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Christian95's avatar

Would you like to know your death day?

Asked by Christian95 (3263points) October 11th, 2009

If you can choose between knowing your death day and not knowing it what would you choose?Why?

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48 Answers

aphilotus's avatar

Not knowing.

Knowing that it is far, far in the future would let me rest on my laurels. “Oh, yeah, getting a masters degree. I have another sixty years, I can do that later”

Knowing that it is really close would just freak me out.

I’d rather have to act/iive as if I could die any time- it gets me off my butt and doing good things.

sandystrachan's avatar

According to Deathclock ama gonna die Thursday, February 20, 2053.

OpryLeigh's avatar

I’d rather not know because if I knew it would always be at the back of my mind even if it was really far away in the future. I agree with all of what @aphilotus said.

hug_of_war's avatar

Not know. I’d live my life by fear, be consumed with every choice I made, I couldn’t effectively live anymore. I’d lose some of my ambition for sure. I need to not know to not become a shell swallowed in worry

simone54's avatar

Mine is tomorrow…... I really need to get laid.

skfinkel's avatar

It has been said that death is a true gift for humans.

cjmegatron81's avatar

I would want to know so I know how much longer I have to accomplish my goals.

mramsey's avatar

I wouldn’t want to know. I wouldn’t want to count down days to something so depressing.

But if you did know, wouldn’t that make life a little less exciting. I would think that bungee jumping and things like that wouldn’t be as thrilling.

scamp's avatar

I don’t want to know. I wouldn’t want what I do today to be ruled by knowing it is the last time I would do it. It would rob me of many things, and rule my days with impending doom. I have done everything I need to do to prepare for my death, so knowing when it will be would not do me any good.

Fyrius's avatar

If I can choose to know it roughly, to the decade, yes please. I’d like to know whether I’m going to be around for forty more years or I’m going to kick the bucket a year after I graduate. It would influence how much effort I’m going to put in my studies.
Actually that would have been nice five years ago. If I knew then that I’ll get to enjoy my degree only for half a year, I would have settled for a shorter education.

But knowing exactly which day… no thanks. I’d end up anticipating it.

Well, on second thought, I don’t know. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad either.

ccrow's avatar

Apparently mine is Monday, June 23, 2036. So that means I can go out & do all kinds of stupid & risky stuff until then, right?

Seriously, though, I would not want to know.

jlm11f's avatar

I’m the odd one out here. I would want to know. I need a deadline to get things done. Plus I wouldn’t anticipate it, rather I’d prepare for it. So…@Christian95 – can you tell me my death day now please?

mattbrowne's avatar

I agree with @Fyrius and I’m also very interested in studying the latest life expectancy statistics, for example published like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Life_Expectancy_2008_Estimates_CIA_World_Factbook.svg

What a lot of people don’t know, the over 80 years in Japan, France or Canada are for babies born now. This means a 30-year-old French guy can expect a lot more. Since progress in medicine is accelerating we are in for more surprises.

Zen's avatar

Not knowing. I don’t think I’d believe any kind of formula or equation that could tell me it. But if I had to suspend belief for the sake of argument – still nyet. I’m too chicken.

Zen's avatar

Wow – I have til ‘55.

sccrowell's avatar

At this point in time, my death will come in 10440 days 3 hours 39 minutes and 26 seconds. I will be 78 years of age! Perhaps I don’t want to know, but I do.

Zaku's avatar

If you mean in a philosophy where there is a fixed fate I have no power over, then I prefer not to know.

If it’s about me getting to choose by causing it myself when it seems right, then I choose that.

veronasgirl's avatar

The only reason I would want to know what day I will die is so that I would be able to say goodbye to the people I love. So many people never get that opportunity…

SarasWhimsy's avatar

I agree with PnL. I would want to know. More so to anticipate rather than dread though.

oratio's avatar

@sandystrachan Wednesday, June 9, 2049.

