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[RustyNails]

Muhammad Ali - "Service to others is the rent we pay for our room on earth".

If you keep that quote in mind, and you did your part, there is nothing to fear.

 

[Rad-]

I have never been afraid of death, even during the two times when I came somewhat close to dying (accidents). I think it's just part of life and you go when you go. When my dad died I think I cried like twice and then accepted it. I remember some people wondered why I didn't cry at the funeral. I had already processed it before.

 

[Christhor]

A little act of onanism and those kinds of thoughts are gone.

 

[Kimawolf]

I dont. The technological singularity will hit in our lifetimes. We will be the first gen of immortals or last gen to die. But I think it will be the former.

 

[HvySky]

I don't. I've dealt with a lot of anxieties in my life up to this point but death has actually never been one of them. I'm very much a "live in the moment" type of person and rarely find myself stressing over the future or what might be. Shit will mess with your head.

 

[Night Hunter]

Honestly, there was a time in my life when I didn't do well with it. Every time it popped into my mind I was filled with a sense of existential dread. Nowaydays though, I don't really give a fuck. I really don't know what changed, but I could think about death all day without it really worrying me.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

I'm actually kind of looking forward to it.

 

[Adam_Vania]

fuck dealing with the fact that you die. what is even worse is watching everyone you know and love die.

 

[Veritigo_X]

After a couple close calls, I've actually recently accepted that I can't die.

 

[Aske]

I feel terrible for all the people in this thread who describe thinking about their deaths and becoming paralysed by the fear of non-existence, even if it's only temporary. I can't imagine living with that fear on top of everything else life throws at us. I'm sorry that I can't say anything that might change your perspectives that you haven't heard a thousand times before. I wish I could understand what's so upsetting about the idea of not existing, but I think it boils down to something more fundamental than philosophy.

I couldn't disagree more with the idea that "without death, life would have no meaning", or any of the similar platitudes. To me, that's no different to the notion that "without sorrow and pain, we wouldn't appreciate joy in life". Utter nonsense.

Suffering gives us perspective, especially on other forms of suffering, but it doesn't unlock the ability to enjoy things. And suffering is relative: even if you've only experienced the pain of a a skinned knee, you've experienced enough discomfort to juxtapose against your idea of comfort. Food tastes better when you're starving, but it's still damn good when you eat it simply for the sake of it. It's like saying "without war, we wouldn't value peace". Nope. We might take peace for granted, but we certainly don't need to live through war to enjoy it.

Same goes for life and death. Life is just a collection of experiences. Perhaps one day a person will grow tired of collecting, but it's far from inevitable. We have no way of knowing how each of us would experience immortality.

I'm content to be mortal, but I certainly don't think anyone who wants to live forever is foolish, and I'd happily jump on that train if the opportunity presented itself - assuming I could choose to jump off again someday if I wanted.

 

[Lashley]

I dont. The technological singularity will hit in our lifetimes. We will be the first gen of immortals or last gen to die. But I think it will be the former.

I think you'll be disappointed

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

 

[Incendiary]

Thanks for the early morning existential crisis, OP.

I usually deal with it by having a panic attack, thinking that my parents are going to die someday too, have an even harder panic attack because even though I'm a functioning adult I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, and then I go play video games to calm myself down.

 

[PandaShake]

Relieved. I'm content with the fact that I can't help something I have no control over.

 

[badb0y]

The fact of the matter is my consciousness didn't exist for 14 billion years so if I die tomorrow I'd just return to the state of nonexistence that I was before being born.

I am afraid of how I go out though. I want to die of natural causes when I'm 80. Please no cancer or disease or pain .

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I'm a grown ass man. I accept that it's inevitable. I don't encourage its arrival, but I'm not running like a bitch either.

We're all stardust anyway. And we will be recycled by this world like all those who came before us and came after us.

 

[Sesuadra]

i try not to think of it, think of it, and then try not to think of it

exactly. I hate mortality.

 

[sirap]

fuck dealing with the fact that you die. what is even worse is watching everyone you know and love die.

This x1000.

 

[brawly]

I'm fine with it. I'm scared af of my parents dying though.

 

[Ewo]

I really try not to think about it. When I do, it can range from being fine to having a panic attack and vomiting.

 

[NYCrooner]

As a new dad its the first time I've ever really thought about death. Makes me sad that one day I won't be able to see my child again and that she will have to deal with the heartache of losing me. It's unfortunate but such is life, er, death.

 

[Woo-Fu]

I'm almost comfortable with it now that I'm late-40's. The real bummer is that I won't get to see how the story ends, or if it ends. Makes an afterlife attractive, if only so I can keep watching the show.

 

[M52B28]

We can't run from it. The day I'm dead is the day I'm free from everyday annoyances.. unless there's some kind of afterlife, which I do not believe.

 

[CrazyHorse]

Anybody who claims to know how to "deal" with death is a damned liar.

All these people who say they are fine with it are in denial. I don't doubt that it doesnt bother some of them, but they are not really thinking about it. If they really began to contemplate about it, it would make them very very upset. Saying things like "I will become a part of nature" or "I wont know that I am dead", is only not facing the reality that their consciousness will be extinct.

 

[Soph]

Death is your only friend in the end.

 

[Dunkley]

Doesn't really budge me too much, I'll go back to where I was before I started existing, and in the meanwhile I'd rather enjoy the time I got existing than worrying about the moment where I won't.

 

[Chmpocalypse]

All these people who say they are fine with it are in denial. I don't doubt that it doesnt bother some of them, but they are not really thinking about it. If they really began to contemplate about it, it would make them very very upset. Saying things like "I will become a part of nature" or "I wont know that I am dead", is only not facing the reality that their consciousness will be extinct.

