![]() ![]() Eventually, memories of you will cease to exist. When you die, you will quickly fade into oblivion. The finality of death can offer both comfort and assurance. “Brief is man’s life and small the nook of the Earth where he lives brief, too, is the longest posthumous fame, buoyed only by a succession of poor human beings who will very soon die and who know little of themselves, much less of someone who died long ago.” -Marcus Aurelius We should embrace it with open arms when our time comes, and accept that a meaningful death is ideal compared to a dishonorable life. And if death offers this unique path to righteousness, it certainly cannot be evil. The Greeks would argue that it is far braver to die in battle than to die of old age after spending a lifetime running from your fears. If we can learn anything from ancient Greek mythology, it is that there is honor in death. “No evil is honorable: but death is honorable therefore death is not evil.” -Zeno of Citium In addition to being more fulfilled, the fear of losing what you already have is far easier to master than the fear of losing what has yet to come. Strive to live a life that encourages the latter. Is it because there is so much you have yet to do or because you are enjoying your life so much you are afraid to see it end? That answer to that question can say a lot about your current quality of life. That being said, it can be valuable to ask yourself why you’re afraid of death. “Stop whatever you’re doing for a moment and ask yourself: Am I afraid of death because I won’t be able to do this anymore?” -Marcus Aureliusīeing afraid of death is a natural feeling, even if it is one we should work to overcome. Become grounded in death to make the most of your life. Build mental boundaries and avoid letting time pass through your fingers. Embrace taking control of your life, refusing to let it control you. When we keep death on our minds, we can focus on what truly matters and work to master both our beliefs and emotions. ![]() Rather than living in fear of it, however, they encouraged us to use death as motivation. While it may be hard to acknowledge, the inevitability of death is something the Stoic philosophers wanted all of us to keep in mind. No person hands out their money to passersby, but to how many do each of us hand out our lives! We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.” -Seneca No person would give up even an inch of their estate, and the slightest dispute with a neighbor can mean hell to pay yet we easily let others encroach on our lives-worse, we often pave the way for those who will take it over. “ Were all the geniuses of history to focus on this single theme, they could never fully express their bafflement at the darkness of the human mind. Strive to master your emotions surrounding death, focussing on what is actually in your control rather than what is inevitable. The following quotes offer some insight regarding Stoic views on the subject. This juxtaposition between caring deeply for life while fully embracing and accepting death is complicated. We must care for others while accepting that the inevitability of their death is out of our control. That being said, the Stoics still had a lot to say concerning death. In short, your emotional responses to death are part of what makes you human. In Stoicism, grief is viewed as one of the primary examples of the universal human motive to care for other people. In fact, it would be quite concerning if you never experienced grief. While Stoicism is concerned with mastering our emotions, it’s important to realize that the Stoics do not encourage us to suppress our feelings or ignore grief. However, anxiety surrounding the end of our lives is unproductive and can distract us from enjoying the time that we have. Despite the fact that we will all experience it at one point or another, few things elicit as much uncertainty and fear as death. Nearly all of us know what it feels like to be overwhelmed with grief or to fear what will happen to our loved ones when we are no longer here.
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