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ISSN 2201-7151 Issue 25, #3/Death
Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers
believed that we had no reason to fear death.
Socrates viewed it as a dreamless sleep, while
Lucretius saw no difference between two
stretches of non-existence: the time before we
were born and the eternity after we die. He
thought we should fear both equally; that is,
not at all.
Yet Shakespeare understood the human
condition much better: we most certainly do
fear death. Most humans are terrified of the
prospect of existing no more, of taking that
one final breath.
Our fear of death is the ultimate fear of
missing out – on all the events, the people, the
progress, the battles. When we die, the world
will not pause. Life, without us, will go on.
Rather than casting this fear aside, perhaps
we should invite it into the room and look it
square in the eye. What do we fear we’ll miss
out on when we’re gone? What should we do
more – or less – of while we’re here?
All must die. But not all will truly live,
making the most of the hand – however unfair
it may be – they have been dealt. Will you?“Why,hethatcutsoff
twenty years of life,
Cuts off so many years
of fearing death.”William Shakespeare