What Can Death Teach Us about Life and Living?

'No one can safely say that he will still be living tomorrow,' Euripides, the ancient Greek writer and thinker, once stated. This is a truth that you are constantly confronted with. Take the case of a famous actor's death from a heroin overdose, for instance. You turn on the TV and find that a man crashed his Austen Mini into a tree and died. Both his attention and his seatbelt were abysmally lacking. A colleague at work has died following a long battle with cancer, your friend tells you. You remember the time the phone rang at 3 a.m., rousing you from a restful slumber. The news of your grandmother's sudden death from a stroke comes as a shock. You are constantly reminded by these occurrences that death is always a possibility. You have realized that dying is an inevitable consequence of living.

What lessons can dying teach you about living?

Refusing to Accept Death

The majority of individuals refuse to accept the reality of death. They refuse to accept death because they are terrified of the afterlife. Anxiety is produced by contemplating one's own mortality. The fear of dying can be a source of existential distress. Because of death, people are forced to face their own mortality and ask big questions regarding life after death. Is there a place in the afterlife for the soul? When one dies, does one cease to exist? Or, is there reincarnation or an afterlife? As a coping mechanism, denial is useful for dealing with existential mysteries that cannot be resolved in this lifetime.

Many people may put off facing mortality by convincing themselves that their time will come in old age. Death truly does come unexpectedly, like a robber in the night. You can lose your life in a variety of ways, including accidents, illnesses, misadventures, mistakes, bad decisions, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or just plain old age. Looking around, it's easy to observe how many famous people, including Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John F. Kennedy, and numerous others, have died suddenly. Yet many fool themselves into thinking that tomorrow will be better because "there's always tomorrow."

Many people continue to refuse to accept their own mortality even after receiving a terminal diagnosis. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, author of "On Death and Dying," claims that the initial reaction of a terminally ill person is denial. As a coping mechanism, the individual avoids thinking about death. Kubler-"five Ross's stages of grief" paradigm, the first stage of which is denial. The individual may claim, "I'm alright" or "it will never happen to me."

Following denial, the second stage of grief is rage. They may wonder, "Why me?" Or, "That's not right!" Anger or resentment toward healthy people is another possible outcome.

In the end, the person accepts their fate and gives up trying to negotiate for more time. In this scenario, the person might pray to God, "I'll do everything if you'll just give me a few more years." The third and last stage of the grieving process is called "bargaining."

Once a terminally ill person realizes that nothing they can do will change the inevitable outcome of their condition, the fourth stage of grief—depression—sets in. It's common for them to feel down and hopeless, leading them to avoid other people. Many aspects of that person's life no longer hold any significance for them. The individual may question the necessity of continuing.

Acceptance is the final phase of the grieving process. A person with a terminal illness comes to terms with the fact that they will die and makes funeral arrangements. The person may become withdrawn and focused inward. Problems and issues in the outer world, for example, will lose their appeal. A will is usually made even if the person doesn't have one. During this time, the deceased may also express their final desires for their funeral and burial. "Acceptance should not be misconstrued for a joyful stage," Kubler Ross writes. There are barely any emotions there. It's like the suffering is over, the battle is won, and now it's time to rest up for the next leg of the journey.

Yet for many, death is a taboo issue, something that shouldn't be talked or thought about, and so they avoid contemplating questions about dying and death until they have no other option.

Deathbed Regrets

Some people pass away without any regrets, while others harbor many. According to Bonnie Ware, who spent five years as a palliative care nurse before penning "The Five Regrets of Dying," the following are the most commonly voiced regrets among the dying:

1. I wish I had the guts to live my life the way I wanted to and not the way other people thought I should. As a result, many go to their graves with unfulfilled aspirations.

2. Secondly, I regret how hard I worked. When one's time on earth is limited, one's job becomes meaningless. They regret not taking more time to appreciate the little things in life.

