Death

From an existential point of view, how we view death is of paramount importance to how we view life. If we do not face death we may put off new choices believing that it is not the “right time” for change. We may live an inauthentic life and console ourselves with the belief that “someday” I will live a different life and thus, live authentically. For example, despite engaging in a type of work that we know is not what we want to be doing and knowing we are in a state of inauthenticity, we may stay in this circumstance for many years. This is especially true of those who want to deny their freedom, those who live as if they will live forever, not realizing there is a time limit on their existence. Without facing the fact that we are mortal and will eventually die, we may not make the difficult choices towards living authentically but instead opt for the path of least resistance. Maybe the most important aspect of life is how we die. Do we die with contentment for the life we have lived or do we die with many regrets for experiences not lived? Perhaps it is easier to accept death if we feel that we have experienced life, even briefly, the way we had pictured it for ourselves when we were young, and we did not live a state of continuous desire for something more or different.