4 ms·
The older I get, the more attractive the Homeric ideal becomes of dying in the prime of one's life on the battlefield after successful conquest. Perhaps not in
by lr4444lr 4y ago
The older I get, the more attractive the Homeric ideal becomes of dying in the prime of one's life on the battlefield after successful conquest. Perhaps not in literal war, but upon the accomplishment of something great, with an end no less noble that comes quickly.
Short of achieving everlasting fame with no permanent decline, I grow more and more thankful everyday that I chose to have kids, so that I have the next closest thing to immortality.
- sgt101 4y agoOne of the great moments in film is the death of Vito Corleone. A horrible horrible villain who dies a good death, playing with his grandson in a sunny garden. There's no justice.
- P_I_Staker 4y agoDo you really think you've achieved immortality? I have no clue who my great grandfather is. My mom's last name dies with her. It's unlikely, but not out of the question that my dad's name could too... and assuming it doesn't, it very well might in 1-3 generations. Even if you somehow achieve mega-fame it doesn't take, but 50-200 years for people to start really not caring. 1-4 generation, and a nanosecond in geological time (maybe a picosecond). I do agree that death seems like an ideal one. I don't want to die slowly of a debilitating condition... on the other hand, there's some pluses to knowing you'll die and being able to prepare.
- lr4444lr 4y agoI said "next closest thing". How close you get depends on a lot of factors. Some entire cultures are built around the veneration of centuries or millenia long dead ancestors.