Introduction
The concept of death has been explored in various instances throughout human history and has even gained popularity in modern-day popular culture in various novels, movies, and TV shows. This is due to the fact that human curiosity of the unknown has always driven the exploration of various concepts through their imaginative interpretation. Yet when asked if they would like to die most people say that they would rather postpone the inevitable for another time and merely want to enjoy the time that they have left.
Death it seems is an idea to be explored yet few truly want to experience it firsthand. In fact, most people have developed a healthy fear of death due to their inherent desire to continue living the life they have. There are few amongst societies teeming billions that can say with confidence that they have no fear of death. For the rest of society, fear of the inevitable dictates their actions in the form of staving off the certainty of a visit from the Grim Reaper.
This can come in the form of developing better eating habits, taking up exercise, and an assortment of other activities that they believe will stave off the inevitable. This behavior can at times be considered self-destructive since in their desire to ward off their impending meeting with the grave they forget to actually “live” life. In individuals, though have faced death and even know when their death is coming (think of people suffering from cancer) they learn to appreciate what time they have left and devote their energies towards constructive behavior instead of constantly worrying. Based on this it can be stated that, by knowing when your death will come people are able to come to terms with their mortality and thus are able to better utilize their remaining time.
Realization of Mortality and Truly “Living”
When examining people who are aware of when they’re going to die and those who have absolutely no idea a different case perspective can be seen. For the average person, everyday things and occurrences blend in the background of their personal perspective. Friends are merely friends, the family is just family and everyday routines are taken for granted and considered a part of everyday life.
Yet for those aware of their own mortality and the fast approach of their oncoming death every day is a blessing with each person, each encounter and each event never being taken for granted. Awareness of death seems to bring about a greater awareness of the joys of life and actually results in people being able to live their lives better than ever before.
In fact, people who know when they are going to die have been known to be able to see pour all their energies towards socially constructive events and actions which actually benefits society as a whole. Based on this it can be seen that apparently when knowing when you know when you’re going to die life no longer becomes trivial rather every day becomes a joyous existence in the pursuit of ever-greater accomplishments.
Knowledge of Death as a Personality Changer
As stated earlier, a different perspective on life overtakes people who apparently know their impending death yet it isn’t just a change in perspective that occurs but rather a change in a person’s very personality. Cases of people who know when they are going to die to show that they in effect become better versions of themselves. They tend to be more forgiving, they accept bad news in a far easier fashion, and in fact, they become more generous and are overall better individuals.
This is apparently due to the fact that when faced with the knowledge of when you are going to die a sudden change occurs in a person where the trivialities and problems that are used to make them angry and frustrated no longer affect them as much. Rather they chose to focus on the positive fundamental aspects of life.
In fact, it has been seen in numerous instances when people have been confronted with the knowledge of their future demise that racists stop becoming racists, jerks become almost saint-like, and even the meanest individual that you could possibly think of suddenly seems one of the kindest people around. Knowledge of death seems to breaks down one’s negative social barriers and perceptions and brings forth a change that creates an overall better person than before.
Conclusion
In regard to the question of whether I would choose to have a blood test in order to determine my age of death, my answer to that would have to be a resounding yes. Apparently knowing when your death will come enables people to come to terms with their mortality and thus are able to better utilize their remaining time. Knowing when I’m going to die would give me a far better perspective on life and truly “living” and as such could be considered a positive development.