Do you look forward to getting old?

[Mari_Mar]

I'm looking forward to being somebodies "old lady", but not to being old.

[Vagectomy]

WAKE UP! YOU ARE A MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hypnagogia]

It's human nature to fear what we don't know, in this case death. It is the scariest thing there is because, not only do we not know, no one does.

I've never understood that attitude. What's the use of fearing something you can't see or know about? That's very pessimistic. Besides...everyone dies. It would be like fearing making a cup of tea or mowing the lawn.

it's rationale to fear the inevitability and permanence of death.
the "not knowing" is the when, and maybe for some the why.
and anyway, that wasn't his point. He went on to say that there's no sense in living your life under the fear of that inevitability; enjoy what you can while you can.

[Kurt Russell's Beard]

No.

It's going to be hell. Most old people are afraid. Afraid of the changed world around them, their failing bodies, and of looming death. I look forward to not having to work and spending all my time reading, but I know that the awareness I'll have of not owning the time to look back with pleasure on the book I'm reading will taint each book I read. Or I'll be one of those old coots who smears his poo on the walls and just have a go at it. It's all so uncertain.

[Mr. Budd]

"Darknesse and light divide the course of time, and oblivion snares with memory, a great part even of our living beings; we slightly remember our felicities, and the smartest stroaks of affliction leave but short smart upon us. Sense endureth no extremities, and sorrows destroy us or themselves. To weep into stones are fables."

Chapter 5 - Hydriotaphia - Sir Thomas Browne

[Kurt Russell's Beard]

It's human nature to fear what we don't know, in this case death. It is the scariest thing there is because, not only do we not know, no one does.

I've never understood that attitude. What's the use of fearing something you can't see or know about? That's very pessimistic. Besides...everyone dies. It would be like fearing making a cup of tea or mowing the lawn.

Sure, rationally. I rationally feel this when I repeat it enough. But there's imbalance in not allowing yourself to butt against the edge and peek over, as there is in doing it all the time. Sure, there's no sense in being afraid of death all the time, but anesthetizing yourself through whatever method robs you of the very human right to taste fear chemicals in your mouth and feel your chest sieze at the thought of death. It's that suffering in that shadow that frames the absurd.

[Bored, Esq.]

It's human nature to fear what we don't know, in this case death. It is the scariest thing there is because, not only do we not know, no one does.

I've never understood that attitude. What's the use of fearing something you can't see or know about? That's very pessimistic. Besides...everyone dies. It would be like fearing making a cup of tea or mowing the lawn.

Sure, rationally. I rationally feel this when I repeat it enough. But there's imbalance in not allowing yourself to butt against the edge and peek over, as there is in doing it all the time. Sure, there's no sense in being afraid of death all the time, but anesthetizing yourself through whatever method robs you of the very human right to taste fear chemicals in your mouth and feel your chest sieze at the thought of death. It's that suffering in that shadow that frames the absurd.

That is very prettily said but it doesn't really mean anything to me.

I have no fear of death whatsoever. I look forward to it, in fact. That doesn't mean I "want to die" or anything like that, I'll enjoy my life. I'm afraid of not doing everything I want to do, if anything. But that would be my fault and it would be my only real disappointment if I'm not completely stupid about the rest of my life. But even that...would end with death and I would be peaceful. The dissolution of the ego will come as a great relief to me and I imagine death will be like going to sleep, only I will never wake up. That's a very happy thought.

[Bored, Esq.]

"Darknesse and light divide the course of time, and oblivion snares with memory, a great part even of our living beings; we slightly remember our felicities, and the smartest stroaks of affliction leave but short smart upon us. Sense endureth no extremities, and sorrows destroy us or themselves. To weep into stones are fables."

Chapter 5 - Hydriotaphia - Sir Thomas Browne

You might be the only other person I've ever known who has read Browne.

[Mr. Budd]

"Darknesse and light divide the course of time, and oblivion snares with memory, a great part even of our living beings; we slightly remember our felicities, and the smartest stroaks of affliction leave but short smart upon us. Sense endureth no extremities, and sorrows destroy us or themselves. To weep into stones are fables."

Chapter 5 - Hydriotaphia - Sir Thomas Browne

You might be the only other person I've ever known who has read Browne.

A damn shame.

[Bored, Esq.]

"Darknesse and light divide the course of time, and oblivion snares with memory, a great part even of our living beings; we slightly remember our felicities, and the smartest stroaks of affliction leave but short smart upon us. Sense endureth no extremities, and sorrows destroy us or themselves. To weep into stones are fables."

Chapter 5 - Hydriotaphia - Sir Thomas Browne

You might be the only other person I've ever known who has read Browne.

A damn shame.

I grew up in south Texas.

