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Gee I have to use my time more carefully, otherwise I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not. I’m a doctor‘s visit away from going from a relaxed life to fight

by __m 7y ago

Gee I have to use my time more carefully, otherwise I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not. I’m a doctor‘s visit away from going from a relaxed life to fighting for life, clinging on remote hopes of survival. Being able to date someone in that state is astonishing. Everything I’d do would be tainted by the thought „this is the last time I do this before I die“.

trevyn 7y ago
>I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not Honestly, that sounds much more fun than living with a constant obsession over your own mortality.
- __m 7y ago
  Fair enough, I guess I’m more afraid of that stark contrast than wasting my time
- ijiiijji1 7y ago
  The certainty of death is an unyielding truth that should motivate someone of sand to live boldly, determinedly and authentically rather than moving through life vacillating or by happenstance. Carpe diem vel mori reposuit in vinea.
- theli0nheart 7y ago
  > Honestly, that sounds much more fun than living with a constant obsession over your own mortality. It sounds fun until it's not. The reality of how fragile we are catches up to everyone, and living life like you're invincible just speeds up that process.
  - digitalsushi 7y ago
    There must be a happy medium if we consider there is another class of people who live very cautiously - avoiding the pleasures of food, spirits, the flesh, of danger and risk and reward, to live as long as possible, and ultimately implode in a sudden cacophony of regret and self pity. Split the difference, invite the neighbors over for cocktails once in a while.
    - theli0nheart 7y ago
      Well, sure. There's a big difference between living life like nothing can stop you and having wine with the neighbors. Sidenote—a cacaphony is a discordant mixture of sounds—not sure if that's the word you meant to use above.
    - saiya-jin 7y ago
      There are properly dumb ways to 'live life to fullest' - driving too fast, especially on bikes. Destructive addictive drugs and doing stupid stuff on those (psychedelics are mostly not those). And probably thousands more. On the other side, there are those who make you feel amazing every time you do it, and the real risks are minimal. One example - sport climbing. Facing fear of one's death, while being safely belayed on rope that can hold 2 tonnes of static load. Overcoming that fear. Backpacking around the developing (but not so much) world, an extremely rewarding experience every single time. I would add tons of social activities with good friends to this. Such a life won't feel 'wasted' in any measurable way, while being almost as safe as sitting at home reading books (and probably better for your eyesight).
- badpun 7y ago
  That's how you get plenty of disabled (or dead) young men, who do reckless stuff on motorbikes, skis or jump head-first into shallow water etc. I've recklessly damaged my health [1] while 22 and I gotta say it sucks. [1] Maybe not even recklessly, I just wasn't aware that ultra-loud music for hours in a disco can cause tinnitus.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- jcims 7y ago
  I'd say whichever perspective gives you motivation and urgency to set goals and accomplish them is 'better'.
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  The idea is that if you can internalize your acceptance of mortality, you will make better life decisions. Living like you're immortal until you're not is how people end up on their death bed regretting how they spent their time on earth. Like arguing on HN instead of calling your mother. Living like you're mortal, to me, suggests someone who lives in the moment and maximizes their life fulfillment. Not someone who lives in fear of death, which I'd argue is why we spend so much time living like we're immortal.
mncharity 7y ago
> otherwise I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not Yeah. I recall a cancer surgeon commenting, roughly, that they thought people with an early onset, and then a long life, were the lucky ones. And among the saddest, those healthy until blindsided by discovering they were mortal. And always had been. But now had little time to live shaped by that realization. As with many things, it can be cheaper to learn from others' experiences. Or to notice and successfully learn from hints in one's own. But it can be hard. I was friends with someone with a large extended family. So funerals were recurrent. Some expected, some randomized blows. For days after, it was easier to treasure time, life. But with passing weeks, the effect would decay. Easier to be distracted. To forget that some very few things are important, and most not. Until the next funeral.

by __m 7y ago

trevyn 7y ago

>I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not Honestly, that sounds much more fun than living with a constant obsession over your own mortality.

__m 7y ago
Fair enough, I guess I’m more afraid of that stark contrast than wasting my time
ijiiijji1 7y ago
The certainty of death is an unyielding truth that should motivate someone of sand to live boldly, determinedly and authentically rather than moving through life vacillating or by happenstance. Carpe diem vel mori reposuit in vinea.
theli0nheart 7y ago
> Honestly, that sounds much more fun than living with a constant obsession over your own mortality. It sounds fun until it's not. The reality of how fragile we are catches up to everyone, and living life like you're invincible just speeds up that process.
- digitalsushi 7y ago
  There must be a happy medium if we consider there is another class of people who live very cautiously - avoiding the pleasures of food, spirits, the flesh, of danger and risk and reward, to live as long as possible, and ultimately implode in a sudden cacophony of regret and self pity. Split the difference, invite the neighbors over for cocktails once in a while.
  - theli0nheart 7y ago
    Well, sure. There's a big difference between living life like nothing can stop you and having wine with the neighbors. Sidenote—a cacaphony is a discordant mixture of sounds—not sure if that's the word you meant to use above.
  - saiya-jin 7y ago
    There are properly dumb ways to 'live life to fullest' - driving too fast, especially on bikes. Destructive addictive drugs and doing stupid stuff on those (psychedelics are mostly not those). And probably thousands more. On the other side, there are those who make you feel amazing every time you do it, and the real risks are minimal. One example - sport climbing. Facing fear of one's death, while being safely belayed on rope that can hold 2 tonnes of static load. Overcoming that fear. Backpacking around the developing (but not so much) world, an extremely rewarding experience every single time. I would add tons of social activities with good friends to this. Such a life won't feel 'wasted' in any measurable way, while being almost as safe as sitting at home reading books (and probably better for your eyesight).
badpun 7y ago
That's how you get plenty of disabled (or dead) young men, who do reckless stuff on motorbikes, skis or jump head-first into shallow water etc. I've recklessly damaged my health [1] while 22 and I gotta say it sucks. [1] Maybe not even recklessly, I just wasn't aware that ultra-loud music for hours in a disco can cause tinnitus.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
jcims 7y ago
I'd say whichever perspective gives you motivation and urgency to set goals and accomplish them is 'better'.
hombre_fatal 7y ago
The idea is that if you can internalize your acceptance of mortality, you will make better life decisions. Living like you're immortal until you're not is how people end up on their death bed regretting how they spent their time on earth. Like arguing on HN instead of calling your mother. Living like you're mortal, to me, suggests someone who lives in the moment and maximizes their life fulfillment. Not someone who lives in fear of death, which I'd argue is why we spend so much time living like we're immortal.

mncharity 7y ago

> otherwise I’ll live like I’m immortal until I’m not Yeah. I recall a cancer surgeon commenting, roughly, that they thought people with an early onset, and then a long life, were the lucky ones. And among the saddest, those healthy until blindsided by discovering they were mortal. And always had been. But now had little time to live shaped by that realization. As with many things, it can be cheaper to learn from others' experiences. Or to notice and successfully learn from hints in one's own. But it can be hard. I was friends with someone with a large extended family. So funerals were recurrent. Some expected, some randomized blows. For days after, it was easier to treasure time, life. But with passing weeks, the effect would decay. Easier to be distracted. To forget that some very few things are important, and most not. Until the next funeral.