NationStates Jolt Archive

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Why did you have to make this thread now?

I just found out my friend has heart problems, and I'm totally having a bad high on top of it.

Not really. I either meet Jesus, or rot in the ground.

Death isn't that bad-it's Life that's hard. Put me down for "No".

It's not so much the dying itself that I'm afraid of... it's not getting some stuff done beforehand that I really want to do. That's the major reason that death is something I'd like to avoid for a while.

I can't summon up the energy to care about dropping dead. Either it happens, or I somehow defy all known laws of biology and continue to stay alive. Either way, I simply won't care.

Not really. I either meet Jesus, or rot in the ground.

That about sums it up for me as well. If I'm right, then I go to heaven, if I'm not, then I cease to exist and it doesn't matter. It's just the manner of death that I'm a little concerned about. I'm definitely in the "quick and painless" camp.

I definitely meant to click on this thread, but then clicked on the thread below it, and thought the thread entitled "Death... does it scare you?" was about taking on small children in a fight.

It made me laugh, before I realised my error. :p The same OP and everything!

Anyway. Death... well, I have to say, I have mornings where I wake up and *living* scares me more than anything else does. Do I want to die? Not at the moment, no. But does it scare me? Not really. In my worst moments, I'd welcome the chance for everything I'm dealing with here on earth to be over. In my best, I'm looking forward to meeting my god, and I cannot honestly imagine (if there is an afterlife) that it would be bad, so what's to fear?

And if there isn't an afterlife, as others have said, then I won't know it to be disappointed, will I?

I do fear the *method* of death... and I fear regret, at the end. To die regretting something would be awful.

As for the death of others, it makes me incredible sad, but not afraid. I've dealt with loss; it shatters me and makes life impossible to deal with, for awhile, but pain and fear are different.

In summary, no. I don't.

A big "no" for me, as well, for reasons that have already been mentioned. Death is a a part of life, albeit the last part...And we all die sooner or later, says I, so why worry about it? It'll come eventually, whether we want it to or not...and sometimes when we least expect it.

I pretty much just live for today and let tomorrow worry about itself. I find life's a whole lot easier (and definitely a lot less stressful) that way.

I scare Death, actually.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Fuck yes I'm scared of death. Unlike a large number of people who like to lie to themselves to make themselves feel better about the idea, I am under no illusion that there is some sort of "afterlife" or what have you. I know that when I die, I completely cease to exist, and I have no intentions of EVER allowing that to happen!

Technology will be my ticket.

It's not so much the dying itself that I'm afraid of... it's not getting some stuff done beforehand that I really want to do. That's the major reason that death is something I'd like to avoid for a while.

Same here. And I'm more worried about HOW I'm going to die than about death itself.

Well I guess the only reason to worry about death is how it might effect the people who I'm close to. My grandma died in July and I still get bitter and jealous when I find out about people who lived for more than 70 years.

But yeah, death is annoying, and quite frankly I don't have time to deal with it just right now.

Same here. And I'm more worried about HOW I'm going to die than about death itself.

Yeah, I accept that I'm going to die, and am a little glad of it... immortality on this world would be kinda lame... even torturous. But I don't want to die just yet because there's a lot in the world I'd like to experience first.

And the manner of my death... I'd prefer something that wasn't complete agony. For example, after seeing how bad cancer is as a way to go, I'd prefer that my demise take some other form.

Death does not scare me. Dying does.

Death scares me just about as much as falling asleep.

Painful death on the other hand...........

Death does not scare me. Dying does.

QFT

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Death doesn't.
Dying, however, with the distinct possibility of it being painful, does scare me somewhat.

It's not so much the death scares me as not knowing when it will come.

not really. just pain.

if i die i'd rather do it without pain...

but then i spent 2 years+ of my life wishing to die all day every day, so i'm not sure if that makes a difference :P

It's not so much the death scares me as not knowing when it will come.

You'd rather know exactly when you were going to die?

while it may be a destination none of us ultimately avoid, let us simply say i'm in no hurry to get there.

the main thing that bothers me about it is the damnable inconvenience.

i mean i'd like to live long enough to see a little more confermation or anticonfirmation, as the case might be, as to my guessess about how certain social, natural and other phenomina actually work, as well as more of the unfolding of ongoing issues and trends.

not to mention all the myriad of roads and paths of learning and otherwise one life is just too damd short for one person to explore.

yes i'm resigned that each passing decade makes each next one that much longer of a shot. resigned but not unannoiyed by it.

the shortness of life and its limiting of opportunities is, in short, to me, a bigger bitch then just about anything IN life is most often likely to be.

so yah, i'm no braver then anybody, but i'm REALLY even more annoyed, then i am scared. i mean the likelyhood of dying without getting to live the full potential of 150 years at least, almost as much as anything in politics or human social culture, just majorly pissess me off.

