11 replies to this topic

[Alex]

I think it's an interesting question to think about. When does a person become aware of death, or become scared of death?
Ever since I read Rosencrants and Guildenstern are Dead I've been pondering this question.
In the book, one of the characters theorizes that since he cannot recall a single event that would give him the awareness of death, people must be inherently born with this perception of mortality. I sort of agree because I can't remember anything that would make me realize I can die.
But if you look at a little kid, they do stuff that clearly shows they dont know they can die. My little sister climbs places, puts small toys in her mouth that can easily get lodged in her throat, plays with knifes. We of course punish her for these things, but she does them anyway because she doesn't know any better.
This makes me think it's the things we see as we grow up, especially on TV, that make us aware. For example, when many people first saw Lion King at a young age, they cried when whats-his-names father fell off the cliff. The perception of death was not deeply imbedded in our mind and hence it was traumatical, I think. As you grow up, you become accustomed to the presence of mortality, ie. you see death in the news every day and it's a mere "That's terrible" followed by a click on the remote to switch the channel.

What do you guys think?

[Nick]

We are not born with the understanding that we will die. It becomes presented to us in many forms when we reach the age of 7 or 8. Most children believe they will live forever at first, that death will not apply to them. I used to convince myself that they would come up with some medicine that would make you live forever. I also agree that you become accustomed to the concept of mortality. Fearing death is equivalent to fearing life. It's a natural part of the universe, so just accept it and live in the now.

[otherworld]

people become aware of it when they see it anywhere

until then people really think they wont die

[Digital]

Mortality is something that we don't need to understand or know. We humans have learned to apply thought to anything, and changed our environments to suit our survival, something that other animals do instinctively, but not through intelligence.

We have learned to suppress and remove our instincts (one being fear) because we have created comfort around us. We live in a very safe world, why... we didn't want to have to fight nature for survival, we learned to move land to our benefit, hunt with tools that allowed us to not risk ourselves.

Fear is the natural reminder we are mortal. The less fear one has, the less notion of death that person has. A child has not yet experienced fear, thus they do not realize that they are indeed vulnerable. Just my two cents.

[Ives]

The problem with death is that the parents are 99 percent of the time uneasy about it, so the kid takes it in a whole new dimension.

[Quadra]

Mortality is something that we don't need to understand or know. We humans have learned to apply thought to anything, and changed our environments to suit our survival, something that other animals do instinctively, but not through intelligence.

We have learned to suppress and remove our instincts (one being fear) because we have created comfort around us. We live in a very safe world, why... we didn't want to have to fight nature for survival, we learned to move land to our benefit, hunt with tools that allowed us to not risk ourselves.

Fear is the natural reminder we are mortal. The less fear one has, the less notion of death that person has. A child has not yet experienced fear, thus they do not realize that they are indeed vulnerable. Just my two cents.

In truth does anyone really have knowledge of mortality? Yes people are able to distinguish the difference between life and death but none other than the dead can claim an understanding of death.

The relative comfort that humans have created for themselves in my opinion does not remove the knowledge that we are mortal. Psychological and physiological cues such as pain serve to constantly remind us that we live. In order to live life though I feel one must take the position that we are immortal. A preoccupation with death inspires feeling of pointlessness which can only impede the quality of one's life.

Fear is not always that which causes an awareness of death but it does move to make you aware of the value you place on your own life. As to when where and how one goes about differentiating between life and death; this is something that I still ponder.

[Random]

I like what Alex said about it in his first post.
Now even though I know about death I don't fear it, if I fear death then I will just be bored with life. And when I die, I die I don't think I'll care much since I'll be dead.
Not saying I want to die for anyone who wants to misinterpret it.

[Digital]

Fear is not always that which causes an awareness of death but it does move to make you aware of the value you place on your own life. As to when where and how one goes about differentiating between life and death; this is something that I still ponder.

We see death, however being animals like the rest of the creatures that exist, we know that we must continue on and not stop to ponder it. Fear causes to realize that we are not immortal, which we consider being the fact of the matter due to thousands of years of conditioning for death.

[Quadra]

We see death, however being animals like the rest of the creatures that exist, we know that we must continue on and not stop to ponder it. Fear causes to realize that we are not immortal, which we consider being the fact of the matter due to thousands of years of conditioning for death.

You stated earlier that humanity has created comfort around itself in order to avoid the struggle to survive. In so doing humanity acquired the luxury of time to ponder and examine issues that would be less pertinent, if not detrimental to our existence if we were preoccupied with survival. If we were conditioned for death it causes me to wonder why we would bother to continue living our lives as it would untimely be useless. Such is not the situation as it stands though. Everyday people strive to achieve and gain that which they desire and in so doing give their lives purpose.

Going back to what Alex stated on the perception and indentation of death on the minds people; I wonder if it the surprise that something so final can exist or the cultural conditioning to fear that which might cause you harm which has more of an impact on one’s view of mortality?

[Digital]

You stated earlier that humanity has created comfort around itself in order to avoid the struggle to survive. In so doing humanity acquired the luxury of time to ponder and examine issues that would be less pertinent, if not detrimental to our existence if we were preoccupied with survival. If we were conditioned for death it causes me to wonder why we would bother to continue living our lives as it would untimely be useless. Such is not the situation as it stands though. Everyday people strive to achieve and gain that which they desire and in so doing give their lives purpose.

Going back to what Alex stated on the perception and indentation of death on the minds people; I wonder if it the surprise that something so final can exist or the cultural conditioning to fear that which might cause you harm which has more of an impact on one’s view of mortality?

We may ponder death because we have the time, but the question is whether death can be pondered. As you say, it is something that we can wonder about all day, yet not come to a suitable answer to it in the end, why.. we do not know death, we see it and know it does exist, but we cannot experience it.

We are caught up in the idea of death because we cannot experience and be able to understand it. Nature dictates that we don't overwhelm ourselves with it (hense everything dies, just a matter of time).

[Christopher Robin]

I don't care, other than that my family and friends would be sad. I'd rather they weren't I'm ready to die, other than that, so I mean, if I could believe my family wouldn't care, then it wouldn't make a difference, whether I died or not... but I'd like to know when I was going to die, a week or a month, or even a year, before it happened... I'd do everything I ever wanted to, like explore all kinds of drugs, and stuff like that.

[Quadra]

I don't care, other than that my family and friends would be sad. I'd rather they weren't I'm ready to die, other than that, so I mean, if I could believe my family wouldn't care, then it wouldn't make a difference, whether I died or not... but I'd like to know when I was going to die, a week or a month, or even a year, before it happened... I'd do everything I ever wanted to, like explore all kinds of drugs, and stuff like that.

I have always wondered about this. Why is it that if you had knowledge of when your death would occur you would fill your time with things you wanted to do? Is it because death releases you from consequence or is there something else?

And Digital, I see your point and am agreement.

Edited by Quadra, 08 March 2007 - 04:54 PM.