I mean, no. You don't know our minds.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

All these people who say they are fine with it are in denial. I don't doubt that it doesnt bother some of them, but they are not really thinking about it. If they really began to contemplate about it, it would make them very very upset. Saying things like "I will become a part of nature" or "I wont know that I am dead", is only not facing the reality that their consciousness will be extinct.

But if I won't be able to tell that my consciousness is extinct, why should I care?

 

[Derwind]

You won't feel anything. You'll be dead.

I meant the moments up to when I die.

If I die suddenly, there is no anxiety to be had at all, so no need to bring that up.

 

[d00d3n]

I am not afraid of it. I am at the hospital right now as a patient, actually. I felt something weird from my chest two days ago, and again yesterday. I noticed that I had an irregular and fast heartbeat yesterday. It turns out that I have atrial fibrillations, which is quite rare when you are only 31 years old. So, now staying at the hospital for a day or two to get everything under control.

 

[hello_my_name_is_cookie]

I don't mind being dead but I do about the transition from living to dead.

 

[typist]

I do not acknowledge that my death is some inevitable fact. Death can be averted. Aging can be halted. Collisions can be avoided. Maybe even entropy can be reversed. If my death ever seems imminent then I'll probably be pretty bummed out, will probably try and console myself by comparing it to a peaceful sleep. Death does share many similar advantages to sleep after all, you don;t have to deal with all the bullshit that comes with being awake. The downside is you miss out on all the goodstuff too but whatever

The simulation argument is also somewhat comforting.

 

[prophecy0]

i try not to think of it, think of it, and then try not to think of it

Pretty much. Sometimes the thought comes up in my head and it doesn't bother me. Some nights I wake up in the middle of the night with a creeping sense of dread that won't go away.

 

[Lasthope106]

I think about it and try to imagine what it will be like to not exist, to never again awake. I start to feel a sense of vertigo and a little bit of fear. That gets me sad because of all the people in my life that have already died, and because my parents are getting old.

The more I contemplate death, the more I accept it as being the way it is. Makes me want to enjoy life more.

 

[UpDownLeftRight]

Honestly couldn't care less about it and I certainly don't think there's anything after death. Knowing the one I love will is what flips my insides if I think about it.

 

[Lothar]

I mean, no. You don't know our minds.

If you haven't committed suicide yet, then you do not want to stop existing. I agree that whoever says they're fine with it is in denial.

 

[D1renegade]

My mind will be uploaded to the cloud so I'm not too worried about death

 

[Fuu]

All these people who say they are fine with it are in denial. I don't doubt that it doesnt bother some of them, but they are not really thinking about it. If they really began to contemplate about it, it would make them very very upset. Saying things like "I will become a part of nature" or "I wont know that I am dead", is only not facing the reality that their consciousness will be extinct.

You weren't upset about it before you were born. And you don't get upset about it while you're in a dreamless sleep. In a sense you already experienced how it is to be dead.

 

[Schwarzbier]

I'm kind of cool with it. My mother went two years ago this June, she was the the first major death that really hit me hard. I lost friends prior to this, grandparents, pets, etc. but when she passed I lost my shit for a while.

Two things about death bother me, the act of dying, and the concept of nothingness. To be honest, nothingness bothers me less than the act of dying. I fear dying, I hope it's not painful. After that, I am mostly at peace with it.

I rationalize it by accepting that I did not exist for 13.82 billion years, and I will not exist for 13.82 billion more years at the very least. That's scary as shit but yet comforting at the same time. I will die someday, as will my fiancee, my brother and sister, my friends, my dog, etc.

I love. I exist, I am.

I will die.

 

[Enduin]

Heavy amounts of denial and ignoring the issue.

 

[Taco_Human]

I accept it but don't think about it. I try to not take life for granted and take care of my body. I'm working on my happiness and that's all that matters.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I have no problems at all with death itself but sometimes I'm kinda worried about the dying part sometimes.

 

[Magwik]

With open arms.
I can only hope I die naturally and not something like getting hit by a car.

 

[mike6467]

I'd prefer to live as long as possible, forever if available. But I know that that's probably not going to happen, and I know it's more or less out of my control, so I just don't think about it.

also I'm surprised this hasn't been posted yet:

Yeah, I came here for this.

 

[Grug]

I am terrified.

I saw some people answered that it does not bother them because "you will not even realize you are dead". That's strange, because this is why death is so terrifying according to me: this is an off switch, you will not be aware of anything after that, you will not exist anymore, you will not be able to think, to feel, to realize anything.
I would gladly prefer to know that I am dead, because it would mean that something of me still exists and still is conscious of something.

Are you scared of losing consciousness when you go to sleep every night?

 

[Liquid-San]

Honestly, I can't wait to die. This isn't to say that I'm actively pursuing death, but after a fulfilling life I'd definitely be eager to see what awaits me.

 

[G-Bus]

Death fascinates me more than anything else in this world.

The only thing scary about it is the uncertainty of how much it's going to hurt (if at all) as I die.

 

[Toad.T]

I literally think about it all the time. I know it's inevitable so I worry if I've done enough worthwile for my family/city/country/world before I go. It will never be enough though, because I think of everything I didnt do because I thought I was satisfied with how I spend my time.

So I deal with it very poorly is all i'm saying.

 

[Order]

Thanks to denial, I'm immortal.

 

[Figboy79]

I generally don't think about it, and just try and make the best out of whatever time I have. That usually means working on my comics, and giving my wife extra hugs and kisses every day.