Overcoming Death Anxiety


Death anxiety is something we all experience, and has been experienced for generations. It has plagued human beings for years and years, even Roman emperors like Marcus Aurelius, who talked about living in the present not for the present. There are many reasons for fear, perhaps it is a fear of no more experiences, not finishing all the projects we wanted to finish, not finding a purpose or leaving a legacy, and ultimately we have no actual concept of what happens after we die, if we go anywhere.
Many people believe that coping with death is subjective, and that there is no good way to overcome the fear of death or fear of dying. I think Marcus Aurelius kind of has a point, that there is a good and wise way to cope with your death anxiety, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, an improper and foolish way which does not lead to coping.
I think that living in the present, not for the present with a healthy outlook on the future is a good way to cope with death anxiety.

Comments

  1. Emma LApril 24, 2019 at 12:05 PM

    I'm not sure if one is able to live in the present, but also have any kind of outlook on the future. If you are living in the present, you are paying the future no mind. Otherwise, you would not be living in the present. I agree that having a healthy outlook on the future is good, but there are other ways rather than simply living in the present to help people deal with death anxiety. I understand what you are trying to get at, I'm just not sure if what you're saying is possible.

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    Replies
    1. Tanner MullApril 26, 2019 at 4:50 PM

      I don't think he is trying to say party hard, live for now or anything like that, I think he is just saying if it brings you nothing but pain to think about it and thinking about it changes nothing then concern yourself with some more immediate problems that you can fix or maybe ones that are a week from now.

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