Death and the Human Condition

[Gold Knight]

It is a given that, some day, we are all going to die.
If you were given the option of knowing in advance the date certain of your own demise, would you choose to exercise it? Or,do you believe that as a species, we are better off, in that, for the most part, we really do not know, at least most of the time. {Excepting, of course, in the cases of terminal illnesses etc., etc.}.
Conversely, do you believe that we would in fact be "happier"--or maybe even more emotionally "secure"--if we were in fact armed with this fore-knowledge? As well, do you think that having this definite awareness of when our own end was to occur could/would spur us to live more meaningful and purpose-driven lives than we do without possessing this awesome and sobering power?
Your thoughts and feelings, please.

[Philoctetes3]

I don't know if the fact is given, but let's take it as such.

I wouldn't want to know, but that's because I don't really care. I think we're all given enough time to do the things that we were supposed to do. I feel that all our lives are of the proper length. Although, I do think some are foreshortened.

I don't think knowledge of the date would make a person any less miserable. I don't think that dying is what makes someone unhappy. That knowledge wouldn't fix the thing that is causing them to not be happy.

Personally, I think people get far too fixated on something that is such a small portion of their lives.

[Sammy]

I don't know if the fact is given, but let's take it as such.

I wouldn't want to know, but that's because I don't really care. I think we're all given enough time to do the things that we were supposed to do. I feel that all our lives are of the proper length. Although, I do think some are foreshortened.

I don't think knowledge of the date would make a person any less miserable. I don't think that dying is what makes someone unhappy. That knowledge wouldn't fix the thing that is causing them to not be happy.

Personally, I think people get far too fixated on something that is such a small portion of their lives.

I'm with you.  Having a fascination with death is rather morbid and a waste of time (my time at least). 

[Gold Knight]

Guys, I respect both of your answers. However, my premise is not based on either being fixated on or morbidly fascinated with death, as both of you seem to infer from my hypothetical. In fact, what I may be searching for philosophically is whether--if humans did have the option of this foreknowledge--we would in fact be less preoccupied with it than many of us--perhaps not you two--are at present. By the way, my hypothetical would include the option of a persion choosing not to know, if he or she wished to keep the status quo intact.

[Gold Knight]

 Quote from: Philoctetes3 on Today at 11:53:25 AM

I don't know if the fact is given, but let's take it as such.

I wouldn't want to know, but that's because I don't really care. I think we're all given enough time to do the things that we were supposed to do. I feel that all our lives are of the proper length. Although, I do think some are foreshortened.

I don't think knowledge of the date would make a person any less miserable. I don't think that dying is what makes someone unhappy. That knowledge wouldn't fix the thing that is causing them to not be happy.

Personally, I think people get far too fixated on something that is such a small portion of their lives.

 
When you refer to the "fact is given" which you don't know, do you mean to say that you don't believe we are all going to die some day?

[Philoctetes3]

Guys, I respect both of your answers. However, my premise is not based on either being fixated on or morbidly fascinated with death, as both of you seem to infer from my hypothetical. In fact, what I may be searching for philosophically is whether--if humans did have the option of this foreknowledge--we would in fact be less preoccupied with it than many of us--perhaps not you two--are at present. By the way, my hypothetical would include the option of a persion choosing not to know, if he or she wished to keep the status quo intact.

I think it would make people more preoccupied with that sort of nonsense. I can just imagine them being in a frenzy as their day approaches. I don't think it would assist them at all in completing any of their objectives, and in fact it might actually deter some of them. Knowing things doesn't assure that the knowledge of will be used in any particular useful way.

[Gold Knight]

That's a fair enough assessment of what might happen if we were granted such an option, depending on the person involved. However, I could also envisage other people with   different mind sets, emotional make-ups  etc., who could well use this knowledge to make more of their lives than what they've already done with them; in other words, taking the ball and running with it as far as possible.

[Philoctetes3]

That's a fair enough assessment of what might happen if we were granted such an option, depending on the person involved. However, I could also envisage other people with   different mind sets, emotional make-ups  etc., who could well use this knowledge to make more of their lives than what they've already done with them; in other words, taking the ball and running with it as far as possible.

Then why haven't they done so already? I don't believe that a person would change so dramatically just because of that sort of knowledge. I think those who accomplish and achieve would do so with our without it.

[Gold Knight]

 Quote from: Philoctetes3 on Today at 03:09:03 PM

Then why haven't they done so already? I don't believe that a person would change so dramatically just because of that sort of knowledge. I think those who accomplish and achieve would do so with our without it.

   
I think the flip side of what I am saying is that we all--as humans--have a tendency to believe that we always have "tomorrow" to accomplish something, since we really don't know when our tomorrow might be the last one we will get to enjoy. All I'm proposing is that, perhaps, realizing that we are allocated a finite--and, in my example, definite --supply of "tomorrows", many people might see fit to make better lives for themselves and others.
Thus, the reason "they haven't done so already" is because they feel no pressing need to, as tomorrow stretches into "forever".

[Philoctetes3]

I think the flip side of what I am saying is that we all--as humans--have a tendency to believe that we always have "tomorrow" to accomplish something, since we really don't know when our tomorrow might be the last one we will get to enjoy. All I'm proposing is that, perhaps, realizing that we are allocated a finite--and, in my example, definite --supply of "tomorrows", many people might see fit to make better lives for themselves and others. Thus, the reason "they haven't done so already" is because they feel no pressing need to, as tomorrow stretches into "forever".

I got that, but I just don't seem them making that change. I think they'd be wasting their time as much as they did prior to the knowledge. In a bit of a tangent, I'd also say that those who complain about not having enough time waste even more time in their complaining. There's plenty of time.

[Daidalos]

Given the premise of the question, I would accept.

The premise being, of course, that I can be assured with perfect accuracy of what day I am going die. Let's say I know I will have 50 more years. Given the premise, this means that I can afford to take far greater risks to my own health than I otherwise would. Think how rich I would get betting on myself when I play Russian roulette (I'll just have to be sure that I'd die of the head wound)!

Naturally, a world in which the premise of the question is true would be bizarre, and certainly not look anything like our own world.

Now, a more realistic question might involve a doctor's assessment of the likelihood of you--given your genetics and medical history, barring any accidents--reaching a particular age. In this case, I'd want that assessment. If there are risk factors, I would like to mitigate them, so that I can improve my chances of living longer.