What would you do differently if you knew when and how you would die?

I would publically try to kill myself in 100 different ways, that are usually certain to work, surviving all of them, become world famous as the immortal ragingloli, only then to unceremoneously die from some mundane cause.

Due to an abusive childhood and chronic bad health, I’ve always figured I would die youngish…and not well. Knowing the time and manner of my death would put an end to my speculation.

I would first do whatever I could (behind the scenes) to make the aftermath easier on my husband and children. Get my affairs in order, etc. Obviously, this is something I should have already done, so these questions are giving me a kick in the ass to do so.

Maybe more importantly, once my time was short, I would stop working and fill that time with love and joy. Because of my health, I currently don’t have much of a life beyond working and sleeping; I very rarely do anything else! So this would make a huge difference in how I spent the end.

Can I nominate this for Best Question Ever?

Not much. I’d probably try to set up my family financially and get some extra time with them.

I would give away most of my stuff. I would eat out more.

It really depends both on how you mean I know it, and what the answer is.

Unless the source is really believable somehow, I’m not likely to believe it.

If I do believe it, and it’s some fairly distant time, then I’m liable to be really annoyed to learn that the universe works that way, and act out my upset somehow to demonstrate my dissatisfaction. However I’ve seen enough cautionary tales to realize that just because I can’t die in other ways, doesn’t mean the tormenting powers-that-be won’t give me some worse-than-death torment instead. So I’d probably just try to spoil their parade by ranting about how the universe is annoying setup with predetermination so why care or bother, and share my information about my exact future time/death.

And then I might decide to just meditate into oblivion instead of caring about trying to affect any material outcome.

I would finish the projects I have been putting off.
talk about a deadline!

I can’t think of anything. I’m living my best life now. I’ve said everything that needs to be said, we’ve made out our wills, and our/my affairs are in order.

It would certainly help me decide when to take my Social Security Benefits. I’d make a huge spreadsheet and put in the numbers so I could get the maximum.
I’d probably start getting rid of stuff.
I’d travel, love, apologize, fix wrongs, do rights, enjoy,... a whole lot more.

Interesting question. Last year I got really sick and came close to dying. (I’m all good now.). But after I got better and realized what could have happened, I didn’t change. I didn’t think, wow now that I’m still alive I should do….
I see and talk to the people I want to, I do what I want to when I want to, and I have no current regrets.

I’d probably change very little except maybe have a bonfire and then a giveaway, clean out the house, make confession, update own final arrangements and DNR’s and go on. I don’t have kids or a lot of close family, so I won’t be too worried as long as my husband and animals are fine. Or I may sell everything and travel the world the last year, depends on how I feel at the time and my health.

Like @chyna, I wouldn’t drastically change things (except maybe really get on the ball with the paperwork) because I have faced my mortality a couple of times already (pesky and dramatic medical issues). I might spend a little more time with people I love, but the thought of “living each day as if it were my last” sounds fatalistic and exhausting. I like my life as it is, I have arranged it that way.

I would definitely worry less for myself if I knew my check-out time. Not sure about people I care about.

Go.
Do.
Be.

Like I mentioned on the other question, if it is something I could prevent given foreknowledge, then I’d do what I could to prevent it. There are so many ways to die accidentally or incidentally—things that if I had known ahead of time, I could have prevented from happening. Maybe if I hadn’t been in a certain place at a certain moment, I wouldn’t have died. If I know that ahead of time, there is no way that I’m going to be in that place at that moment (I’ll just avoid the whole area for that day to be safe). And if it’s something that could still harm others, I’ll let the proper authorities know; or maybe it’s something like a car accident. Or say I’m supposed to die from a disease that I don’t find until it’s too late—there’s no way now I’m not having doctors screen for that disease early to catch it when it’s still treatable. Etc… Which leads me to think that having this kind of foreknowledge actually alters the future—perhaps necessarily so—and that’s an interesting thought.

…And then what happens? Do I find out the next new way I’ll die? Does that keep happening until I choose an option or the cause is something I can’t avoid? Or was that my one chance to know it ahead of time, and now it’s unknown to me again?

I have written a fiction novel, for audiences of all ages.
It could potentially be a benefit to a lot of people in need.
I have a celebrity in mind who could be a huge help, but I am squeamish about trying to make contact.
I think having a date stamp would light a fire under me.
Soon is okay for me, but not before March, because I need to win that 5k for life, and for the life of someone else drawing. Then I could be sure my son would be okay financially.