=^^=
.../\...

You'd rather know exactly when you were going to die?
Yes. Then I can plan, and fail or succeed in the allotted time, and when death comes, sure I might be sad or angry, but not afraid. Fear only comes from uncertainty.

Yes. Then I can plan, and fail or succeed in the allotted time, and when death comes, sure I might be sad or angry, but not afraid. Fear only comes from uncertainty.

I'd rather not know. If I did, I could easily see myself consumed with anxiety as it got closer and closer. Much like an exam or the end of summer vacation when I was a kid.

Schroedinger's cat comfort me about that issue. By 2050 I guess life extension technologies will be quite advanced, for those who can afford it.

No. Though I'd much prefer to not die.

That about sums it up for me as well. If I'm right, then I go to heaven, if I'm not, then I cease to exist and it doesn't matter. It's just the manner of death that I'm a little concerned about. I'm definitely in the "quick and painless" camp.

me too:cool:

I'm not afraid. My place in Heaven is assured.


...unless Jesus wants those secret photos to go public. ;)

Yes and no. For myself, no, I do not fear death and I do not understand the desire for either eternal life or continuing on somehow (I.e. leaving something behind to be be remembered by).

Having said that though... well... I have a wife and a two and a half month old baby and the thought of losing them scares me more than anything else. I've already lost my father when I was young and the idea of going through that again...

I'm not afraid. My place in Heaven is assured.


...unless Jesus wants those secret photos to go public. ;)

Blackmailing your Lord and Saviour, is there anything classier? ;)

Blackmailing your Lord and Saviour, is there anything classier? ;)

A mud-caked tuxedo. :)

Death does not scare me. Dying does.

QFT.
I'm worried about dying before I'm done here. There's so much more I'd like to accomplish.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

I'm obviously scared of the idea of seeing somebody I love die.

My feelings about watching a stranger die would be determined by the nature of the death, I suppose, since there are good deaths and bad.

My own death doesn't scare me, in and of itself, though there are ways of dying that I fear. Drowning, for instance, or falling from a high place. I'm also in no hurry to die, so I'd be pretty bummed out if I learned I had a year to live or whatever, but I don't think fear would be my main reaction.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Not really, since I believe in reincarnation.

I'm obviously scared of the idea of seeing somebody I love die.

My feelings about watching a stranger die would be determined by the nature of the death, I suppose, since there are good deaths and bad.

My own death doesn't scare me, in and of itself, though there are ways of dying that I fear. Drowning, for instance, or falling from a high place. I'm also in no hurry to die, so I'd be pretty bummed out if I learned I had a year to live or whatever, but I don't think fear would be my main reaction.

QFT. My exact feelings. Except that falling from a high place sounds like a good way to die. Adrenaline rush and then a quick death. Besides drowning, I think bad ways to die include burning, long illness, etc...

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

No, I don't fear death, not at all. Seeing someone snuff it, expecially if he's someone I care about (relatives, friends) isn't nice; and the prospective of death is somewhat sad (in this valley of tears, it's still nice to weep, after all).
Still I have managed to accept death as the only certain thing in life. It cannot be avoided, so why make it worse by worrying or being scared about?

no it really doesnt scare me is the thoughts of my family and the grief that they will go through as none of us like hurting our loved ones and this is one time no one can avoid it

I don't like the idea of ceasing to exist, but the thought of eternal boredom once I'd done everything possible over and over again is just as horrifying.

Existing outside of time would be nice.

Doesn't scare me. I know where I'm going.

No I'm not afraid of death. Death will signify my rebirth here on earth or my unification with God. That's what I'm afraid of, being reborn outside of humanity.
OM

Not afraid of death at all. Manner of death, however, very different, don't want anything violent, traumatic or excruciatingly long. I'm not scared of other people dying either, more worried about dealing with the pain of them passing :(. Besides, Like others have said, I know where I'm going, or, if I don't go there I won't know a thing about it! ;)

Sometimes death scares me, sometimes living does.

I have no fear of death or dying. I know where I'll be headed when my final breath comes; to a blessed eternity with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

well, yes i am scared of death and dying, of course i hope that Jesus will be welcoming me to eternity or at least that there's some nice place after death but when i think of the option that i could simply cease to exist It's making me hoping that those scientists will soon find a way to transfer the human mind onto a Hard Disc Drive.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Me neither.

Death nor dying scare me.

I'm not afraid. My place in Heaven is assured.


