Would you want to know when you will die?

*Disclaimer: I just watched the Bucket List and that is the inspiration for this thread*

I am curious, if you were given the opportunity to know the exact time of your death, would you take the opportunity? Would you view it as liberating or as a curse?

I am on the fence. On one hand, ignorance is bliss and it is nice not having to face that reality. On the other hand, it would be good to know so that you could live life to the fullest. It certainly would help to put things into perspective and would make it easier to just focus on the things that make life worth living.

If you did know, do you think you would change the way you are living your life now? If so, why not make those changes without knowing?

Thanks for any input.

I think I wouldnt want to know. It seems like the days up to that final day would either be amazing as you are ready to go, or horrible if you arent ready. I guess it would depend on when that time is. Im only 19 so if it was soon and I knew, I doubt I would able to accomplish much and would dread it, but if it was far enough in the future to plan many things I'd like to do and experience, then I may accept it. But like I said, I'd rather not know. Just the idea of knowing when I die seems depressing...and it wouldnt be too easy on the people around you either.

To try to answer the other part of your question, I think I would do some things out of the ordinary if I knew i had a limited time left. The reason I dont do them now is because I dont really have the resources or time, but if I knew i was to die, I'd probably stop working as much and focus more on things I'd desire to do.

Good topic, curious to see other's answers

[edit on 14-7-2008 by kyle6677]

I wouldn't want to know. I'd obsess too much and overthink things. I like mystery, too.

I think it's a bad idea, it's easy to say well I now know I'm gonna die when I am eighty & asleep on my bed, so I'm going to do heroin and any other self destructive behavior I think of. People would be too focused on physical death and ignore their spirits/spiritual death caused by doing harmful things, just becasue they know it won't kill their body.

[edit on 7/14/2008 by madhatter3113]

The more that I think about it, the more that I would want to know. Depending on the time frame, I would quit my job and really try to live and appreciate my family more. I resent that my job takes away so much time from them and really it does prevent me from doing any of the things that I would want to change.

I can't make many of the changes that I would like, simply due to being a slave to the system. I am obligated to taking care of my family and knowledge of the time of my death would change those priorities.


Thanks for the response.

reply to post by madhatter3113

. People would be too focused on physical death and ignore their spirits/spiritual death caused by doing harmful things becasue it won't kill your body.

It's funny that you mention that. I think you are correct and a lot of people would do that. However, I think that personally I would view it as an opportunity to really go in the opposite direction. Really dedicate some time into spirituality and try to become right with death, or god, or however you want to view it.

I definitely don't want to know when I'm going to die. I want to go so quick, I won't know what hit me. If I did know, it would be constantly on my mind 24/7 and I wouldn't be able to live a normal life.

I never thought I'd live past 39, and it was on my mind all the time. I reached that milestone, and now, I don't want to have to worry about it.


edited to fix spelling of definitely, which I most definitely spell wrong every single time.



[edit on 15-7-2008 by virraszto]

I would not like to know. I feel everything will pan out as it should, if that makes sense.

I would absolutely want to know, pitty if I only had 24 hours left though, man It would be a riot!

I would like to know a time frame if I were diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Otherwise, I don't want to know. Why not dedicate time to spirituality now, in your daily lives?

The best way to be happy is to live in the moment, as if it were your last anyway. Sure its cliche, but it is so true. I've personally been trying this as of late and I have to say, it really does help. I try not to dwell on the past or worry about the future. Only right now.

EDIT: Now after thinking about it. If my death were to be in the immediate future, I would want to know. I would take the time to let everyone who has affected my life know what kind of impact they made and how much it meant to me.

[edit on 15-7-2008 by DevolutionEvolvd]

reply to post by DevolutionEvolvd


Thanks for the post.

Why not dedicate time to spirituality now, in your daily lives?

I have definitely worked on it lately and it certainly helps, but working 12 hour shifts and sneaking in a bit of reading and really trying to focus on it is one thing, but if I knew I was going to die in say 2 years, I would want to go find a guru in India and / or get a shaman in South America... Big spiritual things that just don't work with my current lifestyle and obligations.

reply to post by Karlhungis



" Would you want to know when you will die? "

well, I already have a pretty good idea how, and why, and by whom...



knowing the time would probably not be a good thing...

reply to post by toasted


That is a pretty ominous response. Not really sure how to respond to that.... I hope it isn't as bad as I have made it out to be in my mind.

