Without this stinging sensation from confronting the unknown we wouldn't be terrified of death. This ambient pain is like a hunger that's lifted whenever we perform acts that ensure we survive for a little while longer. The thing is... if we tried to never confront any unknown it's unsure what we would become. It's an unknown in and of itself, a great threshold. Just as we don't know what lies beyond death, we don't know what lies beyond no longer caring about death. We look at paintings like these and lament the careless like corpses, things we would go to great lengths just to not become... but what in actuality happens here? Is it a fate worse than death or is it just another way to be? Is being dead just another way to be... What's to gain?
Thanks for your thoughtful observations here. I agree ! We don't know what will happen from prolonging our deaths. We have the illusion of being able to take longer to decide what matters to us, but that isn't necessarily true.
Without this stinging sensation from confronting the unknown we wouldn't be terrified of death. This ambient pain is like a hunger that's lifted whenever we perform acts that ensure we survive for a little while longer. The thing is... if we tried to never confront any unknown it's unsure what we would become. It's an unknown in and of itself, a great threshold. Just as we don't know what lies beyond death, we don't know what lies beyond no longer caring about death. We look at paintings like these and lament the careless like corpses, things we would go to great lengths just to not become... but what in actuality happens here? Is it a fate worse than death or is it just another way to be? Is being dead just another way to be... What's to gain?
Thanks for your thoughtful observations here. I agree ! We don't know what will happen from prolonging our deaths. We have the illusion of being able to take longer to decide what matters to us, but that isn't necessarily true.