03-07-2013, 08:41 AM
Anyone familiar with Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death? I agree with Rowen, just would, as Becker does, extend this idea: the German title of Becker's book is: "Die Überwindung der Todesfurcht. Dynamik des Todes". translates as : Overcoming the fear of death. The dynamics of death.
While the first part of the title is not really the same, which I think is obvious, the second part is much closer to Becker's ideas.
"Overcoming" in my opinion means first of all facing the problem* in order to be able to solve it, while denial of course is just the opposite strategy. In a nutshell Becker's point seems to have been, that knowing that we have to die motivates a lot of our actions, eg. creativity, because it distracts from the fact we exactly do not deny.
The other thing Rowen says above I find very interesting:" when things are good, I feel like I could die happy" It is really like a knot by R.D. Laing. I constantly change my mind about if I'd rather wanted to die, when things are bad or when things are good. Paradoxical knot indeed. ;-)
Would I want to die, if I still have 5 bucks to spent? I simply don't know.
-------------------------------------------------
* the problem not being death but the fear of it. Now look at the pivotal message of Christianity: resurrection. ;-) In my opinion that's the the wrong way to go, because here the "solution" offered for overcoming the fear of death is overcoming death. Makes sense of course. But is a bit absurd if you think it through. If it helps, it is of course ok with me, but I, me, cannot buy it.
Wow! Too funny: just on tv here; where the fuck have you been? - I enjoyed death. ,-)))
While the first part of the title is not really the same, which I think is obvious, the second part is much closer to Becker's ideas.
"Overcoming" in my opinion means first of all facing the problem* in order to be able to solve it, while denial of course is just the opposite strategy. In a nutshell Becker's point seems to have been, that knowing that we have to die motivates a lot of our actions, eg. creativity, because it distracts from the fact we exactly do not deny.
The other thing Rowen says above I find very interesting:" when things are good, I feel like I could die happy" It is really like a knot by R.D. Laing. I constantly change my mind about if I'd rather wanted to die, when things are bad or when things are good. Paradoxical knot indeed. ;-)
Would I want to die, if I still have 5 bucks to spent? I simply don't know.
-------------------------------------------------
* the problem not being death but the fear of it. Now look at the pivotal message of Christianity: resurrection. ;-) In my opinion that's the the wrong way to go, because here the "solution" offered for overcoming the fear of death is overcoming death. Makes sense of course. But is a bit absurd if you think it through. If it helps, it is of course ok with me, but I, me, cannot buy it.
Wow! Too funny: just on tv here; where the fuck have you been? - I enjoyed death. ,-)))