I wonder what would happen if you were told that would be hit by a car at an exact time and simply stayed inside for the entire day it was supposed to happen.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
reply to post by toasted

 

That is a pretty ominous response. Not really sure how to respond to that.... I hope it isn't as bad as I have made it out to be in my mind.

I am a Christian, and if you know anything about the end times, we'll be persecuted, like the inquisition.

and

I was shown a cpl things prior to my birth...like there would be cameras everywhere...and one other thing.


nite...

reply to post by Duane Barry


That is similar to the Grandfather Paradox. Say if you see yourself get hit by a car in future at a known exact time, and you avoid it successfully, then you shouldn't have seen it, and you wouldn't stay home. It shouldn't be too hard to avoid a car accident, but then it's paradoxical, I don't know, may be there'll be some kind of force that'll make it happen no matter what (like you suddenly feel a big need to get outside, and boom..), but that idea troubles me.

About knowing the time I'll die, I don't know. By knowing that, I may be able to make my life more useful, but I don't think I can bear such pain.

The Cyclops was asked this question by the three fates, he wanted to know so badly that he traded one of his eyes for the information. After receiving the information he went crazy. The knowledge of your own demise is such a terrible piece of information to know that one would simply not be able to handle the consequences of the act.

I have had dreams of my own death, one sticks with me more than others, I was alone sitting in a wheelchair, staring into a mirror and I slid off into death, a very old and lonely man. The dream was so disturbing that it stuck with me.

I certainly hope it was not a prophetic dream and that it was just a normal nightmare, however it always stuck with me. Could it be that I saw the day I die? Of course I did not know the date or time of the event just the occurrence of the event itself and the fact that I was old and wheelchair bound. But to me I would rather not know the time and place of my death.

reply to post by alciefrederic


I find that whole idea extremely troubling. I mean, if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would be hit by a car and die at an exact second then you could run around getting hit by cars intentionally and not be killed. But no matter what you do, you will be hit by a car and die when you are supposed to.

I feel like this reality is only like a classroom...if you will..
the school of hard knocks...a realm where our souls can grow....

death is merely a transit...

I would prefer not to know...

reply to post by alciefrederic

but I don't think I can bear such pain

Interesting point of view. To me, death is a certainty. We all have to go through it. I don't think I would view the knowledge of the time of my death as being much more painful than living a wasted life and dying unexpectedly.

Surprise me

One of my friends was diagnosed with cancer of the liver a few months ago. His doctor has told him that, even with 'management', he has at most two years to live.

He's taking the whole thing very calmly. Looking at and talking to him, I am constantly amazed by his equanimity in the face of his death-sentence. It's true he hasn't got any unfinished business -- he's retired, his only daughter is an independent adult, he's been divorced and single for many years -- but I'm still impressed by how calmly he's taking it. He's certainly thinking about death, though: among the books on his bedside table are the Bardo Thodol, some Buddhist sutras and Gerald Messadié's History of the Devil.

I don't believe that, handed such a death-sentence, I should be able to accept it with such equanimity.

Another friend, about the same age as the first, was examined following an angina attack and told he needed a six-way bypass operation. He was amazed at this, since (despite a previous heart attack some ten years ago) was in excellent health and taking care of himself well. He was deeply involved in life -- a writer, artist and film-maker, a man who spent at least half of every year living travelling off the beaten track, mostly on foot, with the poorest people -- nomadic beggars and Hindu holy men, forest-dwellers and the like -- and building a wilderness resort up in the mountains which was to be his retirement policy in old age. Here was a guy who lived every minute as if it was to be his last -- married for a second time in his fifties to a beautiful English wife, with whom he had had two infant children. A man with everything to lose (except he never cared about that, never) and everything to live for.

He submitted to the recommended procedure (which was carried out in Singapore) and died on the operating table. Basically, he went to sleep and never woke up. I'd say that was good way to go -- except, of course, for those he left behind. But that wasn't his fault.

No, please don't tell me when it's time. I want it to be a surprise.