On Sun, Dec 21, 2014 Bruce Kellett <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Evolution gave living things an instinct for self-preservation. But you can > > have such an instinct operating healthily and still not fear death. Unrelated? Bob and Don are crossing a street when a large truck turns a corner and is heading straight for both of them. Bob has a fear of death but Don has a instinct for self preservation, please tell me about the unrelated and very different procedures Bob and Don use to get out of the way. > It [death] is not something to be feared because no-one has ever experienced > it About 57 billion human beings have lived on this planet over the last million years, and although many have made similar sounding greeting card style statements not one of those 57 billion has actually taken that advice to heart and survived. In the last hour of his life I don't think Robin Williams feared death, or at least there were other things that he feared more. John K Clark > John Clark wrote: >> >> On Sun, Dec 21, 2014 , Bruce Kellett <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >An instinct for self-preservation is unrelated to whether or not >> you have a fear of death, or of oblivion >> >> Unrelated?? Don't be ridiculous! Why the hell do you imagine Evolution >> invented the fear of death in the first place? > > > Evolution did not "invent a fear of death". That is purely cultural, and is > not even associated with consciousness -- it comes only with self-awareness > and an inner narrative. Evolution gave living things an instinct for > self-preservation. But you can have such an instinct operating healthily and > still not fear death. Fear of death probably comes from a fear of the > unknown, and is linked to the fear of prolonged suffering. But oblivion is > oblivion -- it is not something to be feared because no-one has ever > experienced it, or can ever experience it. > > > Bruce > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Everything List" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