3. I wish I had the guts to say how I really feel. The individual has compromised their integrity. The individual has repressed emotions and settled for less than ideal situations in an effort to maintain "the calm."

4. Fourthly, I regret not maintaining contact with my old pals. It's common to want to say your last goodbyes to loved ones when you know your time is limited. Frequently, they are no longer in contact with their chums.

5. I regret not allowing myself to be happier.

There were a lot of unhappy people who didn't understand that they had the power to make their own choices about their own happiness. Many people didn't want to step out of their routines for fear of the unknown. They could have improved their pleasure and well-being by taking action, but they didn't because of fear.

In some cases, those at the end of life express remorse. Those who are passing away beg us: "Live your life. Honor your inner drive. You never know when you can be robbed of your shot at happiness.

Once a person dies, what takes place?

The first reactions of most people to a death are shock and bewilderment. Most people, while dealing with the death of a loved one or close friend, go through a series of stages of grief that begin with denial and finish with acceptance. Sadness and loss are universal experiences. After a period of mourning, most people are able to move on with their lives.

It's natural to dwell on one's own mortality in the wake of a loved one's passing. The concept of dying is not foreign to them. When a person loses consciousness, their heart stops beating, their lungs stop taking in and releasing oxygen, and their brain stops working. When a person dies, they are cremated. Ashes are then placed in a decorative container. A second option is to dress the corpse in formal attire before embalming and placing them in a coffin. The body is laid to rest at a cemetery after the funeral. The body and its organs deteriorate with time. The only thing left is a skeleton.

It's been said that some people have come "quite close to death." Using medical technology, they were able to be revived from the dead. Those who claim to have returned to awareness after their brief death say this is one of the key elements of their near-death narrative. Nonetheless, these assertions cannot be verified.

When a person dies, what exactly occurs?

All of their material possessions, including their money, power, and social prestige, are rendered meaningless. They have to give away or sell everything they own, including their car, furnishings, and house. Someone else benefits from their labor while they are ignored. Friends leave them and make new ones. Their spouses or significant others find love elsewhere and start a new chapter in their lives. All that is left of them is a burial plot in a cemetery and a collection of photographs and home movies of their loved ones. It's as if they never existed at all.

Once a person's physical body dies, what happens to their soul? Those who practice Buddhism do not believe in the existence of the soul. On the other hand, you hold the view that after death comes a new beginning. Christians believe that the afterlife consists of heaven for the righteous and hell for the wicked. Atheists and existentialists hold that once a person dies, they cease to exist forever. You probably don't give death much thought if you belong to the secular crowd. And if you do, you're likely to hold onto some nebulous religious or "New Age"-inspired views. If you're an Agnostic, you can't say for sure what happens to your soul when you die. It's a fact that neither one of us has any idea.

What Lessons Does Death Have for You?

Death reveals to you that there are many unanswered questions about the hereafter. Nothing can be proven, just believed in, hoped for, and taken on faith.

Death is a great teacher of life's value. Therefore, it is imperative that we make every effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You should try to avoid extremes in anything you do, whether it's your diet, your exercise routine, your cigarette consumption, or your use of illegal narcotics. In addition, we should not engage in risky behaviors such as parachute jumping, climbing vertical walls without a harness, extreme sports, or other similar activities. If you care about people's lives, you treat them with respect.

The finality of death serves as a sobering reminder that this world is fleeting. Death is inevitable and cannot be avoided. Indeed, the inevitable end of everyone of us cannot be avoided. Everyone, regardless of their status in life (wealth, fame, good deeds), will die. Death comes to everyone, including you, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Adolf Hitler, and Osama bin Laden.

Enjoying the sunset, a game of cribbage with a friend, a good book, some moving music, some quiet time alone (as David Henry Thoreau did at Walden), or a loving relationship are all simple pleasures that can help you appreciate the preciousness of life.

