Mortality Perceptions

Mortality Perceptions

At some point in life we all think about death and dying. We all know the reality that all humans are mortal and that death is as inevitable as day becoming night.

“Is there anything we can do about our mortality?” This may be a question that many of us would like to ask ourselves.

First of all, man’s perceptions of mortality always change with age and time. If you ask a young adult if he or she would want to live long, probably the answer is “I don’t know” or “I just don’t want to grow too old and decrepit, like my grand-parents.”

Their perspective of mortality also explains why many of them are living a reckless lifestyle “as if there is no tomorrow” for them.

Naturally, their perception of mortality would change over the years as they grow older with a family of children, or if they have a successful career with all the trimmings of a luxurious lifestyle that they would like to continue. A longer lifespan would then become an extension of their own legacy or continuation of their enjoyment of the fruits of their own accomplishments. The inscription on the tombstone of Bruce Lee(李小龍), the Hollywood star, reads: “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.” That says much about the hope of many to extend beyond the grave.

As aging continues, the fear of death or the unknown may also dawn on humans, driving some of the elderly into craving a longer lifespan to delay and defer the inevitable.

Indeed, many people may have different perspectives of their own mortality, depending on their upbringing, the life experiences they have gone though, their religious beliefs, as well as the meanings of death and dying to them. As a result of the differences, some may focus too much on death to the extent of creating death anxiety, while others may deliberately deny the existence of death, just like the ostrich burying its head in the sand.

There are some questions we should all consider:

Why do you or why don't you want to live longer? Should your or should you not think about death? How do you prepare yourself, or live your life -- if you just don't die?

Don't just bury your head in the sand by not thinking about the above questions? Remember, wisdom comes from asking questions and seeking answers to the questions asked. With wisdom, you'll know how to live the rest of your life, irrespective of your current conditions.

Go to my site: wisdom in loiving.

Stephen Lau

Copyright© 2018 by Stephen Lau