Why are we always preparing for life but we are not mentally ready for death?

Question

Why are we not taught to prepare ourselves mentally for death? Maybe if we did we would be less scared to die.

People talk about a career, a car, a life but I never hear anyone preparing for death. Why run away from it when it could be around the corner?

Answer 1

Good question. The best answer I can think of is a quote of something John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens while we make plans for the future".
I guess too many people spend all their compromising their happiness in the name of some sort of security they won't take advantage of until they are too old. And the only explanation I can think of for that behavior is a ludicrous believe that they will live forever - not in the afterlife but in this World.

Answer 2

That isn't the way it works. You can never fully prepare yourself for the unknown. All that it is truly possible for anyone to know about the condition we call "death" is already known to everybody by at least their middle teens. All the talking about it in the world isn't going to make everybody "ready" for death, or make death more "acceptable".

People are different.. they have different emotions, different ways of dealing with things, and different thoughts and beliefs. Many people find some comfort in their religious teachings that when your body dies, some other part of you (soul, or whatever else you want to call it) flies off to somewhere wonderful (or horrible, depending on how good or bad you've been, lol.)

I have many, many times heard somebody say, who had just lost a beloved parent, or spouse, "I knew it was coming. We all knew it wasn't going to be far away, but no matter how much you try to prepare for it, and know it's going to happen, you are NEVER ready for it when it does." I would eventually become myself a person who would understand that all too well from personal experience.

All we can ever do - and it really isn't necessary because, again, you are not on this earth all that long before you learn it all by yourself - is remind one another that our lives are finite, and death is a part of the process - the last milestone in our journey from birth. Meanwhile, there will always be those who feel more comfortable with the idea of death, than others. I think as you get older and closer to that average age when it happens, you become more accepting of it. Other, usually much younger people, can be extremely fearful and don't even want to discuss it.

It brings to mind an old joke about the preacher giving his sermon about death, and what lies beyond..... "Brothers, Sisters" he said from his pulpit "Prepare yourselves for the moment of your going, and remember Heaven's Gates will open for you because you have been faithful. Hands up all of you who want to enter through those Gates of Heaven" Just about the whole congregation raised their hands, except one little ole guy right in the front pew.. The preacher noticed and asked him "surely you want to go to Heaven, don't you?" The guy replied "Well, sure I do one of these days, but, heck, I thought you were getting up a load to go now!"

There is not a shred of evidence for Heaven or Hell, or any afterlife at all for that matter. All we know is that death is going to happen sometime. But heck, let's not think about it before we have to.

Answer 3

Our society has been taught from the youngest age that Death is something to be feared and avoided at ALL costs. It stems from our Religious upbringing and the predominant idea of Hell and Heaven. So many are afraid that they MAY have "accidentally" committed some aggregious wrong that will forever condenm them to eternal suffering in Hell that they refuse to live their lives, TODAY. If they'd ONLY take care of things TODAY they wouldn't NEED to worry about an eternal punishment when they die. When we spend our whole lives trying to avoid offending some "sky daddy God" we avoid actually living the life that being intended us to live and enjoy. We were put here for a purpose, that purpose is to LIVE, Learn, explore, experience and love. Not to be selfish, hoarding, mistrustful and secluding ourselves off from the universe. Let's Face it folks, NONE of us is getting out of this alive and we only have ONE shot at THIS particular lifetime. Enjoy it while you have it and LIVE everyday as though it WERE your last one, Because ONE day it WILL be.

If you actually LIVE each moment for it's OWN sake, you won't HAVE to worry about your death because you'll have squeezed every moment out of your life, and lived it to it's fullest. Doing that assures that you will receive ONLY the BEST in an afterlife, whatever or wherever that may end up being.

Think for a moment of ALL the folks that you know who have died. WHO do you remember the MOST? Do you remember the quiet little old lady who never went out, never had a smile for anyone, never was seen at a local gathering, never shared herself with anyone? Even if she WAS a 100% Religious person? NO! of course not, she never tok the time to make a mark in your life, so how could you possibly remember her? NOW, how about the The crazy old guy in the park? The guy that always was laughing and joking around? the guy that Always seemed to have a little bit of spare change for all the kids, the guy that loved to dress funny just to make people laugh at him, the guy that would sit and listen to you whine about your troubles for hours on end and would alwasysd telll you to cheer up, it could be worse, and MEAN it? HE is one of those folks that you'll remember fondly for the REST of your life. He never made a major contribution to society as a whole but he made a MAJOR impact on your life just by bringing a little bit of sunshine into it. And it was HIM who was the MOST prepared for his own demise because HE will be remembered for MANY years, whereas the little old lady will be forgotten in a few weeks or days.

Life is NOT about the number of breaths we take but about the moments that take our breaths away. And WE as a society should be concerned about MAKING those moments that take our breaths away and concern ourselves less about simply taking breaths.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 4

Actually I think most of us are waiting to live, for instance, "when I have enough money, I will......" or "when I have enough time, I will......." No one lives in the moment, savoring the now, which when you think about it, is all any of us really have. Not knowing the moment and manner of our death, we have no guarantee that it won't happen a minute from now or 100 years from now. That, I think is why most don't actually fear death, they fear not accomplishing life. Somewhere inside, they know they are forever waiting to live, to do or be what they want, and they fear dieing before they have accomplished that. Live in the moment, savor every moment, look not to tomorrow for it may never come.

Answer 5

How right you are! It seems we spend our lives denying to ourselves that we will actually die someday... when anyone dies, it is always a shock - even if very old - yet it is such a part of life - crazy isn't it. As a society, we really need to work on that.

Answer 6

because we are in collective denial about death.. some of us deny it by saying we will go to heaven, some deny it by just not thinking about it.

As though if you deny it enough, it won't happen. Ahem. Let's all think again. It will happen no matter how much we wish it wouldn't or how much a person' thinks they will go somewhere after death.

But it does happen, and it is comforting to me to remember that it happens to all of us.

Answer 7

Having been close to death a couple of times I recognise my mortality, and tend to live from day to day, sharing my time with family and friends.
Cheers New York.

Answer 8

Its amazing how people shun away from the inevitable,it,s almost as if they are afraid to jinx themselves by facing the fact that we all die,some easier than others.I am ready and waiting

Answer 9

Because when you're dead that's it it's the end and nobody really wants to see the end. And people are afraid of the unknown....

Answer 10

Death is easy. You can even do it lying down!