...unless Jesus wants those secret photos to go public. ;)

LG, you wouldn't! :eek:

Death scares the shit out of me. And I tend to think anyone who says they're not afraid of it is full of shit.

Death scares the shit out of me. And I tend to think anyone who says they're not afraid of it is full of shit.

Based on what exactly?

Based on what exactly?

Fear of death is a natural and healthy reaction. Animals that have no fear of dying tend to die. It follows that if you're alive, you're likely to have inherited a fear of death.

Does death scare me?

That depends -- how am I slated to die?

LG, you wouldn't! :eek:

Of course not; There's no need. All clowns go to Heaven just like dogs. :)

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

me dying. No.

watching someone else die? depends on how.

Fuck yes I'm scared of death. Unlike a large number of people who like to lie to themselves to make themselves feel better about the idea, I am under no illusion that there is some sort of "afterlife" or what have you.

I think it would be better for most NS'ers if there was not an after-life. Remember how we all scored on the Dante's Inferno quiz? I got the 8th circle myself.

Anyway, I got along fine without life before birth, I do not think I need life after death.

I know that when I die, I completely cease to exist, and I have no intentions of EVER allowing that to happen!

:p And you think the after-life people are fooling themselves?

Technology will be my ticket.

Theoretically speaking, it is quite possible there will be a way to bring you back to life, after death--eventually. So, if you are a good productive member of society, people may want you in the future.

I'm not afraid. My place in Heaven is assured.


...unless Jesus wants those secret photos to go public. ;)

Heaven? Why on earth would you want to go there? There are no casinos there.

Depends. If for example I were caught in a pyroclastic flow knowing that my brain will literally explode my skull thanks to the water turning to steam...well I would not really be looking forward to that.

However death ....well its innit...shit happens. It depends how...

Death scares the shit out of me. And I tend to think anyone who says they're not afraid of it is full of shit.

Nonsense. Sane people don't want to die, but people shouldn't be afraid of it. I just want to live a good life, and make my death mean something, or die once I'm past my prime so I don't become a burden. Growing old, weak, and burdensome scares me more than death.

Fuck yes I'm scared of death. Unlike a large number of people who like to lie to themselves to make themselves feel better about the idea, I am under no illusion that there is some sort of "afterlife" or what have you. I know that when I die, I completely cease to exist, and I have no intentions of EVER allowing that to happen!

Technology will be my ticket.

Ha. Betting on technology to make you live forever? I'd love to see your face when you realize that is impossible, as well as wrong and selfish!

Ha. Betting on technology to make you live forever?

A far-more absurd notion than the after-life.

I'd love to see your face when you realize that is impossible,

Well, at least for a few thousand years (minimal.)

as well as wrong and selfish!

:confused:

I don't fear death, because it's going to happen sooner or later, so might as well enjoy life while you can and go out with a bang! :D

I don't fear death, because it's going to happen sooner or later, so might as well enjoy life while you can and go out with a bang! :D

Hell yes.

:confused:

Its selfish because it denies the next generation their rightful chance to live and thrive.

Yes and no. I do believe in an afterlife, but I like this life. I love this life. The good and the bad. Even when life totally sucks I love this life. When I was dirt poor eating out of a dumpster I loved this life. I don't feel ready to leave it all behind. I don't know if I ever will.

Its selfish because it denies the next generation their rightful chance to live and thrive.

How?

I don't know if I ever will.

You would a minority. Just you and a wanderin' Jew.

Yeah death's scary, but hopefully it won't be as ugly as some peoples lives.
In fact death is very scary, but so is life if it's restrained to a small area, like say a prison cell.
Having said that i wouldn't want immortality can you imagine how much taxes i'd have to pay? aside from that life would cease to be fun.
so it's a big BOO to death.

You would a minority. Just you and a wanderin' Jew.

I just love the unpredictibleness of life. Every morning you wake up and anything can happen. You could lose your job, you could win the lottery, you could find out you have cancer, you could find an undiscovered talent. Life can't be scripted and there's always something new.

I fear the death of those I care about around me, not my own. I fear the burden I may place on others when I am dying and the effect my death will have on those that care about me.

I feel rather desensitised towards my own death. I've spent a lot of the past few years thinking I would rather be dead than have to face whatever misery my perception had created about my life. That's not to say I've always been suicidal, just sometimes have no preference at night whether I wake up or not. In fact, I couldn't bring the feelings I've had about the deaths of friends onto others if I killed myself, it would be too selfish and totally ignoring their opinions and needs. They are, after all, more important to me than myself.

