Discussion Forum > Death Anxiety & Productivity
I've certainly noticed that there are a lot of things which I intended to get around to sometime unspecified in the future, which now I am thinking about on the lines of "I've been meaning to do this for 40 years. If I put it off for another 40 I'll be over 100!"
November 26, 2011 at 16:27 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
To me, it's all about finding meaning in life. From a purely philosophical perspective, it might be the case that we immerse ourselves in daily productivity as a way of avoiding thoughts of death and despair. Some french post modernists(Battaille I believe is an example) seem to suggest this, although I'm not expert on Battaille.
But it seems to make sense that as we age (I'm 45) we realize that the strategy of immersing ourselves in productivity, or "project" (if I understand Battaille's notion of "project" correctly), as a way of resolving our perhaps unconscious anxiety about death will ultimately fail. But this is a hard lesson to learn, so we resist it by immersing ourselves even more in goal setting and productivity planning and so on. Nothing wrong with planning, productivity and hard work, but ultimately it will do nothing to relieve our anxiety about death. Realizing this will be a moment of tremendous personal growth as we relax into a kind of acceptance and peace about our human condition: a kind of spiritual awakening, I suppose.
Just a thought.
But it seems to make sense that as we age (I'm 45) we realize that the strategy of immersing ourselves in productivity, or "project" (if I understand Battaille's notion of "project" correctly), as a way of resolving our perhaps unconscious anxiety about death will ultimately fail. But this is a hard lesson to learn, so we resist it by immersing ourselves even more in goal setting and productivity planning and so on. Nothing wrong with planning, productivity and hard work, but ultimately it will do nothing to relieve our anxiety about death. Realizing this will be a moment of tremendous personal growth as we relax into a kind of acceptance and peace about our human condition: a kind of spiritual awakening, I suppose.
Just a thought.
November 26, 2011 at 16:36 |
Paul MacNeil
Paul MacNeil
<<ultimately it will do nothing to relieve our anxiety about death.>>
Or the anxiety serves as energy to direct us towards meaning-making tasks and projects. Though I'm open to the suggestion that this to is a distraction.
Or the anxiety serves as energy to direct us towards meaning-making tasks and projects. Though I'm open to the suggestion that this to is a distraction.
November 26, 2011 at 23:29 |
avrum
avrum
there is a new 2 part show on Woody Allen playing on PBS in the USA ( public television ) the entire theory/motivation of his life, at least according to him, and he certainly is known for making stuff up - is that he understood death at a young age, I think it was around 6
he keeps bringing that up over and over
& he is certainly VERY productive, about 1 movie per year
also, the book "The 50th Law" which I've not read, although have read the others about laws of power, is about how knowledge of death should drive a certain fearlessness
he keeps bringing that up over and over
& he is certainly VERY productive, about 1 movie per year
also, the book "The 50th Law" which I've not read, although have read the others about laws of power, is about how knowledge of death should drive a certain fearlessness
November 27, 2011 at 10:12 |
matthewS
matthewS
This would be the same Woody Allen who said:
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying."
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying."
November 27, 2011 at 10:27 |
Mark Forster
Mark Forster
<<I think it was around 6>>
Which he depicted very well in Annie Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa34orcwwA
Which he depicted very well in Annie Hall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa34orcwwA
November 27, 2011 at 18:13 |
avrum
avrum
<<knowledge of death should drive a certain fearlessness >>
Even if you have kids? The driving force behind (some of) my death anxiety has to do with ensuring my little boy is taken care of. With child, I think twice before:
* mountain biking
* risky investments
* spending (large amounts of) money
Even if you have kids? The driving force behind (some of) my death anxiety has to do with ensuring my little boy is taken care of. With child, I think twice before:
* mountain biking
* risky investments
* spending (large amounts of) money
November 27, 2011 at 18:29 |
avrum
avrum
Apropos to this forum, and from the Halvorson book, it is also the same Woody Allen to him the following is attributed: "If you want to make God laugh tell him about your plans."
November 28, 2011 at 12:48 |
moises
moises
Woody would have heard such expressions growing up in Jewish Brooklyn:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/753496.html
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/753496.html
November 28, 2011 at 14:49 |
avrum
avrum
It's not too helpful to think too much about jokes. The Jewish God is supposed to be omniscient. Why would anyone need to tell God their plans? God would know them before being told. Since nothing could surprise God, is there any basis for God laughing?
You might complain that I am being unnecessarily analytical. But the entire joke is founded on the idea of God's knowing the future. That is, God knows that our plans don't have a chance in hell of being actualized. But if God knows all of the future, certainly God knows our plans.
You might complain that I am being unnecessarily analytical. But the entire joke is founded on the idea of God's knowing the future. That is, God knows that our plans don't have a chance in hell of being actualized. But if God knows all of the future, certainly God knows our plans.
November 28, 2011 at 21:03 |
moises
moises
I appreciate all the religious and philosophical approaches to this question. Personally, I really like what Sheldon Solomon offers on the topic:
http://www.psychalive.org/2012/05/exclusive-interview-with-dr-sheldon-solomon/
http://www.psychalive.org/2012/05/exclusive-interview-with-dr-sheldon-solomon/
May 21, 2012 at 19:00 |
max
max
Anyone else**?
** One of my wife's instructors, a psychiatrist/psychoanalyst, mentioned that, from age 40 on, many people think about death once per day. The fact is, there's too many cues i.e. parents becoming ill, friends being diagnosed with cancer, etc., to ignore, what in our youth, was once pure speculation.
Hence this post might only appeal to a certain age group.