But I cannot avoid my own death and it will come well before I am even close to "done" exploring life. — Yvonne
They say that we already have the technology advanced enough to defeat ageing. — pfirefry
My main issue in life is an inability to accept my mortality. — Yvonne
Is this because of death's finality? or its inevitability? or your (current) inability to significantly postpone it by artificially extending your lifespan (+ healthspan + brainspan + youthspan) indefinitely?My main issue in life is an inability to accept my mortality. — Yvonne
Why do you assume you need more than 70-80 years of living in order to be "done exploring life"?I cannot avoid my own death and it will come well before I am even close to "done" exploring life. That cannot be right, can it?
I think such philosophies describe how "finitude brings" the existential urgency compelling individuals as well as communities to choose and behave accordingly from which "purpose/meaning" emerges (i.e. is created). "Finitude", in terms of existing, denotes a limited duration of choosing and acting as well as, I think more significantly, the elimination of alternative choices or actions – opportunities – not chosen or acted upon in any given situation, so that even an 'immortal' person is finite in the latter sense even if not in the former sense.Are these philosophies of finitude's bringing purpose/meaning just platitudes or wishful thinking?
Yeah, but so what? Isn't pain and boredom also "the natural ... human condition"? Your point escapes me.Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition?
Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition? — Yvonne
My main issue in life is an inability to accept my mortality. — Yvonne
That cannot be right, can it? — Yvonne
Are these philosophies of finitude's bringing purpose/meaning just platitudes or wishful thinking? — Yvonne
Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition? — Yvonne
My main issue in life is an inability to accept my mortality. — Yvonne
No. The "terror" of death is usually caused by either fear of the unknown, or the angst of damnation. It's ironic that we are afraid of ignorance, the abyss of unknowing, even though we inhabited that same mysterious darkness for uncounted eons before we were born. We emerged from the nothingness of dreamless sleep, and are fated to return for an endless nap. Our life is bracketed with the Big Sleep. In our finite world, we have no experience with infinity, but we can imagine it. Yet, when mundane maladies are available, why worry about imaginary evils?Are these philosophies of finitude's bringing purpose/meaning just platitudes or wishful thinking? Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition? — Yvonne
:fire:Our revels now are ended :
‘We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep.’
___Shakespeare, The Tempest — Gnomon
:100:For my part, I think Epictetus was right. It's essential to our happiness that we know the distinction between what is or is not in our control. Death isn't, but how we live, and how we think of death is. We shouldn't let things beyond our control disturb us, whether it's the fact we'll die or something else inevitable, but instead do the best we can with what's in our control and take the rest as it happens. — Ciceronianus
:cool:Now, here I am. Looking back I'm pretty satisfied with my life. Probably the most important thing is that my children are grown and I know they can take care of themselves without me.
I'm having a good time. I go to the YMCA to exercise and swim. I kick dumb philosopher ass here on the forum. I read. I go out to lunch. I'm never bored. — T Clark
I can accept existential meaninglessness because I can imbue my own meaning. But I cannot avoid my own death and it will come well before I am even close to "done" exploring life. That cannot be right, can it? Are these philosophies of finitude's bringing purpose/meaning just platitudes or wishful thinking? Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition? — Yvonne
Both ends of the spectrum seem to magnify my existential angst. At one extreme, 'I need to live much, much longer because all of this so far has been a bit boring and rubbish, or even painful at times' and at the other extreme 'please don't take this away, this is just a blast, I need it to last hundreds of years' :D — Yvonne
But I cannot avoid my own death and it will come well before I am even close to "done" exploring life. That cannot be right, can it? Are these philosophies of finitude's bringing purpose/meaning just platitudes or wishful thinking? Isn't terror the natural and most justified human condition? — Yvonne
There is. — Changeling
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