I just love the unpredictibleness of life. Every morning you wake up and anything can happen. You could lose your job, you could win the lottery, you could find out you have cancer, you could find an undiscovered talent. Life can't be scripted and there's always something new.

A pretty life you have.

http://www.wordzofwizdome.com/groundhogday.JPG

I fear the death of those I care about around me, not my own. I fear the burden I may place on others when I am dying and the effect my death will have on those that care about me.

I feel rather desensitised towards my own death. I've spent a lot of the past few years thinking I would rather be dead than have to face whatever misery my perception had created about my life. That's not to say I've always been suicidal, just sometimes have no preference at night whether I wake up or not. In fact, I couldn't bring the feelings I've had about the deaths of friends onto others if I killed myself, it would be too selfish and totally ignoring their opinions and needs. They are, after all, more important to me than myself.
Just remember there are alot of people who don't care about death, and live perfectly happy lives screwing so many people out of money, well i can see where you're coming from if you have suffered extreme circumstances, but you've got to remember many years ago there were people thinking exactly the same thing as you but decided to live so that you could live too, that's what so many soldiers die, for is a good life for their country.

A pretty life you have.

http://www.wordzofwizdome.com/groundhogday.JPG

http://209.85.12.231/11055/49/emo/lolani.gif
Yeah, if I had that life I might change my tune a bit.

Just remember there are alot of people who don't care about death, and live perfectly happy lives screwing so many people out of money, well i can see where you're coming from if you have suffered extreme circumstances, but you've got to remember many years ago there were people thinking exactly the same thing as you but decided to live so that you could live too, that's what so many soldiers die, for is a good life for their country.

Er...a very tangential point with seemingly little relevance...but, thanks anyway.

i'm not scared of watching sum1 die but i am scared of myself dying. i have paranoia and hate low flying planes or helicopters. i always think they r about to crash. scary

As a soldier of a much deployed group of soldiers, I can tell I do not fear. So I cannot be scared by death either :).

Hell, when I go, I'll teach Satan how to run the damned place.

When my loved ones go, ill be sad for a day or 2, if it's my girl, 3. Then it's moving on, or making sure I follow her fast after a mindless rampage while serving my country.

Fear is not an option ^^

http://209.85.12.231/11055/49/emo/lolani.gif
Yeah, if I had that life I might change my tune a bit.

Most people do have that life.

"That about sums-it-up for me."

Most people do have that life.

"That about sums-it-up for me."

You mean nothing unexpected ever happens to you?

You mean nothing unexpected ever happens to you?

No.

No.

when its about to happen his spidersense starts tingling.

I think it would be better for most NS'ers if there was not an after-life. Remember how we all scored on the Dante's Inferno quiz? I got the 8th circle myself.
That presumes that any real afterlife would be something described in an Earthly religion(or in a fictional book) which I find just as unlikely as the idea of any Earthly god existing.


Anyway, I got along fine without life before birth, I do not think I need life after death.

Considering you did not EXIST before you were born, I find that a confusing statement. How could you "get along fine" if you weren't there at all? True, the egg that turned into you existed in your mother's ovaries for many years, but that was not you. It was just an egg.


:p And you think the after-life people are fooling themselves?

I said I have no intention of ever ALLOWING it to happen, not that it WOULDN'T happen. What I meant was that I would never willingly die, kill myself, or what have you.


Theoretically speaking, it is quite possible there will be a way to bring you back to life, after death--eventually. So, if you are a good productive member of society, people may want you in the future.

I'd rather just continue on living, thanks.
Ha. Betting on technology to make you live forever? I'd love to see your face when you realize that is impossible, as well as wrong and selfish!
Well I suppose that depends on what you mean by forever and what you see as life. I know from prior discussions you would never contemplate the usage of advanced technology such as nanites, supercomputers holding the contents of one's brain, ect ect or anything to do with transhumanism.

And is it really "wrong"? Who says? Why? What makes your opinion any more correct on this than mine?

As for being selfish...who said I wouldn't gladly have everyone else do the same? I WOULD. I don't want to see ANYONE die. As it is I'll probably have to watch my father die within a few years at most and I'm not exactly happy about that.

The older I get; the more life scares me. Do I believe in an "after life". Well...
I rather believe in one and find out there is not one. Then to not believe and find out there is an after life. ;)

A pretty life you have.

http://www.wordzofwizdome.com/groundhogday.JPG

I have a serious problem with that movie. It never bothers to explain what caused the time travel phenomenon, nor did it explain why it seemed to reset everyone's memories except for that of Bill Murray's character. Furthermore, it ended completely randomly after at least a whole year, possibly longer(how much time could it take to learn to play the piano as well as he did plus ice sculpt and all that stuff?) One might say it was his new relationship with his coworker that caused it to end, but that can't be right because he had a relationship with her before that was working out rather well, and the phenomenon continued to exist.

