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I was young once, and very afraid of dying. As I've gotten older, and by no means do I consider myself old, I'm growing more content that I will die. My childr

I was young once, and very afraid of dying. As I've gotten older, and by no means do I consider myself old, I'm growing more content that I will die. My children are growing. Watching them age and mature, and tackle new things brings me the most joy in the world. It is right that my life will end. It is right that the old must clear the way for the young and the new. It is the way of things. The probability of my death is 1. Fighting it is useless -- living what I have is not. Best of luck. I hope you come to terms with it in whatever way makes sense for you.

mysterypie 11y ago
> It is right that my life will end. It is right that the old must clear the way for the young and the new. It is the way of things. Lots of people say that but it's because we are resigned to it. We don't have a choice about growing old and dying. Just imagine for a minute though that some life extension technology began to really work and could dramatically extend lifespan or prevent aging. Almost everyone who was resigned to aging and death would have a change of heart and would be demanding arbitrarily long lifespans and freedom from aging.
- noonespecial 11y ago
  Does even radical life extension technology "fix" this? If I live a year longer or until the heat-death of the universe, I still face the same existential questions... and I'll still feel like it flew by and wonder where it all went. I existed. Compared to that fact, the duration is nearly meaningless.
  - smartial_arts 11y ago
    Said the whale from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
    - noonespecial 11y ago
      We're all the whale aren't we? Its still better than "Oh no not again" isn't it?
- ta0967 11y ago
  > > It is right that my life will end. It is right that the old must clear the way for the young and the new. It is the way of things. > Lots of people say that but it's because we are resigned to it. We don't have a choice about growing old and dying. hm, maybe, but that doesn't explain the steep and quick change in my attitude towards the perspective of my own death after my first child was born. i realized how much of the feeling is "the other side" of my sex drive: our primary purpose in life is to procreate so our genes can carry on. once that's fulfilled, the fretting washes away very quickly.

mysterypie 11y ago

> It is right that my life will end. It is right that the old must clear the way for the young and the new. It is the way of things. Lots of people say that but it's because we are resigned to it. We don't have a choice about growing old and dying. Just imagine for a minute though that some life extension technology began to really work and could dramatically extend lifespan or prevent aging. Almost everyone who was resigned to aging and death would have a change of heart and would be demanding arbitrarily long lifespans and freedom from aging.

noonespecial 11y ago
Does even radical life extension technology "fix" this? If I live a year longer or until the heat-death of the universe, I still face the same existential questions... and I'll still feel like it flew by and wonder where it all went. I existed. Compared to that fact, the duration is nearly meaningless.
- smartial_arts 11y ago
  Said the whale from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
  - noonespecial 11y ago
    We're all the whale aren't we? Its still better than "Oh no not again" isn't it?
ta0967 11y ago
> > It is right that my life will end. It is right that the old must clear the way for the young and the new. It is the way of things. > Lots of people say that but it's because we are resigned to it. We don't have a choice about growing old and dying. hm, maybe, but that doesn't explain the steep and quick change in my attitude towards the perspective of my own death after my first child was born. i realized how much of the feeling is "the other side" of my sex drive: our primary purpose in life is to procreate so our genes can carry on. once that's fulfilled, the fretting washes away very quickly.