The Fear of Death
Who would have thought the Grim Reaper would be such an awful life coach?
By Cole O’Brien
There is a common, age-old adage that encourages individuals to “live each day as if it was their last.” Many hold on tight to these words of ‘wisdom,’ feeling as though living in this fear of death will motivate them to live a life that others may actually deem as worthy. I find a strong distaste for these sentiments and am left to wonder: Is the fear of death truly a worthy motivator for the choices that one makes daily? Or does it simply doom us to live a life of disappointment?
If we were to live each day as if it were our last, we would arguably be nicer people, do more of what we love, and care less about other people’s opinions. While these alone are all excellent things to strive for, it feels as though death as a motivator does not allow us to do this authentically. In actuality, it seems to stunt our ability to be comfortable with the mundane. Fear of death is a suffocating force, not one that encourages greatness. This fear threatens to eradicate our ability to enjoy our life for what it already is, making us believe that the act of simply existing with intention is not enough. Rather, it encourages us to go above and beyond and make decisions that could potentially be out-of-character. This idea seems to stem from a belief that correlates a worthy life with extravagant gestures and breathtaking adventures. It presents a toxic implication that living each day for its own sake cannot truly inspire us to make the best decisions and instead compels us to go complacent.
The fear of death can be a wake-up call for some; however, it cannot be ignored that fear alters the way in which we make decisions and prompts us to act in ways that we typically would not. A change in perspective can be a good thing, and I am sure anyone can think of countless stories where individuals find themselves changed for the better after a near-death experience. Seeing a fear of death as a necessary motivator to perform actions does not produce authentic actions, and I strongly believe that the best of humanity comes out of moments of complete authenticity. I will not argue that this shift in perspective is important for some people. Rather, I am trying to propose that fear of death should be a momentary shift rather than a life mantra.
I want to encourage people to not worry about living every day as if they were dying tomorrow. Rather, live each day with intention. We should not have to live in constant fear of death in order to make the best of our days. It is okay if we cannot manage to fit every goal and adventure into every single day. There are simply too many things that we would hope to achieve if we knew our last day was approaching. This mindset commonly leads to disappointment in ourselves for feeling like we have wasted a day. Instead, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what your ideal ‘last day of life’ says about your core values: your hopes, your dreams. Start by implementing small changes that make each day more meaningful for you. A fear of death cannot and does not make a day worth living, but a love for life and every small, mundane moment does.