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For those saying "this makes me want to appreciate life more. or want to splurge now at the possible potential of death, soon." - I say to you, be rational. Th

For those saying "this makes me want to appreciate life more. or want to splurge now at the possible potential of death, soon." - I say to you, be rational. These kinds of articles are examples of the availability heuristic - "in which people predict the frequency of an event, or a proportion within a population, based on how easily an example can be brought to mind." Although every little emotional piece of content relative to death makes us think a little harder about our own mortality, it is still in our best interests to plan for the future. This article does not decrease our life expectancy. If you want to somehow balance extremes, look at your average life expectancy based on things like living conditions and genetics, cut it down five years, then appropriately plan your financial and life goals around that new, tempered (and likely preemptive) end date. Your friend dies in a car crash today. Your mother is diagnosed with cancer tomorrow. Fortunately, life is no less fragile than it was yesterday, and with all certainty, it is actually less so with continued medicinal developments and ongoing life-extending research. Yes, this is powerful. Yes, it shoulld make you appreciate life a little more. No, it should not offer justification for a life of poverty and shortsightedness.

AGorilla 16y ago
I think the reason it's making people reconsider their saving money to fulfilling experience ratios is not that they believe their lives to be shorter because of the photographs. Rather, it's very easy to take your own life for granted, especially if you're you experiences are repetitive (e.g. if you spend 40+ hours a week sitting in the same chair). This and other life-affirming art are minuscule forces when compared to the power society and psychic momentum can have on a person's direction. Reminding yourself not just that you may die at any time, but that you WILL die sometime, and realizing that sometimes you're not pursuing the goal of getting the most out of life but instead trying to live the most days is the more pure rationality.

AGorilla 16y ago

I think the reason it's making people reconsider their saving money to fulfilling experience ratios is not that they believe their lives to be shorter because of the photographs. Rather, it's very easy to take your own life for granted, especially if you're you experiences are repetitive (e.g. if you spend 40+ hours a week sitting in the same chair). This and other life-affirming art are minuscule forces when compared to the power society and psychic momentum can have on a person's direction. Reminding yourself not just that you may die at any time, but that you WILL die sometime, and realizing that sometimes you're not pursuing the goal of getting the most out of life but instead trying to live the most days is the more pure rationality.