I am far from my deathbed (as far as I can possibly know today). I am trying to build a philosophical bed for my life going forward.
It is hard and maybe pretentious to think I could know how to live today in order to satisfy my future self, but I think we can do very well if we tackle the subject head on. That means inviting both life and death to our lives.
I invite life by intending to be present. It is not just meditating (if you enjoy it go for it, but do so because you actually enjoy it, not to become a master meditator in the future, that might eventually come naturally). It is savoring the moment. Shutting off things that require my attention right then and there and just being with myself, not really wanting to be anywhere else.
I invite death by saying goodby to myself. By denying participating in the cult of nostalgia. That is not to say that I don't take pictures or I don't enjoy remembering good moments, but when I do so that is an act in itself, and not wanting to relive the moment. It is remembering the moment as an opportunity to both be grateful it happened and to also say goodbye to it.
Saying goodbye to myself is also acknowledging that I will be different in another moment, as I was different in the past. My past self made mistakes and also made great (I still feel a little envious as how much I could enjoy computer games when I was a teenager). This unloads a huge burden that is to require myself to be consistent throughout my entire life.
I change, I evolve. I die a lot, long before I die physically.
Doing so I think frees me to pursue what I think makes me feel good. In my case that is to write computer programs, compose poetry, play my guitar. Study philosophy (if you like it too, I would refer to concepts like the Nietzschean demon or epicurean static and dynamic pleasures, as well as Simone Weil's attention). I also love my friends and family. I believe we are better off relinquishing a little bit of individuality in lieu of being more involved in our community.
It is also nice to listen to our elders. They suffer from survivors bias the most and thus have a lot to teach us if we let them, and if we are able to abandon a little bit of the cult of the yound and new and perfect we are immersed in.
This is not just a comment for you, it is also for me. Using this opportunity to take a snapshot of myself thinking about life and death while also sharing it.
Edit: I would like to mention that this does not encompass every form of human existence. This would be insane, but I think I should say it. There is no peace of mind on an empty stomach or under the barrel of a gun. This comment does not try to encompass the extremes of human suffering. I can't say nothing about this other than that we as a society are failing to reduce human suffering. I think I would go to my deathbed regretting not being able to do more to make other humans suffer less.
It is hard and maybe pretentious to think I could know how to live today in order to satisfy my future self, but I think we can do very well if we tackle the subject head on. That means inviting both life and death to our lives.
I invite life by intending to be present. It is not just meditating (if you enjoy it go for it, but do so because you actually enjoy it, not to become a master meditator in the future, that might eventually come naturally). It is savoring the moment. Shutting off things that require my attention right then and there and just being with myself, not really wanting to be anywhere else.
I invite death by saying goodby to myself. By denying participating in the cult of nostalgia. That is not to say that I don't take pictures or I don't enjoy remembering good moments, but when I do so that is an act in itself, and not wanting to relive the moment. It is remembering the moment as an opportunity to both be grateful it happened and to also say goodbye to it.
Saying goodbye to myself is also acknowledging that I will be different in another moment, as I was different in the past. My past self made mistakes and also made great (I still feel a little envious as how much I could enjoy computer games when I was a teenager). This unloads a huge burden that is to require myself to be consistent throughout my entire life.
I change, I evolve. I die a lot, long before I die physically.
Doing so I think frees me to pursue what I think makes me feel good. In my case that is to write computer programs, compose poetry, play my guitar. Study philosophy (if you like it too, I would refer to concepts like the Nietzschean demon or epicurean static and dynamic pleasures, as well as Simone Weil's attention). I also love my friends and family. I believe we are better off relinquishing a little bit of individuality in lieu of being more involved in our community.
It is also nice to listen to our elders. They suffer from survivors bias the most and thus have a lot to teach us if we let them, and if we are able to abandon a little bit of the cult of the yound and new and perfect we are immersed in.
This is not just a comment for you, it is also for me. Using this opportunity to take a snapshot of myself thinking about life and death while also sharing it.
Edit: I would like to mention that this does not encompass every form of human existence. This would be insane, but I think I should say it. There is no peace of mind on an empty stomach or under the barrel of a gun. This comment does not try to encompass the extremes of human suffering. I can't say nothing about this other than that we as a society are failing to reduce human suffering. I think I would go to my deathbed regretting not being able to do more to make other humans suffer less.