Death and Honour

I will die. I think about it often and it terrifies me. This is, of course, normal, but how should I respond?

I seek to live authentically. By extension, I hope to die similarly. A key component of authenticity is courage. Without it, I can’t live by my values. Chief among these values is honesty. So, as I ponder death, I continually reject the notion that I can avoid it. Instead, I ask how I can face this stage of life courageously.

Unfortunately, humans go to great lengths to escape this fear. Perhaps Terror Management Theory (TMT) offers the best analysis. It states that to escape death we engage in symbolic immortality projects. Religion is the best example, with some religions going so far as to promise life everlasting.

So, I wonder if my desire for authenticity is yet another symbolic immortality project.  Am I not trying to be a special human, whose example will last through eternity? Ironically, maybe my attempt to face death with honour is an attempt to put a mask on common fear. Therefore, to be truly courageous I should accept the fact that I can also be full of shit, just like everyone else.

I still hope to live authentically, but I must attend to how I approach this. If it smacks of desperation, it’s likely more cowardice than courage. Instead, if I am moderate and flexible on this path, there may be honour in it. So, in facing death, I must not batter my cowardice: I will die a flawed mortal, like everyone else. Facing this terror flexibly and moderately is my best hope.