Strauss's avatar

According to the death clock, I still have over a billion seconds to live. It will not change my plans, my lifestyle, or my optimistic attitude.

tandra88's avatar

Um, I wouldn’t want to know. You are supposed to live each day like your last and knowing that you are a day closer to when you are supposed to die isn’t going to help.

saraaaaaa's avatar

I would want to know, but because it would allow me to prepare and make sure that those whom I love weren’t caught unawares and that I could properly say goodbye.

ItalianPrincess1217's avatar

I would absolutely want to know. I would like knowing how much time I have left to accomplish the things I want.

Adagio's avatar

No

I can’t help but wonder whether all those who answered YES might regret their choice, were it granted to them? no way of knowing of course

bea2345's avatar

If I am on Death Row, convicted of some dreadful crime, I want to be told, “you will be executed next Tuesday at 11.00 am.” If I am leading an ordinary life, I don’t want to know. Each day is a new beginning.

hungryhungryhortence's avatar

I want to know so I can refocus my energies and activities in order to get in as much quality time with friends and loved ones as possible.

Jeruba's avatar

I wouldn’t want the opportunity to know and then have to decide.

Fyrius's avatar

@Jeruba
You mean like right now?

Jeruba's avatar

Yes, but for real. This is just hypothetical here.

Fyrius's avatar

That’s true.

jw67's avatar

I think it would be fun to know your death date, because you could do fun things with it. Like, you could get the statement of your death date notarized, and hang it on the wall in your house. Then wait until the day before you’re supposed to die anyway, and blow your head off. Leave a note that says only, “Ha Ha”.

Jeruba's avatar

That’s nuts, @jw67, but I like it anyway. And for sure nobody could ever prove you wrong.

mascarraaa's avatar

oh I would hate knowing!
like @Leanne1986 said, it would always be at the back of my mind!

shego's avatar

I wouldn’t want to know. Because I’m sure I would end up trying to squash everything that I wanted to do in a time frame to where I don’t enjoy it at all. So if anybody knows my death date, keep it to yourself. Thanks!

Fyrius's avatar

@jw67
But the joke’s on you if it turns out the prediction was wrong and you would have lived for 20 more years if you hadn’t blown your brain to bits.

Link's avatar

I’m young and don’t plan on dying. I’m hopeful that the nerds will figure out how to copy my brain and save it in a digital form before I die of old age. I’ll take life over death any way I can get it.

filmfann's avatar

DeathClock says I have till Jan 13, 2027.
If I assume that is true, I would begin to worry that I will have a terrible stroke tomorrow and live the next 18 years severly debilitated.

Bluefreedom's avatar

I’ve gone 42 years not knowing my death day so going another 60 years still in the dark about it is just fine by me.

faye's avatar

I’d like to know. it would make a great difference in money issues. If I’m not going to live long-sell the investments and get my kids out of debt, go on trips to everywhere!!!

Xilas's avatar

I plan on living forever, so far – so good

Utta_J's avatar

Yes so i would know how much longer i have to accomplish anything.

DrMC's avatar

death clock says Saturday, February 18, 2034

24 years aint much time, especially if you’re worthless the last 7.

Ghost_in_the_system's avatar

I would rather not know, as I think it would take the flavor out of what time is left. You would probably focus on it more than you would if you didn’t know.

DrMC's avatar

crap, I’ve shown this link to so many people.

My wife is toast in 2040, oddly my nurse who is 10 years younger got the same date, but she smokes and is heavier.

I realized I forgot to change my nurse’s setting from normal to optimistic (definitely).

This added 15 years to her life!

Bellatrix's avatar

No, because I think I would then always be working towards it. My life would be driven by the knowledge I only have blah blah left to live. The day will come when it is meant to come. In the meantime I will just live the healthiest, happiest, most useful life I can.

smilingheart1's avatar

No, I have allowed the clock to have too much say as it is. If I knew the date of my graduation from this earth, I would be in mental paralysis. This way, just like Timex, ever set at 10 minutes to two (remember that old commercial?) I can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’

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