That's not to say it wasn't fun. It was. It just lacked in plot logic.

Absolutely. I fear death because I'm not deluded by some magical afterworld.

The older I get; the more life scares me. Do I believe in an "after life". Well...
I rather believe in one and find out there is not one. Then to not believe and find out there is an after life. ;)

I don't do drugs.

religion = drugs in my humble opinion

Absolutely. I fear death because I'm not deluded by some magical afterworld.

If there is no afterlife, you won't be aware of your death. So there's still nothing to fear.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Scared of it, no. But it pisses me off.

Robert Jordan never got to finish his masterpiece. Pratchett may be stolen from us before his creative force is spent. Kurt Cobain was taken from us when he still could have given so much.

The things I want to do - might not have time to happen. That pisses me off.

Absolutely. I fear death because I'm not deluded by some magical afterworld.

Why is nothingness scary?

I find it quite comforting to be honest

Yes, I fear death, but I don't feel that any reason needs to be given besides the fact that it's programmed into me. Organisms that did not want to die have been weeded out by natural selection. I fear death because my ancestors survived by fearing death, and I have their genes. There really isn't anything more to it than that. It's not rational, it's instinctual, but it's still there.

On a less primal level, I don't want to die because there are some things in life that I like - people, books, music - and I'd prefer to keep doing them. My philosophy professor calls them the "goods of consciousness".

Well I suppose that depends on what you mean by forever and what you see as life. I know from prior discussions you would never contemplate the usage of advanced technology such as nanites, supercomputers holding the contents of one's brain, ect ect or anything to do with transhumanism.

And is it really "wrong"? Who says? Why? What makes your opinion any more correct on this than mine?

As for being selfish...who said I wouldn't gladly have everyone else do the same? I WOULD. I don't want to see ANYONE die. As it is I'll probably have to watch my father die within a few years at most and I'm not exactly happy about that.

Why is it wrong? Because you are using up more resources that should be used by the next generation.

The world cannot handle an immortal, growing population. And if everyone became immortal the only way it would work if there was zero population growth- and that denying the right of the next generation their chance to live and thrive.

The world cannot handle an immortal, growing population. And if everyone became immortal the only way it would work if there was zero population growth- and that denying the right of the next generation their chance to live and thrive.

I don't see why the potential for new life trumps my life

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?



Someday, inevitably, nuh-uh. Say, tomorrow, where I'm in the moment and i can probably prevent it, yeah, fear is part of my motivation.

I mean I always say keep living cause you're already doing it, so why make things complicated? But if someone is trying to kill you, to fight to stay alive goes against my lazy philosophy towards the act of living, so I'd have to say that in this case, feeling fear is like making an investment in the future status quo.

Why is it wrong? Because you are using up more resources that should be used by the next generation.

The world cannot handle an immortal, growing population. And if everyone became immortal the only way it would work if there was zero population growth- and that denying the right of the next generation their chance to live and thrive.
Who said anything about only remaining on this one planet? Why can't we expand to many new worlds?

I know it's extremely difficult for you, but please try to think long-term.

Besides, potential life is irrelevant. What is important is the life that exists NOW.

Who said anything about only remaining on this one planet? Why can't we expand to many new worlds?

I know it's extremely difficult for you, but please try to think long-term.

Besides, potential life is irrelevant. What is important is the life that exists NOW.

We won't ever leave this planet in any meaningful numbers. I discount that possibility entirely. There isn't enough time.

Everything dies. It is a natural, and necessary, part of life. Without successive generations there will be no change, no evolution.

Why is nothingness scary?

I find it quite comforting to be honest

"Just so."

"On the mark, Cugel!"

We won't ever leave this planet in any meaningful numbers. I discount that possibility entirely. There isn't enough time.


...That kills the verbiage somewhat abruptly....

We won't ever leave this planet in any meaningful numbers. I discount that possibility entirely. There isn't enough time.

Everything dies. It is a natural, and necessary, part of life. Without successive generations there will be no change, no evolution.

We don't have time? Dude, we have approximately a one billion timer until Earth becomes largely uninhabitable, and considering we achieved space travel in a mere five THOUSAND, I think we have plenty of time. Just because you find it difficult to conceive doesn't mean it won't occur.

We don't have time? Dude, we have approximately a one billion timer until Earth becomes largely uninhabitable, and considering we achieved space travel in a mere five THOUSAND, I think we have plenty of time. Just because you find it difficult to conceive doesn't mean it won't occur.

