'Cogito Ergo Sum'—I THINK, THEREFORE I EXIST

DO YOU FEAR DEATH?

We all say that life is sacred.Everyone loves life.
Some believe that once we die, we’ll go to heaven but no one wants to die.

Scientific definition of Life is – capacity for growth, functional activity, and continual changes until death.

Immortality is something which, according to me, most people see as being brave as they have no fear of death

Once one of my friends asked me that is it possible that we become immortal.

It made me think of a story which I heard somewhere.
The story goes like this.

Once somebody told Alexander that there is a waterfall, which has water of immortality.
Alexander sent his army to search for it.
After years of search the army found the waterfall in a cave.
Alexander told his army to stand guard around the cave so that no one else can go in.

When Alexander went in and was about to drink the water, he heard a voice that said “Please drink the water only after listening to me”. He saw around and saw that it was a pigeon speaking. Seeing a talking pigeon stunned him to such an extent that he had to listen to what the pigeon wanted to say, despite being one of bravest warriors and conquerors.

The pigeon told him that he drank the water of the waterfall millions of years back. He said that he was very happy at that time. The pigeon did everything he ever wanted to. When he has done all, he found newer things and even did many things which pigeons can’t even imagine doing, as he was immortal.

However, there came a stage when he got exhausted & then did almost everything that was possible. He understood everything he possibly can like learning different languages etc. However, soon he got bored and was exhausted and wanted to die. He tried everything from drowning to burning but he can’t die, as he was immortal.

He said that at this moment he was very sad & couldn’t enjoy anything, as he knows that he’ll never die.

Alexander threw away the water & ran towards the opening of the cave to never return. He even got the waterfall buried so that no one else should suffer such fate.

It should be very clear by now that it is immortality that is more fearful than death. The fear of death drives us daily. Have you ever thought that why humans want there own children?? It may not be the most important reason, but one of it is fear of death. Every human being knows from the core of his heart that he’ll die one day. And the constant urge of immortality leaves him with no other alternative but to live his name through his children.

There is nothing to fear from death.
It is because of death that we enjoy everything we do.

Death is such a thing that will relieve all the suffering and leave one in complete relaxation.

So we should understand that Death is also as sacred and important as we take life to be.

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2011 02:41PM by Rudra-Kapalin.

I agree. Immortality merely involves expanding your definition of your self.

linc Wrote:
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> I agree. Immortality merely involves expanding
> your definition of your self.


Thanks for understanding my state of mind when i wrote that.

What would the effect on Western Philosophy have been if he had said I know therefor I am?

A.L. Brigade Wrote:
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> What would the effect on Western Philosophy have
> been if he had said I know therefor I am?


Not much. As Einstien said that we know everything and have known it forever. When we learn something, its just that we or some teacher, helps us to take off the curtains behind which, the so called, unknown was hidden. It was still there. Its just that we never knew it was there.

Thats the beauty of mind. Everyone knows everything. We just come to understand it when we encounter something that makes us capable of deciphering what it actually is.

Everything is always there and during our lifetime, as per the need, it comes to our active mind, which we have believed to be a storehouse of all knowledge, and had overlooked the untapped potential that was also there since always.

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

It's just a story that someone made up. In another story, the pigeon says "Immortality is fantastic! Drink up, sir!"

PowerToThePeople Wrote:
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> It's just a story that someone made up. In another
> story, the pigeon says "Immortality is fantastic!
> Drink up, sir!"


Obviously it is just a story which has been crafted over ages to help men understand the value of life and the fact that death is inevitable but its not bad to die...Living a meaningful life for the time we have, the length of which we can never be certain of living, is much more better than a meaningless life for a 100 yrs.

The story is to help one understand the value of both life and death. Aren't all our religious scriptures and the, so called, holy books, the same thing. They are also compilations of good literature that can help men live peacefully and prosperously amongst themselves. Aren't they all stories that someone made up??? and some even improved over ages as per the need of time....

The point is not that this is a true story or not...Its what moral and precious lessons we can learn from them...

If u say that stories are twisted then i think all our holy books will be nowhere near what they actually were...

I request you to not consider everything rubbish without going into its real context and the intention behind what is being said...If u have a point of view, I am always ready to discuss but i m not forcing u to believe what i write and thus if u feel its not what u want to read, u can always skip to the other pages...or post something that can help the forum members in developing a better understanding...

I am sorry and hope u have no hard feelings or if had hurt u unintentionally. Believing or not believing is your choice but i felt that comment was unwarranted.
Aren't all the Aesop's fables, a work of fiction??? but they teach us something and that is all that matters.

will look forward to a much healthier discussion next time...Have fun...

