News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable?. Parent comment

Re:Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable? by grok22 on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @11:44AM (#26413162)
Why is your perspective more correct that the perspective of the person who doesn't want to die? I think we all know that people are of various natures and think in a myriad number of ways and refuse to accept that mostly so that society remains stable.

But I feel that assuming this perspective is better than the other one (about not wanting to die) in this respect (for this particular thing about wanting to live or die on one's deathbed) is just a way of rationalizing death rather than accepting that people just have different natures.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable? by taxicabjesus on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @12:41PM (#26413880)
The point is that death is inevitable. You can either accept the inevitable or fight it, you get to the same place regardless.

One of the recurring characters on Star Trek were the omniscient immortal Q. One of the recurring subplots was of the Q getting bored of being immortal. "For us, the disease is immortality." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqvxufh6ZDo

It's one thing to have purpose, or meaningful things to do. Sometimes people get to the place where they're just taking up space. My mom's 97 year old friend (stroked at 89, can't communicate) spends 7 days a week in her little room at the care home. We try to visit semi-regularly, but that turns out to be about two hours a week, or every-other-week. I've heard lately she's getting herself out of bed and falls. She is kept alive, but she doesn't really care to live. I think she was able to express this to her helper, when she was living at home...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable? by goatinaboat on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @01:19PM (#26414248)
One of the recurring characters on Star Trek were the omniscient immortal Q. One of the recurring subplots was of the Q getting bored of being immortal.

Speaking of Star Trek, Picard spends his entire spin-off series waxing lyrical about how death is so meaningful but when faced with his own death he [SPOILER ALERT] opts to become immortal instead.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable? by grok22 on Saturday March 13, 2021 @05:55PM (#26450930)
Today I came again across this poem ("Do not go gentle into that good night", by Dylan Thomas) that is relevant here -- it gives you a sense of the perspective of the opposite side from yours: https://poets.org/poem/do-not-go-gentle-good-night
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Why is the deathbed perspective considered so valuable? by renewiltord on Wednesday March 10, 2021 @12:50PM (#26413970)
It's not about stopping the inevitable. It is about delaying it.

It's clear that you rage against the dying of your light constantly (as do we all, as we should) since death through inaction is available to us all daily and yet you choose action.

Considering you don't take your own advice and actively consume water, it is hard to believe you.

[ Parent | on HN ]