Five thousand? If we really want to get in to it, we went from being stuck on the ground in to space and beyond in only one century of that time. Kyronea, remember, everybody said that noone could sail past the Straight of Gibraltar or the Cape of Good Hope. Nor could anybody sail around the world, let alone construct ships capable of making the journey. Air travel was nothing more than a fable, an impossibility without the use of magic. All of those were impossibilities, and those that dreamed of them little more than madmen...and I think we can see how that turned out. Every single time the naysayers were proven utterly wrong and ultimately mankind benefited massively from it; those fearless explorers and inventors that didn't stop in the face of pessimism are responsible for everything we know and enjoy today.

There was nothing outside of Europe, Asia, and North Africa but the wild, untamed oceans of the West beyond which lay, depending on your culture, either the edge of the world, dragons and mythical beasts in a sandy desert, or the lands of the Gods themselves.

Mankind's entire history is one of growth, expansion, and conquest of seemingly impossible odds and there's no reason for it to stop now, at the very time when it is speeding up faster than ever. This really is the greatest time in human history; we are seeing the very future itself expand before our eyes and we will be able to partake in the benefits that our contemporary work will produce in only a short span of time.

And, to answer the actual question: no, death does not scare me. There's no reason to be afraid; that doesn't mean I plan on getting there any time soon, absolutely not, but that's not the same as fearing it. Love of life does not equate to fear of death; if anything, love of life is what allows me to be free of that basic mortal fear.

Five thousand? If we really want to get in to it, we went from being stuck on the ground in to space and beyond in only one century of that time. Kyronea, remember, everybody said that noone could sail past the Straight of Gibraltar or the Cape of Good Hope. Nor could anybody sail around the world, let alone construct ships capable of making the journey. Air travel was nothing more than a fable, an impossibility without the use of magic. All of those were impossibilities, and those that dreamed of them little more than madmen...and I think we can see how that turned out. Every single time the naysayers were proven utterly wrong and ultimately mankind benefited massively from it; those fearless explorers and inventors that didn't stop in the face of pessimism are responsible for everything we know and enjoy today.

There was nothing outside of Europe, Asia, and North Africa but the wild, untamed oceans of the West beyond which lay, depending on your culture, either the edge of the world, dragons and mythical beasts in a sandy desert, or the lands of the Gods themselves.

Mankind's entire history is one of growth, expansion, and conquest of seemingly impossible odds and there's no reason for it to stop now, at the very time when it is speeding up faster than ever. This really is the greatest time in human history; we are seeing the very future itself expand before our eyes and we will be able to partake in the benefits that our contemporary work will produce in only a short span of time.
Exactly.

Exactly.

I'm looking forward to it, personally.

Sometimes it does.

On sleepless nights when I lie in bed and picture myself as a pile of moldy bones under the ground, flesh all shrivelled and melted away, yeah, I get chilld bu~t it's a comfort to remind myself that death and dying only happen once, but life happens every day.

I'm looking forward to it, personally.

As am I. We'll finally be able to cheat death technologically. That will make me very happy.

I can honestly say I'm not afraid of death.

Death happens all the time, all around us.
Everyone is dying.
Some more quickly than others, but once you hit around 26 your body stops growing and you start to biologically decay... all of life is just a process of dying.

As for the actual moment of death, well I've seen it up close, nearly experienced a few times. I'm very well acquainted with death. I'm not afraid of it.
It's the unknown we generally fear.
Death is a very definite, known factor.

Just because I'm not afraid doesn't mean I want to die now, or even soon, but if I do, then I do. What would be the point of worrying about it?
And I don't believe in an afterlife, so it would just be an end. The end.

Nonsense. Sane people don't want to die, but people shouldn't be afraid of it.

Too bad about "shoulds". They are. And I assert that those who claim not to have a fear of death are lying, to whoever they're asserting it to and quite possibly themselves as well.

Too bad about "shoulds". They are. And I assert that those who claim not to have a fear of death are lying, to whoever they're asserting it to and quite possibly themselves as well.

I am happy to admit that when I first thought about death as a child it scared the hell out of me but now it doesn't have the same effect. I started out with that fear of death itself and because of my personal guesses on what death is like I don't fear it any more. Why would I fear nothingness?

Dying on the other hand could be painful both emotionally and physically. That I do fear a bit.

Too bad about "shoulds". They are. And I assert that those who claim not to have a fear of death are lying, to whoever they're asserting it to and quite possibly themselves as well.

I don't agree entirely...some people honestly do not fear death.

But many who say they don't actually do, though. They'll hide behind one illusion or another, such as some sort of Heaven or reincarnation or some other gibberish, but it's just a facade.