Peace...

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

We are grown-ups. We don't need fairy tales to teach us things anymore. Silly bible addicts, tricks are for kids.

Sam Wrote:
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> We are grown-ups. We don't need fairy tales to
> teach us things anymore. Silly bible addicts,
> tricks are for kids.

Learning never ends with age...I assure u that...And I can bet that if we pick up a fairy tale book today and read it with an open mind, we can definitely learn a lot from it...its just the open mind that is needed...

Lol...Bible addicts...Hey frens, "Sam knows, and u guys called me satanic and a devil worshipper". Sam, thanks for clearing that misconception of my frens

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

It is because of death that we enjoy everything we do. - RK

Or maybe we enjoy things simply because they're enjoyable. I mean, why do babies enjoy rattles? Because they're aware of their mortality? I don't think so.

It should be very clear by now that it is immortality that is more fearful than death. The fear of death drives us daily. Have you ever thought that why humans want there own children?? It may not be the most important reason, but one of it is fear of death. Every human being knows from the core of his heart that he’ll die one day. And the constant urge of immortality leaves him with no other alternative but to live his name through his children. - RK

Well maybe for some. Many people have children simply because sex is enjoyable and they didn't take precautions. Or because raising children looks fun and rewarding. Or because they don't want to grow old alone. Or simply because everyone else is doing it. Probably for most it has nothing to do with existentialist ideas.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 11:04PM by PowerToThePeople.

It is a question for epistomology, namely what is the difference between know and think and what effect on epistomology of any?

If Descartes had said "know" rather than "think", no one would have given him a second thought. Even back then as it is now everyone knows no one can know anything for sure. Except maybe that we exist, lol.

PowerToThePeople Wrote:
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> It is because of death that we enjoy everything we
> do. - RK
>
> Or maybe we enjoy things simply because they're
> enjoyable. I mean, why do babies enjoy rattles?
> Because they're aware of their mortality? I don't
> think so.
>
> It should be very clear by now that it is
> immortality that is more fearful than death. The
> fear of death drives us daily. Have you ever
> thought that why humans want there own children??
> It may not be the most important reason, but one
> of it is fear of death. Every human being knows
> from the core of his heart that he’ll die one
> day. And the constant urge of immortality leaves
> him with no other alternative but to live his name
> through his children. - RK
>
> Well maybe for some. Many people have children
> simply because sex is enjoyable and they didn't
> take precautions. Or because raising children
> looks fun and rewarding. Or because they don't
> want to grow old alone. Or simply because everyone
> else is doing it. Probably for most it has nothing
> to do with existentialist ideas.


You are right. However, I just tried to explain the fact that death is something as important as anything else... One doesn't need to think again and again about death. Its already present in core of our unconscious mind. Why are we afraid of somethings and not of others??? Like standing on the edge of a skyscraper without any support does make one feel something, it can be excitement, fear or just some other emotions which give us shrills. The reason of this feeling??? Its just as food is tasty when u r hungry. we definitely enjoy stunts and various death defying acts. But why do we enjoy them? it is psychological phenomenon that also causes a lot of chemical exchages and generation. I m not saying that it is all because of death. But death is also one of the factor that is causing all those feelings...

I was just explaining that we should live our lives fully and should not be afraid of death as it is one of the inevitable and important part of a human's life.

Talking of having children, I was talking about the biology and need of mating. Some species do not enjoy sex and some even die after mating but they still mate. The point was to explain the nature of the selfish gene.

Peace!!!

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

How do we know that we exist?




============================================================================

Tax the rich & raise minimum wage.

Sam Wrote:
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> If Descartes had said "know" rather than "think",
> no one would have given him a second thought. Even
> back then as it is now everyone knows no one can
> know anything for sure. Except maybe that we
> exist, lol

Existence is not merely survival...Its the maningful existence and the reason of his existence being meaningful to him...It was his own existence he was talking of and thus he chose the words that made proper sense to him...I believe that he never cared if someone else will give it a second thought...

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

sardonicadonis Wrote:
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> How do we know that we exist?
>
>
>


Proof follows scientific methodology. Spiritual "insight" is not subject to proof...

Peace!!!

A nation's wealth doesn't lie in its Banks. It exists in its public schools...

Well its easy to see that no one has studied Philosophy

Sard, Re: "How do we know that we exist?"

Because we think! Didn't you study Philosophy, lol?

AL, Did you?

That seemed too obvious. Do I think? Or do I think I think ?

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Tax the rich & raise minimum wage.

I think you think.