Death and existence.
“The moment where you’re able to appreciate your existence while also embracing death is when you’ll find happiness.”
I had this idea after reading up on Absurdism, mainly books by Albert Camus. I found that this 2 parts seems paradoxical yet interlinked. Lemme explain.
The earlier without the latter is where we wish to be, however this is impossible due to the fact that we will face suffering later on.
The latter without the earlier is what nihilism seems like, where they await the demise of their life.
Hence I somewhat conclude, when you’re able to embrace death as the end to your suffering while also appreciating the fact that you’ve existed. Being able to balance these ideas is where you can rebel against the fact that “life has an ulterior meaning” while also living life as it is.
Any thoughts?
I had this idea after reading up on Absurdism, mainly books by Albert Camus. I found that this 2 parts seems paradoxical yet interlinked. Lemme explain.
The earlier without the latter is where we wish to be, however this is impossible due to the fact that we will face suffering later on.
The latter without the earlier is what nihilism seems like, where they await the demise of their life.
Hence I somewhat conclude, when you’re able to embrace death as the end to your suffering while also appreciating the fact that you’ve existed. Being able to balance these ideas is where you can rebel against the fact that “life has an ulterior meaning” while also living life as it is.
Any thoughts?
Comments (11)
I agree.
One of my stepping stones to a harmonious life is the realization there's no death for me.
In all objective meaning, I will die, but I will never be able to experience death.
This realization (or "belief" if you will) came to me after receiving general anaesthetic for surgery.
Afterwards I couldn't recollect any time, space, activity during my unconsciousness how hard I tried.
It was just as if you cut away an hour from a film. And isn't death just permanent unconsciousness?
We "dramatize" death a lot; "I will not be able to be with my loved ones" etc, etc.
You will not be there, much like you're not there in between two thoughts.
“Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present. Our life has no end in the way in which our visual field has no limits.”
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ok I get where y’all coming from. Sometimes peace is equated to happiness. I mean who doesn’t find a peaceful life happy? Then again it’s not the same thing, as mentioned by y’all.
Quoting Dylan Law
Agree to disagree, views on death comes in a variety of answers, then again “Momento Mori” is a common saying used to somewhat appreciate life better. Hence my point that embracing the uncertainty of death allows you to treasure the immediate moment.
Quoting John Onestrand
Haha I never thought of it this way. People always group death as an experience but what it actually is the end of the experience of life.
So lemme rephrase it:
The moment you’re able to appreciate your existence while also embracing death is where you’ll find peace.
From my understanding, one is unable to fear death while feeling peace. Maybe embracing death isn’t such an appropriate term, accepting may be the better term. Haha but embracing death comes from my somewhat absurdist or nihilistic view. But yes you do bring out a great point, there are many ways to get to your goals be it peace or other things and depending on your beliefs it’ll show through your actions. Hence from what I’ve said, you could infer that I have an absurd mindset, where I somewhat embrace death in some form of masochism lol.
Maybe not, but I don’t know if gearing death is the only alternative to embracing it. It’s possible to be indifferent. Honestly, that’s probably how I would describe my feelings regarding it specifically. What I mean is I do have anxieties about knowing I’m about to die, and the pain involved in dying, and about possibly not having the opportunity to express my feelings to those I love, or share positive experiences with them, or achieve things I would like to achieve. But simply being dead doesn’t really make me feel anything, it’s the process of dying that’s fearful or concerning.
Quoting Pinprick
Yes I agree with this, this is possibly an alternative to embracing death.
Your explanation is quite logical, most people fear the unknown and death will forever be something that’s unexplainable. Like give me a person who can describe the experience lol.
I would not use happiness but peace,
Quoting Josh Lee
Why would you appreciate the fact of you existing? why would you do that may I ask?
Anywho what you're saying is correct, but I'd say the longing for living and life in Camus' works is a clear manifestation of his will to live, so the fact that someone lives would be meaningless to appreciate or not, and peace would be hard to find in the suffering found in that one life.
Quoting Augustusea
Addresses that earlier on.
Quoting Augustusea
This is somewhat referenced from Albert Camus “A Happy Death”. When the man was facing death, he appreciates the fact that he existed and that somewhat gave his life some meaning.
Quoting Josh Lee
I fail to see the meaning in death truly, its why I kind of disagree with Camus and Sartre on a lot of stuff, they still manage to try to fit in some sort of meaning, when I believe there would never be.