[Rags]

Is it better to die early but happy, or to live a long, but generally sad life? Not necessarily depressed, but not content with the way your life is regardless of circumstance. More specifically, to die doing something that will make you happy, and you know you will die.

[Olympics2010]

If life is very very very sad, and IF and only IF the death of happiness can be painless, in my view, this is a choice that may possibly be worthy of at least some consideration.

[khadi]

Depends what you are doing with your life. Is the world better off without you? How are you affecting others? What will you contribute? And what makes you happy?

Happiness is not the end-all imo. It should be tempered with wisdom, which takes time. The happiness a child experiences is of a different quality than what an older person experiences.

[Rohsiph]

What are we defining as the result of physical death? Irrevocable annihilation of one's individual existence?

[Rags]

Death, in this situation, is not immediate. It doesn't have to be a "you do this and die from it" thing. I should have been a little clearer, I apologize. The action you take may not directly kill you, however, it will drastically shorten your life, and you will be aware of this effect. Not making the decision, on the other hand, is not the cause of the unhappiness in your life in this scenario. You are already unhappy, or rather, discontent with the way things are going. Not depressed, or necessarily even suicidal (i.e. the only thing you feel will make you better is death) It would undoubtedly affect your loved ones, just like your life now. But could they understand why you would make a choice to shorten your life, if they knew what joy it brought you?

[Imagineering]

I say die old and miserable. It's honest. Happy people are boring.

[Rags]

Happy people are boring from the outside, but I bet they are feeling pretty good about themselves. You may even say, they are happy...

[Still Standing]

	Originally Posted by Rags To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is it better to die early but happy, or to live a long, but generally sad life? Not necessarily depressed, but not content with the way your life is regardless of circumstance.

I've lived the latter for these first 41 (almost 42) years of my life and don't really feel like putting in another 41 years like this. Dying early but happy at least makes it seem like your life was worth it.

[rickster]

	Originally Posted by Rags To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Is it better to die early but happy, or to live a long, but generally sad life? Not necessarily depressed, but not content with the way your life is regardless of circumstance. More specifically, to die doing something that will make you happy, and you know you will die.

My philosphy defines happiness as nothing but peace of mind. When we have peace of mind we have perfect happiness - there's nothing we desire, nothing we need and nothing to achieve. We perceive no lack or no problems in our life.

I'm not concerned with when somebody dies, but I'm most concerned with their happiness at the time of their death. When a young life is cut short and the mourners moan "He had so much to live for!" I always silently ask "Did he?"

It doesn't matter when you die. It very much matters how happy you are when you die.

[esperanza]

	Originally Posted by khadi To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Depends what you are doing with your life. Is the world better off without you? How are you affecting others? What will you contribute? And what makes you happy? Happiness is not the end-all imo. It should be tempered with wisdom, which takes time. The happiness a child experiences is of a different quality than what an older person experiences.

Isn't happiness still the driving force in the end though? Not necessarily in the sense that a child experiences it, but in whatever sense the person concerned experiences it? Some people are more altruistic than others, but this isn't at the expense of their happiness - living altruistically is more satisfying than living in any other fashion.

Personally I can't really imagine making a choice to do something that I know will definitely drastically shorten my life when this would affect my loved ones - to cause them this pain would make me unhappy and I imagine outweigh any pleasure derived from the life-shortening activity. But if one of my loved ones felt this was something they had to do, I'd understand. I'd feel really sad (and possibly slightly rejected), but I think I'd get it...

---------- Post added 09-05-2010 at 06:02 PM ----------

Originally Posted by rickster To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

My philosphy defines happiness as nothing but peace of mind. When we have peace of mind we have perfect happiness - there's nothing we desire, nothing we need and nothing to achieve. We perceive no lack or no problems in our life. I'm not concerned with when somebody dies, but I'm most concerned with their happiness at the time of their death. When a young life is cut short and the mourners moan "He had so much to live for!" I always silently ask "Did he?" It doesn't matter when you die. It very much matters how happy you are when you die.

I fundamentally agree - though when a young person dies I mourn that they never really had much of a chance to shape their own life. I'm not overly fearful of death, but when I was younger I remember thinking that if I got diagnosed with a terminal illness the worst thing would be knowing that all I'd really managed to do with my life was go to school. I was always happy, I just really wanted more out of life. I still do (at 25), but at least now I don't feel so much like everything I'm doing is just a means to an end.

I agree that all that really matters is your happiness at the time of your death, and I agree with your interpretation of happiness - but I imagine for many people who die young the moment of death itself probably isn't a completely peaceful one - i.e. they'd see their own death as premature, especially if unexpected. It's different I suppose if the person dies in a manner where it happens before they realise it.

[Zombicide]

Why, a short life dying the way that would make me happiest of course, that way being the way of the shooter, a shooter who shoots so very many of the reason why a long life of this shit continued is not a fucking option, living reasons that deserve my throwing acid in their faces, mutilating their genitals and eating their children. Just a big old crowd of random hell monkeys (may as well be random people since the law of odds has it that they all deserve it), that'd be pretty good. Then the enforcers could romantically blow me ... away, and I'd finally know what it's like to be happy.

If it weren't for the existence of other people, I would choose to live long and it would not be so miserable aside from all the memories. Considering the options? I recommend taking the chainsaw to the younglings.

[rickster]

	Originally Posted by esperanza To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I fundamentally agree - though when a young person dies I mourn that they never really had much of a chance to shape their own life.

That's exactly why I chose the example of a young person, struck down for no good reason. Life's not fair and chances and opportunities aren't handed out equally or guaranteed in the future. And death is just as random.

	Originally Posted by Zombicide To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	If it weren't for the existence of other people, I would choose to live long and it would not be so miserable aside from all the memories. Considering the options? I recommend taking the chainsaw to the younglings.

LMAO - that last romance of yours really didn't work out well at all did it?
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

[Rags]

	Originally Posted by Still Standing To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Dying early but happy at least makes it seem like your life was worth it.

I absolutely agree with this. Death does not scare me, dying with regret scares me. I've tried to live a life free of regret, and up until these past couple of years, I had been very successful. I don't want to get old and think, "Why did I do things that way?" I'd rather get old and think. "Wow, that was awesome." Lofty wishing I'm sure, but it's a goal I intend to pursue.