Our Fear of Death

771 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Matters of life after death

“No one knows whether death is really the greatest blessing a man can have, but they fear it is the greatest curse, as if they knew well.” –Plato. This quote stresses that death is a natural part of life that everyone will have to deal with, and for most, it is a very uneasy subject which most try to avoid. But why do we all try to avoid the subject of death? I do not believe we are scared of death itself, we fear what will happen after death. Death has been the one the top debated matters for thousands of years in view of the fact that individuals have different views depending on religion or just personal belief. Whether there is life after death is solely religious for most people. The views of Christianity, Buddhism, and Atheism, for example, all differ on life after death. Death has been studied for thousands of years but we have still yet to come to a definite conclusion. Christian’s teachings come solely from the Holy Bible and their view on Heaven and Hell. Death is recognized as your earthly body dying, but your soul living on and possibly going to Heaven. They believe that if you have lived a life according to God and truly repented for your sins, you will gain entrance to Heaven. By the judgment of God, your soul will either enter Heaven or Hell. Many scientists have tried to explain these paranormal places and it can be looked at from two perspectives. Traditionally, Heaven and Hell have been viewed as concrete places, while it has usually been described as Heaven; being close to God, and Hell; being very far from God. When asked to describe Heaven people will often say that it is a place with angels, harps, and white horses. On the other hand, when asked to describe Hell most would say it is a red fiery place with d... ... middle of paper ... ... combine with the air consequently recycling into a new organism Death is the one aspect of life that every human will have to face. Most people fear death and view it as a bad thing, but it is only natural. Some may view death as a blessing, curse, or a new beginning. Some religions believe in a harmonious or terrible place after death; Heaven and Hell. Others teach the cycle of reincarnation where souls are continuously reborn until achieving the perfect nirvana. Although all religions differ on their views after death, the main goal is the same; live a good life. Whether living a good life will get you into heaven or one of the six realms, it is the goal of the individual to live a life that will get them to a virtuous place after death. I believe that people fear death not because of pain or suffering, but because we are unaware of what will happen afterwards.

Show More
Related

  • Death in Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    When people ponder death they wonder about the unknown with trepidation. As a young man, William Cullen Bryant wrote the "Thanatopsis." His thoughts progress from the fear of death to the acceptance of the event. People should not fear death because everyone dies and becomes a part of nature.

    Read More

  • Fear Of Death In Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fear of the unknown, and fear of what is to come in our lives, has generations of people wondering what will our lives be like tomorrow or the next day. Death is always there and we cannot escape it. Death is a scary thing. Our own mortality or the mortality of our loved ones scares us to the point that we sometimes cannot control how we are dealing with such a thing as the thought of death. Why do we fear such a thing as death? We don’t know what happens after we don’t how it feels. The fear of death is different for most but it is most certain to come and we cannot hide from it. For death is just around the corner and maybe it’s will come tomorrow or the next day! We fear not death, but the unknown that comes from death, that is the

    Read More

  • Death And Afterlife In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are multiple views on death and the afterlife and each view is different depending on the religion or belief that someone practices. Some religions believe in a heaven but not a hell, some believe in both and others do not believe in either. The religions that are practiced today were created by our ancient ancestors who had the ability to think beyond themselves. Practicing a religion and having an idea of death and an afterlife back in ancient times laid a foundation on how religion is seen and practiced today. Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Hindu’s created the concept of death and life after death through what they believed and practiced in ancient times.

    Read More

  • Death and Life Affirmation: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    Now that I know what death is, I can define it from my perspective. I think death is an aspect of life that everyone will experience. It is the last phase of a person’s life but there is an after death life as some people believe. No one knows when death will knock his door because death does not ask a person’s permission to take his life. It is the time you lose everything you have worked so hard and earned in your life. In addition, many of your beloved people will lose you and miss you.

    Read More

  • Epicurus's Philosophy on the Fear of Death

    1743 Words  | 4 Pages

    Death, and people's perception of it are a major part of many philosophies. It could be argued that the questions surrounding death and the afterlife form the basis of many philosophic concepts. To some philosophers, not only is the concept of death itself important, but also how people perceive it, and why they perceive it the way they do. Epicurus's claim that the soul is mortal, is an excellent explanation for why we should not fear death.

    Read More

  • Socrates and Epicurus - Live Life Without Fear of Death

    2744 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many people seem to fear death, but philosophers such as Socrates and Epicurus would argue that one has no reason to fear it. Socrates sees death as a blessing to be wished for if death is either nothingness or a relocation of the soul, whereas Epicurus argues that one shouldn't worry themselves about death since, once we are gone, death is annihilation which is neither good nor bad. Epicurus believes that death itself is a total lack of perception, wherein there is no pleasure or pain. I agree with Epicurus because Socrates doesn't give a sound argument for death as a blessing, whereas Epicurus' argument is cogent. I would also argue personally that death is not something to be feared because, like Epicurus, I see no sufficient evidence showing we even exist after death.

