person dies prematurely, that is to say under the age of 60 for them, they experience it as a real tragedy, an unnatural death because for them, it is not possible to die at certain ages.
This results in denial, the impossibility of conceiving death and certainly a misunderstanding of suicidal people. I experienced it: we tell them that we are going to die before the end of the year and they act as if nothing had happened. They are in denial, it is so unthinkable for them.

Thank you! And yeah, I think this is how they see it too. It's just so strange to me.

But yes, to me it makes sense to want to at least have the option to die peacefully at a time of our own choosing as it sounds so horrible dying from a disease. We will all die anyway so it's preferable to be able to exit at a time that I can control. But many people are horrified at the thought of someone choosing to exit and view suicide as being worse than suffering. I will never understand these people, I believe them to be delusional as to the cruel reality of this existence.

Yeah, I never understand them either. It makes no sense to me. Our way of thinking is so logical to me, for a problem that we will all face, I simply can't understand the thinking of people that seem to pretend it will never happen. Of course, if they want to be like that I respect them for being so, but I do not respect what I consider to be their cruelty in not allowing us to have that option.

 

[Pluto]

I can only speak for Australia, but a disproportionate amount of wealth is owned by older people due to sky-high appreciation of their homes. If euthanasia of the elderly were socially acceptable, the status quo of old people rotting alone while their grandchildren are completely overwhelmed by the state of the property market would create a sense of pressure for the elders to 'move on'.

This is already a factor in elderly suicide, with the sad result that only the most thoughtful and caring worry about being a burden. Keeping the whole topic taboo seems the only solution for a society that always has a thousand other distractions. The romantic ideal of a painless, professionally carried-out euthanasia surrounded by loved ones will be elusive for some time due to the various perils of modern society.

Difficult politics aside, it seems most people simply avoid the question of a planned exit because it requires a fiercely independent and nonconformist mindset to do so. People don't make end-of-life plans for the same reason that simpler creatures like ducks don't plan. (Except for those on this website, of course.)

 

[CHXX]

I once asked my friend, I asked him if he thought about death. He said he did not dare to think deeply about death, preferring to deceive himself and live numbly until the final death came.
I asked my father and he said he had thought about death, but couldn't figure it out, what was in this huge black hole? Is it a religious myth? Or materialism? In the end, HE can only give up thinking and continue to live like everyone else is to live.

 

[novem]

Those normals are not there yet to think about death. And it is a question of culture.

So it's mostly the disagreement between those who haven't thought about death and those who did think about it.

Everyone will eventually arrive to thus thoughts but will be in the minority like us.

 

[nopride86]

Most of them are deluded into thinking that they'll die peacefully in their sleep after a long happy life, beloved by friends and family.

The reality is that they will slowly decline and become a burden on everyone around them until they die a) by an age-related accident or b) hooked up to a machine in hospice alone.
And at that point, all people will feel for them is pity and relief.

 

[Obliviate]

I agree so much. I'm like hello? Have you seen the crime rate? murder, rape, sex trafficking, assault, hate crimes, kidnapping, starvation, homelessness everywhere. Not to mention brutal car accidents are one of the leading causes. Most of the world's population will die a horrendous death. So why the fuck is even peaceful suicide frowned upon? I swear the government is filled with a bunch of fucking privileged idiots

 

[PurpleMonkey]

I suppose if you're consistently happy or at peace with yourself and your life, you don't regularly think of death, and that when the topic is brought up, you'd like to imagine yourself as a comfortable oldie surrounded by family and friends.

 

[bluem00n]

If there is one thing I've learnt in all my researching of death, it's that like 95% of ways people die are horrendous. It baffles me that 'normal' people seem to be more than happy to just leave their inevitable deaths to chance when they could support society allowing people to take it within their own hands and ensure a peaceful death (barring accidental and unforeseen deaths of course). How do they think they will die? Is it TVs and films perpetuating the idea that everyone is going to die in their sleep of old age that causes people to just not worry about this kind of thing?

It's confusing to me that society hasn't advanced to the point of allowing people to choose how to die, even though the tools could be made available. But it's even more confusing to me, that 'normal' people don't seem an ounce bit concerned about this. I guess they just don't even think about this inevitability? How!?

Yes, it surprises me when normals oppose euthanasia and pass laws that make suicide near-impossible. I always think that one day - when they're suffering from some terminal affliction - they're going to bitterly regret their stance on such matters.