Death teaches us to prioritize the things that truly matter in life: those that give us a sense of meaning and fulfillment, that make us happy and healthy. Enjoying sex, traveling, or eating good food are all short-lived sources of pleasure. On the other hand, there are some activities that are interesting and bring about greater long-lasting joy: Love. Job or profession. Those closest to us, both blood and friendship. Hobbies and pastimes. Fitness. Complete emotional and bodily well-being. Spirituality and religious belief.

Death is a great teacher of living in the here and now. Being mindful implies paying attention in the present moment instead of daydreaming or dwelling in the past or future. Becoming mindful entails paying attention to the present moment by tuning into one's senses, including sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Remembering the past is like looking into a mirror; you can never change it. Despite our best efforts, there is no way to know what is ahead. Just this very second is assured to you. Living in the moment and letting go of anxiety about the future is the goal of mindful living. In truth, there is no time like the present.

You learn gratitude for living by dying. The expression "counting your blessings" can help you do this. Life might always be worse. When we evaluate our own happiness against that of others, we almost always come up short. When we tell ourselves, "I'll be happy when I receive the promotion, get married, and have children," we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. These notions of joy are just that: myths. When you take stock of your good fortune, your perspective shifts from what you lack to what you possess. Being grateful for what you already have is proven to increase happiness. Health, for example, is paramount. Lacking it will lead to a lower quality of life. Unfortunately, many people take their health for granted.

In what ways do you hope history will remember you? Most people hope that their friends, family, and coworkers will remember them fondly and with respect. They hope to be regarded as having "lived well" in their time on Earth. They would rather be remembered as someone who cared about others than as someone who was mean and self-centered. Most people forget about a person's wealth, power, prestige, and accomplishments after they pass away. People often reflect on the deceased's treatment of them and the emotions they evoked. You learn the importance of leaving a legacy of love, respect, and charity in the face of death.

Consensus and Closure

When someone close to me passes away, it makes me sad and makes me think about mortality. Was there any pain involved? Is this individual content? What exactly does it mean to die? Is there a life after death?

Death is terrifying because I have no idea what comes after this life. Sometimes I think that death will be the end of everything, like an eternal sleep where you never wake up.

Existential distress is a common reaction to contemplating one's own mortality. When I consider that death is the ultimate destination, I can't help but feel that life is a cruel joke. Simply put, "humans are doomed from the start."

Many individuals, especially in the West, seem unwilling to accept the finality of death, in my opinion. When I look around, I notice a lot of workaholics who never get to relax and enjoy life. They don't dwell on the finality of life very much. Maybe if they knew they were going to die soon, they'd change how they lived. Many people, especially those who place a high value on material belongings, power, and social standing, seem to want more than simply the bare minimum of what would make their lives more comfortable. Death will take away all of these things, usually at the most inopportune times.

My understanding of mortality has grown as I've matured and as I've continued my study of Buddhism. Death is a natural and inevitable element of living. Death, I've come to understand, can instruct us in the art of living more fully in the present moment. My outlook on life and death has changed as I have gotten older and realized that it does not go on forever. I make an effort to be present in my daily life. In addition, I prioritize spending time and effort on the relationships and pursuits that enrich my life.

What I valued as a young adult 30 years ago is vastly different from what I value now. My priorities in the 1980s were finishing college, establishing a stable life, having a successful job, getting married, starting a family, and amassing material possessions like a car. I never really considered dying. Now, whenever I hear of someone's passing, I reflect on this. I am thankful every day that God has blessed me with wonderful health. In the same way, I make an effort to give my whole attention to the things that truly matter to me, such as the expression of my creativity, the maintenance of my physical and mental health, the cultivation of my friendships and my spiritual development, etc. I do my best to avoid squandering time.

It's possible that there's nothing after death, but I can't be sure. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I hope so, but I really don't know. Whether or not there is life after death is one of those unsolvable mysteries I cannot fathom in this one. Moreover, if death causes a loss of consciousness, nothingness, or nonexistence, I may not be able to answer this issue either.