    Read More

  • Death and Immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh

    1379 Words  | 3 Pages

    nsciousness after death, or maybe a combination of both, which creates this fear. The fear felt is undoubtedly universal. However, the ways in which it is dealt with are varied and diverse. The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. It is the society, which has the greatest impact on an individual’s beliefs.

    Read More

  • Death in Different Religions

    1654 Words  | 4 Pages

    Christians ultimately believe in two places to go after death, Heaven where eternity is spent in a state that is beautiful beyond our ability to conceive, or Hell, where eternity is spent with Satan and his demons. All are tormented and tortured, in isolation from God, without any hope of mercy or relief (Robinson).

    Read More

  • Examples Of Christianity In Dante's Inferno

    456 Words  | 1 Pages

    Christianity has many beliefs, although, not all of them exactly fit together like puzzle pieces. Most people know Hell as being a fiery chamber of torture, but that is not how everyone sees it. Some people, such as Dante, the author of Dantes Inferno, believe Hell is actually an icy tomb for all sinners who dwell there. Dantes’ version is very eccentric, but makes complete sense when the theory is considered.

    Read More

  • Thesis on Death and Grieving

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death is part of the circle of life and it's the end of your time on earth; the end of your time with your family and loved ones. Nobody wants to die, leaving their family and missing the good times your loved ones will have once you pass on. In the Mercury Reader, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross “On the Fear of Death” and Joan Didion “Afterlife” from The Year of Magical Thinking” both share common theses on death and grieving. Didion and Kübler-Ross both explain grieving and dealing with death. Steve Jobs commencement speech for Stanford’s graduation ceremony and through personal experience jumps further into death and how I feel about it. Your time is on earth is limited one day you will die and there are many ways of grieving at the death of a loved one. I believe that the fear of death and the death of a loved one will hold you back from living your own life and the fear of your own death is selfish.

    Read More

  • Fear of Death

    1658 Words  | 4 Pages

    Death it is something we all must face at one point in our lives or another. It is either a death of a loved one, friend or co-worker. Sometimes it’s the devastation from a natural disaster. No matter what makes us face the idea of death it is how we handle this realization that truly matters. When Gilgamesh is faced with the horrendous loss of his dear friend and comrade Enkidu he begins to fear death. In Gilgamesh’s youth he is proud without fear of death, it is not until he watches his friend die that his own mortality becomes a fear.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Death And Dying

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Death is the one great certainty in life. Some of us will die in ways out of our control, and most of us will be unaware of the moment of death itself. Still, death and dying well can be approached in a healthy way. Understanding that people differ in how they think about death and dying, and respecting those differences, can promote a peaceful death and a healthy manner of dying.

    Read More

  • Life After Death

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    One way in which death can be viewed comes across the Catholic religion. The Catholic believers look life after death in a prospective of three different worlds, such as Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise according to the deeds committed during life. If a person during his or her lifetime committed any sins, this person’s next world will be the Hell. The traditional view in which people refer to hell can be found in the book written by Dante Alighieri, “La Divina Commedia”. The book states that the formation of Hell was given by the crash of Lucifer (the angel that wanted to be better than God) from the sky onto the earth. Crashing on the Earth in Jerusalem, his head formed an upside down cone inside the Earth. This is where is located the Hell. In the Hell, people pay for their sins with different penitences (12-13). For instance, a person that committed homicide will freeze in a lake frozen by the breath of Satan (XXXIV canto). If a person during his or her life commits any sins but asks for forgiveness, then he or she will go to the Purgatory. The purgatory is represented by an island with a mountain (23). One source states that “Purgatory is very similar to Hell; the main difference is that one will eventually be released from torture. The souls that go in the Purgatory are tortured with fire. These souls remain in purgatory until they become sufficiently purified to enter heaven”(2). For example, if a soul in the purgatory asks for forgiveness and pays the punition with some tests, the soul will be released and moved immediately to Heaven (2).

    Read More

  • Death Is The Hardest Thing To Face In Life Essay

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Death is one of the hardest things to over come; while others have developed paganism for death it’s ultimately the scariest thing to face in life. Losing a best friend, a family member, or the love of your life. Therefore the death of someone special is definitely the hardest thing to face. Many people believe when someone dies, they’re sleeping, and they wake up when Jesus comes again and brings you to heaven with him, this is called Christianity, however, Buddhism believe when the body dies it disappears, but the mind goes on, which means you have no after life to experience. I personally believe after you die, you will go to a very special place, with past family members who have passed away. I also believe if you don’t think there is a God you will go to

    Read More

  • Death In Life Essay

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    Death is something that causes fear in many peoples lives. People will typically try to avoid the conversation of death at all cost. The word itself tends to freak people out. The thought of death is far beyond any living person’s grasp. When people that are living think about the concept of death, their minds go to many different places. Death is a thing that causes pain in peoples lives, but can also be a blessing.

    Read More

More about Our Fear of Death

Open Document