I suspect their opposition is either due to delusional religious rationales, else it's driven by economic considerations. After all, if euthanasia was readily available to anyone who wanted it, then the suicide rate would very probably skyrocket, and the impact on the economy might well be significant.

Another factor is that today's normals have next-to-no experience of death and dying, and are consequently excessively sentimental about life, whereas prior to the modern era life was exceedingly precarious, people routinely suffered physical hardship, and also witnessed many grisly deaths. What's more, they had to slaughter their own food a couple of times a week, so they were hard-nosed and - unlike people today - under no illusions about the very ugly nature of life and Reality.

 

[Meaninglessness]

In 2022, there is denial of suicide and human death in the civilization. People are afraid of death. People are programmed to live, otherwise they would be dead. Because of our laws, human life should only be prolonged, not shortened, no matter how disabled we are and no matter what we want. Only certain professional groups take care of death. Physician assisted suicide in Switzerland is only for rich people. The society tries to force poor people to live in a world of suffering.

There is total denial of death in my family. They refuse to talk about death. They ignore their age-related ailments and the decay of their bodies and they also ignore my meaningless suffering. But they suffer from no chronic pain, no chronic illness and no chronic disability. It is easy to be mean when you are heathy. It seems like that they want to live forever. However, my father died when he was a young, but that was a long time ago. I am the only one among my relatives who aren´t in denial of death because I want to live and die with dignity. I don´t want to die from old age. I have completed my life so there is no reason to go on. I shouldn´t be forced to live until I die from some age-related disease only because I live in a time when life expectancy is very high. If I had been born 200 or 300 years ago, I wouldn´t have lived this long.

Before the modern society, there was human death almost everywhere. People died at home, not in hospitals. The Black Death killed almost half of Europe´s population. Humans and predators must kill to survive in nature. But in the modern society, most of us can expect to die after long-term illness in palliative care, which probably will be a slow and painful death. I think that it is better to take control over my own death beforehand so that I avoid that meaningless suffering.

It is the society that we live in now which isn´t normal. Our civilization in the 21th century with its social, economic and political systems are a complete failure and therefore humanity is heading for a sixth mass extinction, and when that happens, people must overcome their denial of death.

 

[niiina]

I think that

1) those people are so attached to life they want to grab it till the last second, even tho it can be quite awful, they really want to be alive

2) they don't really think about death because they find it gruesome and dark. Many people I know hates any subject related to death, some even avoid fiction movies that shows too much content related to it, they just don't want to have to think about it

3) They're too scared of death, SI or fear of whats beyond life, they're scared of the unknown


Btw
I've seen a documentary (in Portuguese) about trans skid row prostitutes (oddly specific), they live for the drugs in awful nightmarish conditions at the streets and the death rates are extremely high for them, almost none gets to grow old, then at some point the documentarian (documentarist? idk lol) asked one of them what they want most in life and her answer was "to live, I just want to keep alive" and it baffled me.

Some people just have an extremely strong SI, our bodies are all about survival, it's an evolutionary thing I guess, all those mechanisms to keep us alive as species, most of living beings have it too, so it's not abnormal, we are animals after all.

I don't think people that want to live are somehow lesser than us (as long as they're not pro life cunts), they're just built this way.

We just took the red pill lol (sorry I think incels use this term, I'm stealing it)

 

[DEATH IS FREEDOM]

They do not think at all - they are in total denial of death. They are so afraid of death that they do anything to escape it. Death does not exist for these people. But merely deliberately prolonging life is a painful and slowly way to die. Someone who is young and healthy is usually in denial about death. This is normal because we are programmed to live. But there are many people who are chronically ill and chronically disabled. Should a young person or anyone else with chronic health problems be tormented for decades until he or she dies from old age? This should be taken into account. To force everyone to die from old age no matter how life turns out for them is a big and cruel failure of the society. Humans should have the same right to euthanasia as our pets.

 

[bigdipper420]

Most think of old age they do not want to die early

 

[Epikur]

Each time a person dies prematurely, that is to say under the age of 60 for them, they experience it as a real tragedy, an unnatural death because for them, it is not possible to die at certain ages.

It has become a societal obligation to live healthy up to the age of 100. look at what bullshit people spend their money for in oder to self-optimize to achieve this. every other death must be avoided at any costs. the amount of incomprehension I encounter when I tell my people that I will leave prematurely is amazing. How could you think about that is the common reaction, without any understanding. I am 56 now and think it is time for me to go. No one understands this. every time I insiunate on this topic they recommend me to see a shrink.

 

[R_N]

They all think they will die in their sleep of old age and live through their offspring.