I was watching a Sci-Fi show where someone had the ability to see how a person dies. I thought to myself - would I want to know how I would die?
I asked a few people that question and most of them said no. The common answer was - I would get too obsessed about it once I know how I would die so I wouldn't really live. There is some truth to that answer. But for me, I would want to know.
I belong to the group of people that believes in knowing a lot more than necessary than not knowing. There are people who know for one reason or the other - that they don't have long to live. Could be a diagnosis for a terminal disease. Could be a family history of early death. Or something similar that makes people realize the shortness of life more than most people. I see those people living life with more purpose and urgency. Think of Wakanda star Chadwick Boseman. In his 4 years post cancer diagnosis, he made movies to leave a remarkable legacy. I believe that knowing he had a short time impacted his determination to do more with less time.
In Ethiopia, people who have cancer or some type of terminal disease are not told the truth. The culture is to tell the family and keep the patient in the dark. The goal being to protect the patient from anguish over the approaching death. I am 100% opposed to that tradition. Though some people could benefit from not knowing that they are about to die, I think people should know so they can take care of whatever they need to. Settle any unresolved personal or legal matters. Do whatever they want towards leaving behind their legacy.
It is for that same reason that I say that if I could, I would want to know how I am going to die. The hard truth is that we are all going to die. There is no escaping that. The only real variable is the length of time that we have and what we do with it. Knowing the time we have - to me - is a secret weapon to forge ahead.
I asked a few people that question and most of them said no. The common answer was - I would get too obsessed about it once I know how I would die so I wouldn't really live. There is some truth to that answer. But for me, I would want to know.
I belong to the group of people that believes in knowing a lot more than necessary than not knowing. There are people who know for one reason or the other - that they don't have long to live. Could be a diagnosis for a terminal disease. Could be a family history of early death. Or something similar that makes people realize the shortness of life more than most people. I see those people living life with more purpose and urgency. Think of Wakanda star Chadwick Boseman. In his 4 years post cancer diagnosis, he made movies to leave a remarkable legacy. I believe that knowing he had a short time impacted his determination to do more with less time.
In Ethiopia, people who have cancer or some type of terminal disease are not told the truth. The culture is to tell the family and keep the patient in the dark. The goal being to protect the patient from anguish over the approaching death. I am 100% opposed to that tradition. Though some people could benefit from not knowing that they are about to die, I think people should know so they can take care of whatever they need to. Settle any unresolved personal or legal matters. Do whatever they want towards leaving behind their legacy.
It is for that same reason that I say that if I could, I would want to know how I am going to die. The hard truth is that we are all going to die. There is no escaping that. The only real variable is the length of time that we have and what we do with it. Knowing the time we have - to me - is a secret weapon to forge ahead.
Would this really be helpful? Our lifespan isn't that variable or long. You could die today/tomorrow or you could die in ~60 year.
Legacy's take a long time to build. So a variable timespan between 1 day and 60 years isn't that big.
Anyone truly wanting to leave a legacy who really wants to forge ahead doesn't need to know when they're going to die to get started. They ought to just get started right away. Because 1 day vs 60 years isn't that much of a difference.
I do agree that legacy takes time to build and starting immediately is always ideal. But finding the reason to value time - even if it is a day or 60 years is hard to do.
and this is what i'm saying humanity's greatest tragedy
because we are actually not facing death in the face when we hear that we have a terminal disease... but rather everyday
so we ought to live like we have a terminal disease everyday... because we do... life is the terminal disease
think