If You Were Able to Know When You Would Die, Would You Want to Know?

[Milky Jade 138]

I plan to kick the bucket before my 40ies, so sure, why not

[Side Bird 566]

No,not ever.

I think I'd go like paranoid.

[Oblivion 20,269]

No, knowing exactly when I was going to die would drive me crazy and I wouldn't feel like doing anything, plus their is always the possibility of dying young as well, I personally would rather have death be a surprise instead of having the feeling that the grim reaper is following me everywhere I go!

[Milky Jade 138]

Actually, if this not about "learning the age in which you will die" but "learning the way in which you will die", I would want to know just so I could once and for all verify or disprove determinism.

[Azura 1,107]

I'm actually pretty curious on when I'm gonna die, and by knowing when it'll happen, I can prepare for it. I won't die knowing that I didn't do this or that, but knowing that I've been looking forward to my death after I did everything I wanted to do in life. 

[Adorkable 2,737]

I don't see how anyone would want to know. I'd go insane if I knew, probably.

[Discordian 6,015]

When I die is far less important than:

 

A ) Whether I can prevent it. (And again, knowing when I would die assuming I prevented the first death)

 

B ) What comes after death.

 

I could die tomorrow and not particularly care but if either of the above can be known it would give me far more peace of mind.

[boothnat 13]

Yes. 

Because, If I knew the date of my death, I would know that no matter what I do, I could not die untill that day. 

Similar to how Arthur Dent knew he could not die till he went to Stavro Mueller Beta.

EDIT- Plus, If I die before I end my studies, I would be able to just skip them without any consequences and spend the money on the time I have left.

Edited April 3, 2014 by boothnat

[Theshadowmaster235 70]

Yes I would so I could prevent it because if I knew the day I was supposed to die I could avoid doing anything that could cause my death.

[Swoony 195]

Heck no. I'm the kind of person who worried about stuff that's a week in advance and freaks out about it. If I knew when I was gonna die i'd spend my whole life worrying and freaking out about it instead of doing something.

[Jadusstone 52]

in a way i do so i can plan, and probably do all the things i wanna do...on the other hand i don't as it would be paranoid and fearful

[ravensilvertail 34]

To be honest, I kinda on the fence. I've seen my death or what I thought was my death in a hospital. Also, I also saw my friend die through his own eyes as his spirit left his body several years before it happened. To dream and see the future sometimes happens to me. Call me a freak if you will, I've been called worse. I've met others like me. I failed at trying to save my friends live. This problem is a gift and a curse. The knowledge gained through the vision was forgotten soon after I woke. Unfortunately, it still happened. We who have this problem and have trusted and told someone close to us were dismissed and called freaks and other names.

 

Back to the gift and the curse thing. The gift was knowledge but the curse was the guilt and other negative emotions. I felt guilty because after it happened, I remembered my vision. I had another one after my friend left the school and I got home. I watched from outside my body as I answered the phone. Few moments later I dropped it in shock and collapsed on the floor.

 

The wisdom gained from my experience is the following:

 

Wish not to know the time of your life, only wish to know that your life will be remembered from all those whose lives your life has impacted.

 

Believe me, if my dream about my death was like my friend's a vision, I hope it is wrong. Because I turn into something that I don't like.

 

Just learn from the knowledge I gained from my experience and don't go through it as well

[Arctic Night 884]

Yes, I would do it. There is the chance that I could prolong my life, or at least, allow that knowledge to serve as a reminder as to how much time I have left and how short life is.

[MagicalStarSwirl 15]

Yes I would honestly like to know. This knowledge is really essential to know, and living life in blissful ignorance when you have the chance to know such a important thing to know is really cowardly? I dunno. i am just such a curious person... I want to know so badly and if I pass up the chance to knowing I would regret it for the rest of my life.

[Tetrakemy 221]

If I knew when I could tell how and even if its old age....change it.

[hollywood derpy 8]

I myself would just do what would kill me so I can see how many times I can before I die ( I would not avoid death)

[catnet 9,358]

Definitely, yeah- I want to know how much time I would have, so I can use it in the best way I can, and not start anything I'd be unable to finish. Plus, it would help reduce the shock factor of my death for me, so I can die with a little more dignity than if I didn't know 

[alpinefroggy 451]

No, never.  Life having a terminating date is inevitable but knowing when makes it seem like it actually is finite.  Youd wake up and scratch off another day knowing you have x amount days left.  Thats just downright depressing.  I live everyday without thinking that its one step closer.  Its blissful and perhaps ignorant but it makes me happy.  I also know that I have my life in my own hands without knowing.  I excerise, have a good diet, do what I love and am passionate about everyday and it I feel it makes me live longer than I would.  Knowing when would just take everything I generate meaning from even if I had a while to go it means whatever I do I dont have control over.  

 

TLDR: Knowing when means my life loses a ton of meaning  

Edited January 27, 2015 by alpinefroggy

[VinylWubs 1,252]

nope nope nope nope

 

it would make me more sad cause I hate death : (

[Midnight Solace 5,132]

Well... Yeah. It would give me something to look forward to.

[Lucky Bolt 35,076]

No, I wouldn't wanna know. That time will come when it comes. I'd rather just leave it be. 

[Passion 3,484]

Yeah sure, why not?

I mean I am not going to live with the delusion that if I don't think about it it won't happen.

Knowing when would at least let me plan it ahead and actually don't leave this mortal coil with "so many more things I wanted to do yet!".

 

I could make sure I do not leave any unfinished business, rewrite any will I might have, do the things I want to do before I die before... well, you know. I ACTUALLY die.

 

For some knowing when they'd die would take the meaning of it away.

For me, it would give it a complete new meaning. I could finally discard the thoughts of "what if I'm not here tomorrow? In 3 weeks? 5 years?" It would actually be a relief.

[RDDash 19,195]

I guess not, it's probably going to be an miserable organ failure from the old age and too much toxic substances.

[Prometheus 3,038]

I would want to know.

Simply put, it would give me time to tie up any and all loose ends in life and spend the rest of my days doing everything I had ever dreamed of doing. I'd climb every mountain, swim in every sea, speak in every language, and not let my numbered days get the better of me. 

Besides, I feel like it would make you appreciate the life you had that much more. Furthermore, you'd be able to say goodbye to the people you care about, which is something that so few people are able to do before they die, which is honestly such a shame when you think about it.

[Phosphor 11,531]

I'd rather not know. I don't see any benefit in knowing my expiration date.