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I'm not sure it's about death. Organised religion dulls that fear, but I think that ritual existed long before any promise of a savior from death existed. I t
by Sosh101 5y ago
I'm not sure it's about death. Organised religion dulls that fear, but I think that ritual existed long before any promise of a savior from death existed. I think it's main purpose is to syncronise large groups of animals that are naturally only social in smaller groups.
EDIT: Though re-reading I do take your point about legacy.
- mbg721 5y agoMy take on it, which I think is in agreement with yours, is that rituals help humans to get beyond just their natural instinct for self-preservation, by participating in specific things that bond them with many other people and often last longer than a human lifetime. So death is part of it, at least implicitly, but I would frame it more around humility or a sense of perspective.
- Sosh101 5y agoYes, I think that ritual is something like collaborative art. People feel good when they play a part in something beautiful. And as I think you alluded to, seeing something greater than yourself can be a very inspirational thing.