I am happy to admit that when I first thought about death as a child it scared the hell out of me but now it doesn't have the same effect. I started out with that fear of death itself and because of my personal guesses on what death is like I don't fear it any more. Why would I fear nothingness?

Dying on the other hand could be painful both emotionally and physically. That I do fear a bit.

Seems like a bit of word gaming here. If you can achieve death without dying then perhaps this would be a relevant objection.

Seems like a bit of word gaming here. If you can achieve death without dying then perhaps this would be a relevant objection.

Painful death

The bold is very important

I fear pain but not because it is associated with dying

Too bad about "shoulds". They are. And I assert that those who claim not to have a fear of death are lying, to whoever they're asserting it to and quite possibly themselves as well.

What if you've had a near-death experience, or are in fact actually dying?
Do you believe one can accept death then?
Why do we have to fear it?
After all, as humans we lay claim to a "higher consciousness" surely that allows us to over-ride our limbic survivalist instinct?

Death doesn't scare me, but I'd very much prefer it wait about a month or so. It would be a damn shame to have just finished two term papers and an exam (four exams by this time Thursday), and then miss Christmas break anyway.

no. When you die, its like flipping a switch, you're there then you're not.

Death doesn't scare me, but I'd very much prefer it wait about a month or so. It would be a damn shame to have just finished two term papers and an exam (four exams by this time Thursday), and then miss Christmas break anyway.

Yeah, I'd prefer to die as a CPA than a college student, so I need at least two more years.

the end result, death, no. getting there, dying, a little.

I don't think I will in time, but for now, I'm quite intent on remaining alive. But the possibility of not existing brings up a sense of the unknown, and a kind of fear.

No, however I've seen it and it doesn't look nice.

What if you've had a near-death experience

That could be an exception. But there sure are lots more people claiming not to fear death than claim to have also had near-death experiences as such. There's some macho he-man chest-thumping bravado bullshit going on, I tell ya.

, or are in fact actually dying?

Definitely an exception, though I doubt then they would be posting too much on NSG. Or rather, that many if any of NSG's posters would fit in this category.

Do you believe one can accept death then?

There's a difference between acceptance and lack of fear.

After all, as humans we lay claim to a "higher consciousness" surely that allows us to over-ride our limbic survivalist instinct?

Sure. And some people don't fear pain. Some people don't have any emotional connection to other people. Some people don't feel any different about killing an insect and killing people. But generally these are rare exceptions, abnormalities.

There's a difference between acceptance and lack of fear.

I think it depends on the definition of fear, really.

Seems like a bit of word gaming here. If you can achieve death without dying then perhaps this would be a relevant objection.

If one defines your death as being equivalent to not existing anymore one cannot rationally fear it.

The process of dying however can be feared.

Yes, death scares me. :(

Some people call me Death.
I have absolutely no idea why...

im not afraid of my own death. im 50. ive had enough time to think it through and be resigned to the notion that it is inevitable. i do sometime feel angry that i cant try it again now that i understand more of how the whole thing works.

im very afraid of the deaths of those i love. not on a constant daily basis but when such troubles rear their ugly heads i find myself very afraid. part of it is that control freak thing where i should be able to control the lives and hence deaths of others. part of it is the knowlege of how very painful it is to grieve over the loss of someone you love.

Nope. Ain't the dyin that scares us. Pain. Excessive pain is what scares us. We don't care if we die. Just please... no pain.
:headbang: = :eek:
:):mp5: = :p

Too bad about "shoulds". They are. And I assert that those who claim not to have a fear of death are lying, to whoever they're asserting it to and quite possibly themselves as well.

Really, GT. I was under the impression that your were intelligent.

That is like saying: "Any man who says he does not want to see a naked girl is just lying."

Without death, there is no life. So why should we be scared of it? The only reason to be scared of death is that if you die, then people around you could suffer.

No, death does not scare me, for when I stand before Christ Jesus, he shall say to me "Well done my faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the LORD."

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?

For me its a big nope.

Yeah. I want to exist.

Really, GT. I was under the impression that your were intelligent.

My was and is intelligent. ;)

That is like saying: "Any man who says he does not want to see a naked girl is just lying."

I would say a fear of death is far more prevalent than the need to look at porn.

And I would say that most people who claim to have no fear of death are equatable with those who claim to have gigantic penises and high IQ.

If one defines your death as being equivalent to not existing anymore one cannot rationally fear it.

Most people don't have fears based on rational trains of thought. And that is a rather iffy statement there anyway.

The process of dying however can be feared.