[spacehamster]

I have no fear of death whatsoever. I look forward to it, in fact. That doesn't mean I "want to die" or anything like that, I'll enjoy my life. I'm afraid of not doing everything I want to do, if anything. But that would be my fault and it would be my only real disappointment if I'm not completely stupid about the rest of my life. But even that...would end with death and I would be peaceful. The dissolution of the ego will come as a great relief to me and I imagine death will be like going to sleep, only I will never wake up. That's a very happy thought.

I feel very similar about death, and I wonder sometimes if I'll change my tune once I get older and it becomes more of an immediate possibility.

Either way, I think there's a big difference between one's rational views on death and the reaction the survival instinct triggers in a life threatening situation. The adrenaline rush does what it wants, it doesn't care if I'm afraid of death.

[Bored, Esq.]

Either way, I think there's a big difference between one's rational views on death and the reaction the survival instinct triggers in a life threatening situation. The adrenaline rush does what it wants, it doesn't care if I'm afraid of death.

That's true, but it's just the stupid DNA trying to save itself. It's fucking selfish. All DNA thinks it's special and unique and the world will stop turning without it...yet it longs to return to the primordial Ocean where it can slime it up with the other DNA and get all funky.

[spacehamster]

Either way, I think there's a big difference between one's rational views on death and the reaction the survival instinct triggers in a life threatening situation. The adrenaline rush does what it wants, it doesn't care if I'm afraid of death.

That's true, but it's just the stupid DNA trying to save itself. It's fucking selfish. All DNA thinks it's special and unique and the world will stop turning without it...yet it longs to return to the primordial Ocean where it can slime it up with the other DNA and get all funky.

Hahahaha. Exactly. And like all things we share with slugs, sewer rats and potatoes, it's not terribly important.

[Kurt Russell's Beard]

That is very prettily said but it doesn't really mean anything to me.

I have no fear of death whatsoever. I look forward to it, in fact. That doesn't mean I "want to die" or anything like that, I'll enjoy my life. I'm afraid of not doing everything I want to do, if anything. But that would be my fault and it would be my only real disappointment if I'm not completely stupid about the rest of my life. But even that...would end with death and I would be peaceful. The dissolution of the ego will come as a great relief to me and I imagine death will be like going to sleep, only I will never wake up. That's a very happy thought.

I don't believe you when you say you have no fear of death whatsoever. Please don't be offended. I think the fact that we die complicates our lives in ways we don't often realize; it motivates us to act and feel. Speaking honestly, you're a man with emotional issues, I don't think you'd disagree with that, right? I think it's not unreasonable that your "accord" with the concept of your death is not entirely without toxic byproduct, manifesting in emotional issues and the like. It's not uncommon. I realize I'm being presumptious by putting you on the couch. Please forgive me. I fully resonate with most of what you said. When I conceptualize the idea that what comes after my death will be no more offensive to me than what came before my birth, a calm comes over me. It's true. And yet. We are these things with the unique understanding that we will no longer exist and that angst goes somewhere. I realize your philosophical outlook is different than mine, so we're unable to agree to terms on this, which is...better than two people mindlessly agreeing on a message board, granted. It's not that I'm trying to talk down to you, it's that I believe your fundamental fear of all that is present in the human condition is there. It's almost a given.

[rape bear]

It's human nature to fear what we don't know, in this case death. It is the scariest thing there is because, not only do we not know, no one does.

I've never understood that attitude. What's the use of fearing something you can't see or know about? That's very pessimistic. Besides...everyone dies. It would be like fearing making a cup of tea or mowing the lawn.

Sure, rationally. I rationally feel this when I repeat it enough. But there's imbalance in not allowing yourself to butt against the edge and peek over, as there is in doing it all the time. Sure, there's no sense in being afraid of death all the time, but anesthetizing yourself through whatever method robs you of the very human right to taste fear chemicals in your mouth and feel your chest sieze at the thought of death. It's that suffering in that shadow that frames the absurd.

That is very prettily said but it doesn't really mean anything to me.

I have no fear of death whatsoever. I look forward to it, in fact. That doesn't mean I "want to die" or anything like that, I'll enjoy my life. I'm afraid of not doing everything I want to do, if anything. But that would be my fault and it would be my only real disappointment if I'm not completely stupid about the rest of my life. But even that...would end with death and I would be peaceful. The dissolution of the ego will come as a great relief to me and I imagine death will be like going to sleep, only I will never wake up. That's a very happy thought.

Well, I don't think you quite understood what I meant.

