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Topic: Would You Want to Know When and How You Will Die? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132129
Posted: 24 January 2020 at 9:15am | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Samuel Johnson said "When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."

Keeping in mind that this question does not present an opportunity to avoid your fate, would you want to know?

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Peter Hicks
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Joined: 30 April 2004
Location: Canada
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 9:17am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Yes. I would probably set priorities for my life more firmly. I would know when my last chance to see people in person would be.
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Byron Graham
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Joined: 19 September 2004
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 9:48am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I see no reason to start knowing now.
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:04am | IP Logged | 4 post reply

I see no reason to start knowing now.

•••

Not the question.

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Mark Haslett
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:16am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Yes. If everyone knew this, there would be so much more motivation for clarity
and sense in this world. So much of what we do as a species seems to only
make sense in the day-to-day illusion that the world is ours and not on
temporary loan from the future.
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Brandon Carter
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:17am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

If that knowledge were available to me, I would be tempted to know but ultimately, I would not want to know. 
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Bill Collins
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:35am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

I think it was a tagline from ads for Frank Miller`s
Ronin "If you`re going to die, you can do anything"When
i read that, i thought about it, you could settle scores
and do stuff without consequences. How could you be
punished if death was imminent? (Assuming you were fit
enough to act)Breaking Bad springs to mind.
Personally, i don`t think i want to know.

Edited by Bill Collins on 24 January 2020 at 10:36am
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Doug Centers
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:40am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

My first inclination is to say "no", as I can imagine apathy setting in if my mind would wander that way.
In the end tho, for the same reasons Peter gave, my answer would be "YES".
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James Woodcock
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 10:54am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

"If you`re going to die, you can do anything"
-------------------------------------

It was slightly different Bill:
If you INTEND to die, you can do anything

Subtle difference, but totally different motivation.

As for Mr Byrne's question - no, I wouldn't want to know
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Andrew Davey
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Joined: 27 April 2004
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 11:30am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

I work in (and have worked in) Retirement Communities. That means over the past 25+ years I have worked with a lot of seniors, many with interesting perspectives on death and dying, especially given how much time is on the clock for many. Shaped by those experiences, I would not want to know, now, as a middle aged individual (or younger). BUT, once I reach 70 or so, with a short life expectancy, I WOULD want to know. Get my affairs in order, make sure my loved ones were ready for my departure, and do what I can to ease and mitigate whatever disruption my end might bring. Maybe plan a heck-of-good-time last party.

As far as knowing when I am younger, I fear it would too greatly change my decision making process for my journey through life and reduce the adventure/fun. What is it Neil Peart said..., "we're only immortal for a limited time". I think living life with that sense of "immortality" when we are young is a priceless gift.

Well I hoped that made some kind of sense.
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Bill Collins
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 12:14pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Andrew Davey...Dreamline!

James, considering i hadn`t read that tag line since
about 1986, i don`t think i did too bad!
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Rick Senger
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Posted: 24 January 2020 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

It would lead to some sleepless nights and agita directly preceding the date and event I'd imagine.  I don't think I'd want to know.  I might not mind a head's up that I had somewhere between say four and eight years left though... get my affairs in order and bucket list checked off without having to do it all at once (nor having the burden of knowledge of my actual expiration date unless I was still alive 7 years and 364 days later.)
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