And since death can't really be achieved without a process of dying, the two go hand in hand and people can and do fear the whole bloody thing. I really don't understand why people in this thread are playing around with the "I don't fear death, just dying" bit. It's like, "I don't fear child birth, just pregnancy." You can't have the former without the latter, slut! AND USE THE PILL!

Sorry, I digressed there a bit...

And since death can't really be achieved without a process of dying, the two go hand in hand and people can and do fear the whole bloody thing.

And you're still stuck on the idea that there is no such thing as a painless death

As i've said before I fear pain in any situation but I don't fear dying itself

And you're still stuck on the idea that there is no such thing as a painless death


There might be. I've never known anyone who died and said it was painless.

And no one knows what kind of death they will have.

As i've said before I fear pain in any situation but I don't fear dying itself

Yeah yeah, as long as it's painless. Well you know, I don't fear getting married, as long as there are no marital arguments or stress. Could happen, right?

There might be. I've never known anyone who died and said it was painless.

And no one knows what kind of death they will have.

And no matter what the circumstances of my death are I would fear pain not my progression towards an end

Yeah yeah, as long as it's painless. Well you know, I don't fear getting married, as long as there are no marital arguments or stress. Could happen, right?

I still wouldn't be afraid of marriage itself. I wouldn't fear being bound to someone legally and symbolically.

Basically this all boils down to how you approach the question. The only disagreement I have is with your feeling that people are lying to show off.

I don't fear death, because it's going to happen sooner or later, so might as well enjoy life while you can and go out with a bang! :D
That's actually my nation's motto. "Send me out with a bang." As well as sometimes "I like to eat cake while excruciating" I believe in a God and an afterlife, so death doesn't scare me as much as dying does, but I don't want to lose those close to me. I don't see the point in not believing in an afterlife. If you die and you are wrong about the afterlife, big deal you won't be around to care. If you die and you are right about afterlife, you have an afterlife to look forward to. But if you die not believing in an afterlife, and you might ruin the rest of eternity for yourself. (depending on how merciful God is)

My was and is intelligent. ;)

Apperently I misunderestimated your intellect.

I would say a fear of death is far more prevalent than the need to look at porn.

Would you now?

And I would say that most people who claim to have no fear of death are equatable with those who claim to have gigantic penises and high IQ.

Some people do possess the aforementioned traits, though.

Most people don't have fears based on rational trains of thought. And that is a rather iffy statement there anyway.

Those people are silly ;) And read more Spinoza :)

And since death can't really be achieved without a process of dying, the two go hand in hand and people can and do fear the whole bloody thing. I really don't understand why people in this thread are playing around with the "I don't fear death, just dying" bit.

Again: you need to read more Spinoza. And philosophy in general.

Sometimes death scares me, sometimes living does.

Whoaaa! That was so thoughtful!

*Looks at a rose, pondering on the meaning of existence.*

Several times I've come close to dying. Each time it was quite comfortable. In fact, when I was six I came out of it crying desperately because "the nice lady made me come back", which caused my parents to fear I'd somehow been secretly got at by (shudder) Catholics!

What I fear is dying of asthma, gasping for every breath; or being trapped inside a worn-out body. The sort of natural death that supposedly comes complete with either the hallucination or the genuine experience of moving towards something better doesn't sound too bad.

Well, death is going to happen to all of us sometime isnt it? Why be scared of something your expecting? Its inevitable and WILL happen to you, to everyone.

The question is simple; does the thought of dying or seeing someone else die, scare you?Someone i love and/or care for, yes, since i should want that they can experience many more things and perhaps share joy and kindness longer in this short existence.
As for myself, not so much. It's a big "oh well" for me a lot, although that's occasionally somewhat of an irresponsible attitude to have.

As for myself, not so much. It's a big "oh well" for me a lot, although that's occasionally somewhat of an irresponsible attitude to have.

Live forever or die trying, that's what I think about the whole mess.

Live forever or die trying, that's what I think about the whole mess.

Most excellent, mon capitan.
*bows*
It occurred to me that perhaps the point of life is to stay alive .... :eek:

Most excellent, mon capitan.
*bows*
It occurred to me that perhaps the point of life is to stay alive .... :eek:

I feel fantastic and I'm Still Alive. (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/extras/stillalive.php)

I feel fantastic and I'm Still Alive. (http://www.vgcats.com/comics/extras/stillalive.php):eek:
Perhaps i was wrong. I'm quite likely an abomination.
http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/789/789828/the-simpsons-season-18-20070518015031097.jpg

Sure. Well... I don't know. Dying certainly scares me, death itself... not really. At least then I'd be certain of things. Or unconcerned. :p

Death does scare me.