One thing that we often hear is that “death is just a part of life.” So often in our day and age do we hear people utter these words. However, death is far more significant and impactful than some would allege. True death is not merely a time when we cease to exist; it is an entombment, a mindset in which we are dead to this world. Throughout our lives, it is true that we can all be dead in one way or another, but it does not have to be that way. When we have our eyes opened to what death actually is, it is far easier to grasp what the true meaning of life is, and to embrace it. Often, we will come across individuals who are enveloped in death and others who are immersed in true life. The shadow of death and entombment lies upon some, encompassing …show more content…
To truly become alive is to be woken up, broken in, and interrupted from a trance-like state of indifference. When we are awakened in spirit, we can finally experience true joy and true life. We will be able to see that we were not truly living before, but that we can now feel more, understand more, and imagine more. In The Silver Chair, Puddleglum the Marshwiggle displays an enormous amount of courage and life, undeterred when standing up to the wicked Queen. He speaks life to the fullest while everyone around him is captivated by evil, enthralled by the charm and deceit of dark magic. As the evil queen tries to trick four beings into a belief that Narnia does not exist, Puddleglum exclaims, “Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things… But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow” (The Silver Chair 190-191). In this, Puddleglum demonstrates that he is alive and flourishing by capturing the essence of Christianity. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Without life, faith, and hope, there is no way to know what is true, or to have any kind of understanding of what we are confident is true. Puddleglum has established that he knows what he lives for, and that he will stick to his beliefs, no matter what. Wendell Berry states, “Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, …show more content…
Life is not merely something that we experience outwardly. It can be an awakening to imagination, emotion, and true virtue. As we experience feelings in the way Puddleglum lived, believing in something so profound and so realistic that no apathy or emptiness could ever dissuade him, we can learn to live a life worth continuing. Keeping our eyes on that which is not fleeting or passing away, we can learn to feel more and with purpose. As 1 John 2:17 declares, “And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains
Richard Taylor, an American philosopher and author of, “The Meaning of Life” believes you can live a meaningful life as long as you realize your will and are completely involved in it and enjoy it, then you are no longer needed and your life was a successful one. “This is surely the way to look at all of life- at one’s own life, and each day and moment it contains; of the life of a nation; of the species; of the life of the world; and of everything that breathes” (Taylor p 27). He proves this through the ancient myth of Sisyphus. Sisyphus was sentenced by the Gods to spend an eternity rolling a stone repeatedly to the top of a hill and once it reached the top, it would roll right back down once again. Taylor calls Sisyphus’ life as an “endless pointlessness.” Taylor relates human life to Sisyphus’ life. He believes that both of our lives can have meaning. Taylor asks us to look at Sisyphus’ story in a different way. For example, while the Gods sentenced him to rolling this stone up a hill for an eternity, what if they gave him a “strange and irrational impulse” to roll the stone repeatedly. Now, according to Richard Taylor, Sisyphus’ life would now have meaning and if we were to be as invested as Sisyphus in rolling the stone, then our lives have meaning as well.
Mortality, the subject of death, has been a curious topic to scholars, writers, and the common man. Each with their own opinion and beliefs. My personal belief is that one should accept mortality for what it is and not go against it.
What do the following words or phrases have in common: “the last departure,”, “final curtain,” “the end,” “darkness,” “eternal sleep”, “sweet release,” “afterlife,” and “passing over”? All, whether grim or optimistic, are synonymous with death. Death is a shared human experience. Regardless of age, gender, race, religion, health, wealth, or nationality, it is both an idea and an experience that every individual eventually must confront in the loss of others and finally face the reality of our own. Whether you first encounter it in the loss of a pet, a friend, a family member, a neighbor, a pop culture icon, or a valued community member, it can leave you feeling numb, empty, and shattered inside. But, the world keeps turning and life continues. The late Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computers and of Pixar Animation Studios, in his 2005 speech to the graduating class at Stanford, acknowledged death’s great power by calling it “the single best invention of Life” and “Life’s great change agent.” How, in all its finality and accompanying sadness, can death be good? As a destination, what does it have to teach us about the journey?
Life is a series of experiences in which each one of us grows into the individual we are now. Every move, each word and thought shapes our person.
