Originally Posted by a2ng0d
In regarding the fear of death, i believe that everyone does to an extent. Even Russkie. As human beings, we have evolved to survive. Without survival instinct, you are not human. Every one in this forum, everyone in this world has feared death, and fears death; whether you've acknowledged an afterlife or not. This is the reason behind the development of your adrenal glands. To deny your fear of death is lying to the world and yourself. and if you honestly do not fear dying, chances are you are already dead; be it literally or in spirit.
It is not necessarily the pain of dying, but it is the gloomy thoughts of being forgotten over time. In time, your loved ones will stop mourning you. Your friends, teachers, neighbors, everyone you've ever known will forget about you. In order to move on with their lives, they would have to. I would think this fear of being forgotten, and also the fear of not being able to laugh, cry, or enjoy anything earthly anymore, would be even more eminent in atheists. It is because you have no place to go. You are nothing. You feel nothing, conscious of nothing. Your memories, hopes, fantasies...everything is Mu. The thought is unbearably depressing, is it not?
However, the fear of death itself , be it instinct or conscious, is also countered by our constant knowledge and acceptance that it will inevitably come one day. This separates us from other species. We know that our death will come, and it's okay. But until that day, we do our best to thrive and flourish to our fullest potential. So on that day, we may depart from this world with a smile and closed eyes...
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09-12-2008
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