Do some of you think that death is better than life?

This certainly seems like a sincere question.

There have been several times when I was very sick or the victim of crime bleeding out or with a gun to my head, and I honestly expected to be killed or die from my condition. And I honestly didn’t care. I only cared about what would happen to those whom I was responsible for, and what would happen to them, and how my sudden death would effect others, including the animal companions and wildlife I provide for.

What’s important about life or death is that you had a good life before you die, even if it was only a fraction of it.

The thing about suicide is, it only hurts those who actually care about you. It won’t make people who screwed you feel guilty. And even if it does, they will move on within a month or so. But for those who care about you, they will NEVER get over it and will be left not only with the horror and shock of that, but it will leave them with a lot of financial and paperwork and legal hardships.

Life is good, even if all you do is hang out at a grocery store with an empty shopping cart as if you are shopping, and offer it to some grateful person with an armload of slipping groceries they did not plan to get so much of. If its only to save the life of a creature such as an earthworm on the sidewalk that cannot even offer gratitude.

I was almost killed in a robbery in 2011. My dad, who was fairly normal, before the attempt on my life, has never been the same—NOW its like he;s an old man with Parkinsons. For over 36 hours I was not expected to survive and he prepared mentally for my death. It never happened obviously. But the shock still did damage to him.

The thing about Life after Death is, its still life and existence. Most people have a rather unrealistic expectation of what happens at death.

Total annihilation may be cool for some. For others, it may be Nirvana. But what good is not existing if you’re not around to enjoy it?

Personally, yes. Just hit middle age. But there is no total certainty behind that thought, merely wondering.

This question involves also those believing death is a different state of life.

It may or may not be. One thing you can be sure of however, death will always be there waiting, life, not so much.

I think if I were being tortured really harshly, I’d probably want to die. If I were in prison for life, I may or may not prefer to be dead. I’ve never experienced prison so I don’t know, but it seems like if I had a life sentence, I may feel like there’s not much to live for, especially if I had to deal with gang violence, etc. on a regular basis.

Other than the above, I think life is preferable.

I have only tried one (life) so I don’t have anything to compare to.

It depends on the life one has. My mother was in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s for ten years. When she died last year I was very sad, but very relieved for her.

Sometimes. Maybe life is hell. It certainly lures many to its blissful shores.

Everytime I stay up too long.

Yes, in some situations. I read an article the other day on that poor kid, Otto Warmbier. When they finally returned him home he was deaf, blind, jerking and howling. Being dead would have been better than that.

Death holds no mystery. It is only a cessation of life. There is nothing else. So it can’t be “better.” Or worse.

The two are mutually exclusive.
There is no basis for comparison.

I think most of us hope it will be better. But I still deceive myself with the fallacy that my life is preferable to nothing. Whenever this topic pops up I remember the slogan of Timmy “oh yeah” Rogers: Why is it that everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die

Damn, @Jaxk, well said. I was searching for the right wording, and you wrote it out for me.

With life, you can reign, or complain, but with death, all opinions are equally non existent.

No question about it. If there is nothing one is working towards with passion and dedication then yes, it is far better. After a certain age when health issues set in, it seems a relief from the earthly chains. If we only really knew a hundred per cent what lies beyond ( possibly nothing at all ) then more suffering souls would admit it is far better than being alive.

Life is certainly better than death.
Life is meaningless but it can be whatever you want it to be – there are countless opportunities and countless interesting things you can do.
What can death offer ? only nothingness. You’ll always have enough time to die and not nearly enough to live.

^^^^ Assuming all is well with one physically and mentally. Not everyone has countless opportunities.

Once I told a coworker I was going to buy a lottery ticket and she scoffed.
She said, “Do you know what the chances are?”
I said, “Doesn’t matter. I’ve already beaten the lottery odds….by being born.” Think about that. Your parents, and only your parents could have created you. And if they had had sex at any point other than the moment they did, someone other than you would have been born. Now take that same scenerio back millions and millions of years.
It’s kind of mind blowing.

Excellent post, @Dutchess_III —

I hear people all the time say, “If my mother had married (given name), I would (have had certain traits, a certain name, etc etc) I always tell them, that if their mother had been with someone else, THEY wouldn’t be born at all..

Think of all the POTENTIAL combinations / peoples / souls that never happened that could have, if the progeners had acted just minutes before or after, or with other partners.

The fact that you exist at all is greater odds than the lottery. I like that. But then again, meeting those odds twice makes it just as unlikely. Still, buying a lottery ticket is not unrealistic. Your odds MAY be small but so is everyone else’s odds, and SOMEONE wins.

To stay on topic, LIFE MATTERS because the odds of everything that makes a person who they are is a very unique combination, and I believe, came together for a particular purpose in the grand scheme of things.

Yep. Exactly. I am as sure as I can be there was even some horrific rape in the past that contributed to my being here today.

Actually, you are right, horrible as it sounds.

One of the most influential and supportive women in my life, a woman who was fifteen years older than me who had an administrative assistant position in one of the religious centers when I was in college—she is still a good friend and mentor to me today. She was a product of rape.

Horribler still, her daughter was a product of rape, too.
Too much information, I know, but true nonetheless.