You just said yourself that you do have some fear, no matter how small it is. And that's all I was saying. Weather it's the fear of not getting to accomplish everything, or of just not being here in general, it exists. I wasn't justifying the fear either, just saying it is there. It leaves things up to chance, and most people like to be in control of their future. (at least as much as they can be)

[Hell-haine]

Hopefully I won't give a fuck anymore when I get there.
I think about it and already try to plan my life to be where I want to be at that age.
What scares me is to have to rely on someone. I hope I will have someone to trust.
I also want to be able to autocorpse if I want to.
Hopefully euthanasia will be 100% legal in France. If not, I'll get 2 grams of smack somewhere and zoooom! Off to Valhalla I go.

[monsterod]

My lifestyle is pretty wyld, man. I'll be lucky to make it to 30. 80? Please....

[Kurt Russell's Beard]

Hopefully I won't give a fuck anymore when I get there.
I think about it and already try to plan my life to be where I want to be at that age.
What scares me is to have to rely on someone. I hope I will have someone to trust.
I also want to be able to autocorpse if I want to.
Hopefully euthanasia will be 100% legal in France. If not, I'll get 2 grams of smack somewhere and zoooom! Off to Valhalla I go.

I worry about relying on someone too. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to have kids who will take care of me. If that happens, I'll go forward with Project: Antarctica in a T-shirt.

Who am I fucking kidding, I'll just end up in a bed in some hospice, thinking about Antarctica.

[Mari_Mar]

Hopefully I won't give a fuck anymore when I get there.
I think about it and already try to plan my life to be where I want to be at that age.
What scares me is to have to rely on someone. I hope I will have someone to trust.
I also want to be able to autocorpse if I want to.
Hopefully euthanasia will be 100% legal in France. If not, I'll get 2 grams of smack somewhere and zoooom! Off to Valhalla I go.

My grandfather is 92 and a big part of him "wants to die", but simply because the world he knew, with the friends and family he understood are all but gone. He feels alone and tired. He doesn't understand why he's still here. Yet, he won't take his own life, and I'm certain he fears, at the very least, the process of dying.

I don't know how I feel about his situation. I can barely understand it. But, when I think about it, it scares me.

[Bored, Esq.]

That is very prettily said but it doesn't really mean anything to me.

I have no fear of death whatsoever. I look forward to it, in fact. That doesn't mean I "want to die" or anything like that, I'll enjoy my life. I'm afraid of not doing everything I want to do, if anything. But that would be my fault and it would be my only real disappointment if I'm not completely stupid about the rest of my life. But even that...would end with death and I would be peaceful. The dissolution of the ego will come as a great relief to me and I imagine death will be like going to sleep, only I will never wake up. That's a very happy thought.

I don't believe you when you say you have no fear of death whatsoever. Please don't be offended. I think the fact that we die complicates our lives in ways we don't often realize; it motivates us to act and feel. Speaking honestly, you're a man with emotional issues, I don't think you'd disagree with that, right? I think it's not unreasonable that your "accord" with the concept of your death is not entirely without toxic byproduct, manifesting in emotional issues and the like. It's not uncommon. I realize I'm being presumptious by putting you on the couch. Please forgive me. I fully resonate with most of what you said. When I conceptualize the idea that what comes after my death will be no more offensive to me than what came before my birth, a calm comes over me. It's true. And yet. We are these things with the unique understanding that we will no longer exist and that angst goes somewhere. I realize your philosophical outlook is different than mine, so we're unable to agree to terms on this, which is...better than two people mindlessly agreeing on a message board, granted. It's not that I'm trying to talk down to you, it's that I believe your fundamental fear of all that is present in the human condition is there. It's almost a given.

No, I know what you're saying. I'm being completely honest. I'm just different. RE: having "emotional" issues, it's more like "brain issues." I also don't believe in a universal human nature or extrapolating from one's personal understanding and then projecting it outwards as a reified standard. I do believe in people not understanding/being able to express their own emotions or personalities because of the generalization of language, however. There's no use in trying to analyze me, though...believe me, if you met me you would understand immediately.

[Bored, Esq.]

Well, I don't think you quite understood what I meant.

No, I understood. We're talking about separate things.

[Teebore]

Not exactly - but I'm not one to rage against reality.

That is healthy.

I'm with you guys on this one, however, there are days that I wish I could speed things up and just be 95 already. Get it the fuck over with. Then I hear birds chirping for the first time this year and things don't seem as bad.

[Bored, Esq.]

I wish I could speed things up and just be 95 already.

Can I interest you in my new youth movement, which was what this thread was about? I'm already planning a nice array of wool suits and bibs.

[Lord Beguile]

I can't because I'm a realist and know I won't even get close. I look forward to dying, not aging.

[Mari_Mar]

I can't because I'm a realist and know I won't even get close. I look forward to dying, not aging.

Really? Because this is the scariest part to me. Dying, not being dead. Simply because there are so many excruciating ways of getting there, and I'm expecting the worst.