if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Society Religion & Philosophy
21

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

In some ways, it would be a relief to know the exact timeline so one could plan each chapter better and live it up a little more (because things are more certain and clear cut now). And in some ways, some uncertainty would still exist (like accidental death ... from plane crashes, car accidents, bomb blasts, gang fights etc.); I'm assuming here that these situations can still arise regardless of the auto shut off mode being in place. Right?

If we knew for sure that we will live up to 80 regardless of our life choices (bold or risk averse) and that we will die a natural death, life would be a lot less risky and perhaps a little boring because of it.

You can compare it to married life vs. singlehood. In a lifelong marriage with the same spouse, there is stability and comfort but also boredom at times. In a single life with multiple or no companion (your choice), there is more adventure and independence but also the possibility of dissatisfaction.

22

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

i think if we knew when we would die, at least one good thing will come out of this:

the fear of death will be out of the equation.

it will have a number of applications...the police officer and military personnel will NOT be afraid to die...they will fight fearlessly...terrorism will disappear...criminals will be more daring...these are just a few examples...there will be thousands...hospitals will have no intensive care unit...surgery will be risk free...hahaha

OMG...the world will turn upside down.

23

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

madzz there is dissatisfaction in both but it is more of a choose your poison dilemma. Knowing amd not knowing, either way, i dont think we would go smiling. Bittersweet maybe.

24

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

But most people already believe they will either live up until 80, less than 80 or only have a productive life until 80 ... so I can't see how knowing the exact timing will enable them to be all these things earlier. Rather historically speaking when life expectancy was 50 then people tend to do these also when there are fewer facilities people tend to be more productive earlier.

25

But most people already believe they will either live up until 80, less than 80 or only have a productive life until 80 … so I can’t see how knowing the exact timing will enable them to be all these things earlier. Rather historically speaking when life expectancy was 50 then people tend to do these also when there are fewer facilities people tend to be more productive earlier.
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So let’s say for a crime, you want to put me behind bars for 10 years, but I am already 75. What do you gonna do?

26

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Thats a literal way of explaining this thing. For example, Allah forbid one example we have these days is a person who has Cancer or advanced stage of Hepatitus C.

27

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

This is rather a very simplistic viewof human behavior knowing time of death specially when you take religion out of equistion. I see things quite opposite.

28

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

That's exactly what came to me first when reading this....

[quote]
And to be honest most pious people get strong signs before death actually comes to them,** but it comes unawares to the evil people. **And it will be no different to how people react with terminal illnesses ... They either become religious and pray more or they party more ...
[/QUOTE]

can you elaborate more on the bolded part?

what about things like natural disasters or violence or accidental deaths? would all planes and cars become death-proof? wiould there be no more natural disasters to claim people? how would it work? and when would a person know of their death? or is it just another fact that they're born/raised knowing?

29

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

My bank account would suffer

30

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Great. That is what I want to know. Please share.

31

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Let's not just look at time of death, but at the LIFE span of the person.

1-How would this concept go with murder or suicide?

2-Knowing his time of death be December 31's, the person shoots himself or someone else shoots him in the head. What happened to the prediction?

3-How and WHEN will the person be told his/her time of death? (Will he be told by a khoobsurat doshiza or a fugly man in his dream or he will be born with date/time of his death carves on his palm?) :D

4-Will others know his time of death?

5-What will determine who has shorter life and who is not?

6-People with shorter life either will be in great demand for marriage if rich or vice versa.

7-There may not be any concept of "health" and disease especially with their "curative" treatment.

8-The person might borrow a big loan from bank just before his time of death or if the bank knows his time of death, they may not loan the person.

9-People with shorter life will have no desire to do much, or may do too much depending how they look at the life in general.

10-The world may get segregated based on desire to live with people who have longer life than those with shorter life.

etc. etc.

32

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Hello my friend, my name is death.

How ya doin?

We will meet in reality exactly 45.33333 earth revolutions around sun time.

Congrats, you are immortal till then.

Please set you clock NOW! :devil:

33

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Lets say that its been build into our DNA code that life will shut itself off at age 80, unless an accident happen prior to that, so suicide, murder and accident could happen anytime, but life will not surpass the 80 earth years mark.

34

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Then its not really a new concept.

Certain Cells in human body do have time line.

Please read about Programmed Cell death (PCD)

I think an independent cell culture has been grown to show very long lifespan. Somewhere I read they predicted the maximum lifespan of cells grown in a lab to be as high a 135 years. Cannot cite the source but it was in one of the book I read while ago.

Selective deaths of cells called apoptosis still will not led to death of human.

Heart beat is originated from right atrium (sinus node) but even if that is somehow become dead, other lower level cells assume that function and can sustain life.

Amazingly, even old people with heart rate as low as 20's can live without any symptoms.

Definition of death is total and 'persistent' cessation of all biologic activities of human body.

Not just selective cells.

All cells do not have same life span and essential functions of life can still be carried out by remaining cells.

Life of an individual can be predicted with in few months variability, based on many calculations and observations...

Family tree
Individual habits
Underlying disease
Treatment options and experience with prior treatment results

are only few important factors which can be thrown in the equation.

If all cells were to die at age 80 and lead to death, and even by barring the accidents, the whole organism will not die.

The individual may develop certain diseases such as diabetes when pancreatic cells stop functioning or heart failure when a large portion of heart muscle dies or kidney failure by same token.

Now back to the hypothesis:

If hypothesis still being discussed then many of my above questions or scenario may need to be discussed also.

35

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Oh TLK bhai I want to add something here..

Death not always occur with some kind of programmed cell death (based on genetic code) but it also can be caused by completely reverse situation where some cells just end up breaking the rule of programmed cell death.

These cells are called cancer cells.

Death occurs when they keep growing and growing and take the resources of other cells to die early , before they are 'programmed'. :(

Hence even if we can certainly tell which cells have what time limit, we cannot predict which cells may go other direction for certainty.

Another concept is transplant after the person dies. Cornea (eye lens) lasts very short time. Other parts may still live for a while longer even when the person 'dies'.

Brain cannot be transplanted since it dies very fast.

36

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

Conceivably we have a scenerio playing out on the US west coast, so what if this large mass of debris were to be radio active then what would people living n the west coast do?

1 million tons of Fukushima debris floating near US West Coast?
1 million tons of Fukushima debris floating near US West Coast? ? RT USA

37

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

The fact is that we do know our death ahead of time ... If we act as though it is coming to us tomorrow then we would be better people. The real fear of death only happens when we know that we are going to leave the world unprepared for the akhira - it is hard coded into our bodies and souls ... even if we don't cognitively realise it ... I can't see people changing in their knowledge of death ... those who don't think about death now - will not think about death even if they knew they were going to die on a given date ... those who think about death now - will be no different either - if they felt they could not die until their 80 years age ... then they will be less adherent unless they are motivated to do otherwise.

Those people who feel well prepared will not be as afraid to leave this world.

38

Re: if we knew of our death ahead of time.

i would have wasted all the time in doing routine work thinking positively that much time is left. thank god i don't know