Life and death are dualities. These two immaterial forces culminate into a beautiful and tenuous composition creating an awareness of abject mortality that indirectly contributes to the breadth and depth of human existence. This existence or being is marked by an incessant love of life, influenced by the pervasive knowledge of eventual death. The characters in Mrs. Dalloway endeavor to grasp the meaning of both life and death through the act of resistance and/or acceptance of the impermanence of human existence as it relates to them personally and to those around them. Nietzsche’s interpretation of the themes of life
John L McIntosh. (2003) . Handbook of Death and Dying. Volume 1: The Presence of Death. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference.
People face many different challenges everyday. But there is one obstacle we will all face, something we can not run from; death. Even back in the biblical days, humans found a way to make death more appealing. Reincarnation and incarnation are just two of the hundreds of beliefs about the afterlife. Morrie Schwartz found his own comfort with death, as does the rest of the world. Established on Jewish belief and Morrie’s conclusion on reincarnation, we can resolve that death can not just close doors of opportunity for us, but rather open other doors too.
Death is sometimes considered unthinkable. People do not wish to think of loved ones dying. When someone close to us dies we are over come with sadness. We wish we had more time with them. Their death shows us the importance of that person’s role in our lives. We begin to think of how we will live our lives without them. We think of all the moments we shared with them, they live again in our memories. Perhaps death is considered unthinkable because we fe...
Is there such a thing as free will, what is the relationship between mind and body, and the true difference between right and wrong are a few questions about human existence that have plagued philosophers and average men alike since the days of Socrates and Aristotle. While not everyone may pay these questions much attention, there is one philosophical thought that has probably crossed the mind of every human at some point in time, and that is the concept of death and what happens after. There are widespread thoughts about what happens postmortem which range from the idea of immortality during the days of the ancient Greeks to the belief in reincarnation that is associated with many Eastern religions. These beliefs, along with others similar to them, provide some with a sort of safety net because they know that their essence (soul, spirit, etc.) will continue to exist after they pass. That being said, not everyone shares these opinions and for some the idea of death can be frightening. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise examines this fear through Jack Gladney and several other characters. While the novel does not offer any answers, it does stimulate thought regarding death in modern society and how it should be handled. Although many of the characters try to do things such as ignore or embrace their fear in order to get it off their minds, Jack cannot shake his angst, all of which mirroring the various reactions people in today’s society have regarding death.
What comes to mind when one thinks of death - an uncharted realm of darkness which shivers humanity from top to bottom, without blink of eye we neglect it and move on to ordinary problems of life. The very human nature of denial- a famous human defense mechanism which makes our life easier to some extent by clouding our thought process to think about nominal day to day life problems. Death according to some is the worst thing that happens to mankind and should be avoided at all cost. But one thing that troubles me sometimes is that do we really need to worry about it too much when it comes to everybody ? It surely is the supreme form of governance which brings about equality among masses and bridges the inequality that this capitalistic world has created.
What would life be like if death wasn’t a thing? Death is an agonizing pain that leaves a scar on the people who have to experience it. Yet, Death is apart of all life no matter how devastating it is. However, even if we all know this, it doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye. Jazzy and I had known each other since 4th grade. She had just moved to Hampton and I had just moved there a year earlier. We both were in the same class, she had a bright and bubbly personality that shined even on the darkest days. While I was quiet and isolated unless answering a question or talking to the few friends I had. Little did we know we were going to end up best friends until father time decided it was time for her to go, because,
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.
Intro : Introduce the concept of death, and how the concept of death is shown to be something to be feared
When I originally signed up for this course, I was uneasy about it. Talking about death has always made me feel anxious, as it does with most people in our society. However, over the course of the semester, I’ve learned that not only is it okay to talk about death and dying, but it also makes me feel less anxious about death. Things that I have learned in this course will help me in many ways in both my professional and personal life.
I was very excited to take Death and Dying as a college level course. Firstly, because I have always had a huge interest in death, but it coincides with a fear surrounding it. I love the opportunity to write this paper because I can delve into my own experiences and beliefs around death and dying and perhaps really establish a clear personal perspective and how I can relate to others in a professional setting.