"Why should I fear death? If I am, death is not. If death is, I am not. Why should I fear that which can only exist when I do not?"
- Epicurus
Quote Source: Why I Am An Agnostic by Robert Green Ingersoll
Epicurus: Why Should One Fear Death?
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I hear what he's saying... but I'm not sure I agree. I'm pretty firmly in the agnostic camp, which means that I don't know what's coming after this. While I strongly suspect that I will cease to exist in death, one can't be too sure :) Trees rot for years, decades (and the lucky ones lie petrified for centuries) before the earth claims their dead bodies. I have no idea what it's plans are for me.
Every being has an innate fear of death. Just because it exists though, doesn't mean it makes sense. To some extent, we're a lot more afraid than it makes sense to be.
Sammy, once again, you have blown my mind. I think the power of your post surpasses that of the original quote!
Yeah, I really like what Sammy brings to these forums. I think she is one of the most intelligent people I have read from. Her structure is great her charisma and intelligence shines in her post and really to be honest, it makes me want to be a better writer.
I am not ready to die there is to much I am unwilling to give up or leave behind now so for this reason i don't want to die and I fear death. Most things human and inhuman alike fear death. It's natural everything dies in time. Eventually this may change and one day I may welcome death at least if I live long enough, at this point I will no longer fear death but until then I will not live in fear of it. Fearing and living in fear are different.
I completely agree with this. It might sound a little too simplistic, but it makes complete sense. Why would you fear something you will not witness or feel.
I fear death because I really like being alive one day I will know what its like to die for now I am not willing to give up a good thing with no promise of something better in return. I have all my life to change my mind but for now I would rather stay alive. Even if science advance and I live for thousands of years on day eventually something will happen and I will die, for now I am willing to wait to see what lies behind that door in the future if life gets bad enough I might rather welcome the idea even if I believe with high probability that there is nothing after life.
Thsi is so good, but I guess this is why we fear death because we dont know what happens when we die.
Rob is right, if we could know exactly what death is all about, we shouldn't have to fear it.
What if it's scarier than we think?
Couldn't get a less creepy picture for this one? Yikes!!
I know right, sort of grim! I wonder what inspired the choosing of this picture?
Death is not scary. Dying may be scary, or painful. If you die without pain, you will be missed, as you miss those who went before you. And the next thing you realise, is that you won't be missed so much after all. Leaving the splendours of life is quite a forbidding prospect, reason why Epicurus' statement does make 'complete sense', as Darklight says. The sole difference between death and not being born is that time moves in one direction only.