Would it be better if every person knew his exact time of death?

Question

Please do not answer immadiately. Think for a moment.

Answer 1

I wouldn't want to know. I would be depressed the closer it got. Some people would act bad and do bad things right up to the moment, then ask for forgiveness. That ain't the way it's supposed to work. Why not live life to it's fullest and treat every moment and everysecond as if it were your last. That's not such a bad way to go through life now is it? Just think, if you knew, you would have to take mind altering drugs and intense therapy just to forget that you know. I think it would drive society crazy.

Answer 2

The answer is not a definite one (unfortunately).
Suppose you did know your time of death, you would obviously try to acheive in life what you already haven't and would like too. On the other hand as time nears you would find it harder to concentrate on anything but the final countdown. It would probarbly drive you crazy, just imagine for a while that you are going to die tommorow- you would want to be all over the place, people would all come to meet you and say 'good-bye'. The ones that really love you wouldn't be able to hide the sorrow and this'll undoubtfully add to your own sorrow.
Then again some people in this world do know when they are going to die e.g. a criminal may be hanged. He would be told when his 'hanging ceremony' (if you can call it that) will take place. These people usually do not see their friends or family before they are hanged and are locked up so have no more aims- maybe this is the reason why they do not fuss as much as they would if they were free.
We must also consider that there is not only one way of dyying. The list of this is endless, and knowing the exact time of your death could mean prevention of your death. Suppose you were told you are going to die on 1st Jan, 2030 at 12.45am. If this is recorded on a huge database with peoples information and time of death we could work out simularities in the times of death- say you and everybody at your work-place was to die at (or around abouts) 1st Jan, 2030 at 12.45am, you all work at the same place and your time of death is when you should be in that place. You and all your work people would be advised not to go to your work-place on that day and time. Therefore you may not die at that time and then you will question yourself 'when am i actually going to die?'.
It also depends on how you are told, by some sort of futuristic machine or by religion. And when you were told would affect it aswell. As soon as you were born? well how would you understand the significance of life if you were told at such an young age. After a while you will get fed up of hearing your (and other peoples) time of death and you may not value it till you grow up and feel its too late! If your told when your a little older when your actually thinking about the way the world works you will be confused.
In conclusion- NO! i dont think it would be good for you to know your time of death. At first glance the answer would be yes, but as requested when thought for a moment the answer is definately no.

Answer 3

No. That'd be a terrible way to live. Imagine people, near their end. Just imagine that a second. Someone with a terrible life. The most miserable life ever that could be imagined. Free. He's angry at the world. Most likely he will kill or blow something up of importance. Now imagine this happening regularly for a moment. Within the last 5 years of most lives, someone doing something drastic and terrible with the logic "I'm going to die anyway; F - it". Not only that, but imagine the fear and panic that'd inflict upon people. Imagine the disruption. I think it's best exactly the way it is. In the movie Gattaca, people, according to their genetics could be given a very precise life expectancy rate. It's very well possible that we could get that if we truly wanted it, but I can't at all imagine it'd be the slightest thing positive. It isn't to be focused upon. My advice is to be forget about it altogether and to live everyday anew, with love and happiness, and to do so ever after.

Answer 4

No I wouldn't want to know. While some may live life to the fullest. I would think some may get the attitude of whats the point and not accomplish things in life like they would have not knowing. For example if a surgeon knows he will die at 40 he may not waste time going to medical school and look at all the lives that would be affected because of this. People may decide not to get married and have children because they aren't going to be around. I feel there would be more negative than good.

Answer 5

Tough question...

(Negative) Nothing would be spontaneous at all. I would plan and cram as many things as possible. There's something magical and naive about living life as it goes, that I think we should all be privileged to. It's also a little sad to hear someone tell you when you're going to die. It would make you think- so what is my life worth here on earth??
(Positive) On the other hand, it will make you modest, to know that you're only one life in billions, and you too are going to die. Therefore, it's good to do as much as you can, and make your life (and others) meaningful, before you die.

Now you can thank g-d for making us get old- at least this way you know you're going to go soon... ;)
And so I think that it would be better not knowing the exact time of death.

Answer 6

I think the exact time of death information is best left unsaid. It would be the main focus of a persons life to know that day they will no longer exist. In the back of there mind would be the foreboding day and they would not actually enjoy life to the fullest. Some may argue they could do everything they wanted to within there time but truthfully would they enjoy it no because the date of there death would be subconsciously embedded in there mind.

Answer 7

yes , think of the things people ,including yourself, would do if you knew you were to die tomorrow. your perspective would probably completely change, youd would want mostly likely to prepare something for those that you love and would want to spend as much time with them as you could. Those of course arent the bad things that could happen though. People wouldnt take people for granted either. On the other hand, a lot of emotion systems would get , for lack of a better word - messed up because why would anyone really truly grieve if they knew when someone would die, they could prepare themselves prior to the date. So the good seems to out way the bad but both sides are something to take into consideration.

Answer 8

No...i think that alot of poeple would be deprerate to try to prevent their own death, if they knew it was going to happen. can you imagine knowing, 'oh, tomrrow your going to get hit by a truck at 2:07 PM.' ? people would lock themselves up in their rooms and never be able to live quite as fully.

But then again, knowing your time of death, i think, might help people accept the 'circle of life', knowing that they have a time to live, a time to die, and that they should appreciate the time they had.

but what if a child would die at the age of seven (as so many children die young, really sad)? then, for people who do not have long lives, they'd be like, 'WHY exatcly is it the designated time of their death? why was it meant to be that they died at that age/year? Knowing the time of death would probably make alot more questions.--and yes, i agree, (as someone else said) that having that last week of life would make people not care if they murder anyone and go 'scott free' on their last day of life.

i think i'm undecided.

Answer 9

I think it would make people appreciate their time on earth a little more. Although it would be hard for people to accept, and I'm sure it would make people lose focus on what's important.
It would be both a good thing and a bad, depending on the person.

Answer 10

There is nothing better about knowing the exact time of death, because the inevitable can never change that.