Discussion Why are we afraid of death?

[dogemn]

If death is just non-existence, what exactly is there to fear?

 

[lamy's sacred sleep]

Is death is just non-existence, what exactly is there to fear?

well there's the whole - are we sure it's gonna be non-existence? but i consider this point moot because we're gonna die anyway

 

[Nightfoot]

I think fear of death is mostly due to the fear of the unknown. Even if someone believes there is nothing after death, it's still not something you can fully imagine. Some people believe it's like before you were born but what was that like? There's no experience you can compare it to, because even if you've had surgery and under aenesthetic, you still returned to consciousness at some point.

 

[Andarna]

Well, the thing is... evolution has shaped us to avoid dangers. Fear is a tool that keeps us alive. We are hardwired to fear death, and no rational arguments can alter that.

 

[ABadPerson]

Because life selects for whatever survives, not whatever makes sense.

Fear of death isn't meaningful in some grande sense, it's just the leftover reflex of the few patterns that weren't erased like goosebumps when watching a scary movie or recognising faces in odd places.

The organisms that weren't so prone towards the idea just died off, likely rather quickly as well.

 

[rustcohle4life]

No one is completely sure what happens after, so it's normal to be a bit apprehensive. Same as if you were taking some unknown trip on earth with possible dangers, bandits, dangerous terrain etc.

We know that 100 billion people have gone before us, so it seems like it isn't that special of an event.

 

[Off_Switch]

We're not afraid of death. We're afraid of the process required to acheive it.

 

[Persona3]

I have no personal answer yet, but why am I afraid of death when it could be my potential savior? I don't have the answer

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Non-existence is what I believe. For there to be something more than non-existence, there would have had to have been a "you", before there was a "you", iykwim. Like a "ready-made" soul, or the like, waiting to inhabit that momentary creationary "point" when your father's one sperm (out of millions) just happened to hook-up with your mother's one egg. And there would have to be this never-ending supply of souls "waiting" to inhabit every conceived "human". And what happens to the soul that jumped into the newly-created human that only makes it for 2 or 3 months in its mother's womb, but never is able to make the full 9 month long journey to the "outside", past that magical "barrier" that separates unborn from born? And, surely, a soul in control of consciousness, created by some grand-master, almighty being, in their own image nonetheless, wouldn't be affected by chromosomol abnormalities like mental retardation, would they? But, we know differently, do we not? No, none of that makes any sense. And if there's one thing I've learned it's that if something doesn't make sense, it's simply not true.

I don't "remember" anything before the period of time at which I gained self awareness. Do you? Is that when the so-called "soul" entered my body? If so, does that mean I was "soul-less" for the time of my existence preceding my awareness of self? Again, it just doesn't make sense.

The only thing that does make sense is that you/me never existed before being created by our father's sperm and mother's egg. Never having existed is a state of nothingness. We didn't exist before we were created and, once we die, we will, again, cease to exist, which is a return to nothingness. And I'm not even going to try and touch on the preposterousness of reincarnation, which, in essence, is the belief that the soul will be recycled.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

i don't fear Death. I fear life because only in life can one suffer extremely so badly the torture is unimaginable. Death is Non-existence forever. I can't suffer if i don't exist so why fear that? there is zero pain , no suffering, no problems ever , no bad memories in eternal Non-existence .

none of us existed for 13.8 billion years before we were born into this evil world.

Death is the escape from a hell a trillion times worse than anyone can imagine. so they tell me that is something to fear the escape from that nightmare? i say fuck that . no I wish for my Death my escape.

They say i have to be grateful for life which is a hell that's a billion times worse than i can imagine.
fuck that . i will never be grateful .

all the thinking ,consciousness any thought is only information in your brain. that 3 pounds blob of jelly is all i am . 86 billion brain cells connecting into patterns to form a model of a self that can suffer unending constant unbearable pain : how is that not something to fear , to recoil in absolute horror of such an abomination? but they tell us this is beautiful a gift that i have to be grateful for.

 

[FoxSauce]

Ik religions have some different way what happens after death but moslty on where do I go? and if its gonna be dark ?

Seems really dumb to think about but keeps me afraid

 

[rustcohle4life]

We're not afraid of death. We're afraid of the process required to acheive it.

I'd argue a lot of people here are afraid of both.

 

[dogemn]

Well, the thing is... evolution has shaped us to avoid dangers. Fear is a tool that keeps us alive. We are hardwired to fear death, and no rational arguments can alter that.

I've had so many painful and terrifying experiences from a lifetime of mental illness, trauma and addiction that at this point my hardwired fear of death feels completely eroded.

 

[Marbas]

Yeah I mean for me it's more the dying process itself vs actually being dead.

 

[FuneralCry]

No, I feel the exact opposite, in this existence so dreadful and torturous where there is no limit as to how much one can suffer non-existence is just the only peace and relief for me, I only find comfort in this existence disappearing into nothingness where finally I can be unconscious for all eternity with no more pain and no more suffering.

I only fear existing and I always suffer so much as a result of this existence, I just want to be gone from it all, I just want to never exist again, I find it terrifying how a human can suffer for decades longer burdened with this existence just to face the agony of old age, I just hope and wish to never exist again, existence to me truly is always an abomination.

 

[KeyTheBlooper]

If death is just non-existence, what exactly is there to fear?

Maybe because people have pets or still see beauty in the world. Maybe the fear of death comes from what we love about it—loss.

 

[Ashes of a Dreamer]

Because we fear the unknown, and despite we know exactly what happens with the body, people create a lot of theories related to what happens with the conscious/soul/spirit, all without solid proof. So, if a person excludes any religious belief, and focus only on scientific analysis, then there's no reason to be afraid of death.

 

[heautontimorumenos]

Something of natural instinct to stay alive encoded in most living creatures, and fear of the unknown. Especially with major religions having ideas of the afterlife that are tormentuous to any that went against their rules, it is hard for people to let go. That aside, many feel tethered by expectation & obligation. For myself, i feel i only stay alive due to wanting to learn more about the world before i die. It will likely be useless in death, but understanding is the only thing that gives me any drive to keep going, for now.

 

[Dark Mood]

I'm not afraid of death, but of the dying process. Will it be painful? What if something goes wrong? How long will it take? Death will be a relief for me, so I'm not afraid of that at all