9 Reasons Why People Who Constantly Think About Death Are More Alive
What’s the point of life if you don’t think about death?
We all think about death. Some of us think about it from time to time and some of us pride ourselves on barely thinking about it at all. Then there’s that special group who thinks about it endlessly.
These people may be labeled "morbid" or "depressing," but as I'm one of them, I can tell you we're really just liberated. Liberated from the idea that life is so serious, that we have time to do everything and that all this superficial sh*t matters.
We’re liberated from the daily grind and the anxieties and fears that really just seem like petty sh*t next to the one big thing that could actually ruin your day: death.
Because everything seems pretty insignificant next to that. Everything seems irrelevant next to the godfather of all problems. Every bad day seems pretty damn good when it's compared to having no more days at all.
Because when you’ve accepted your death, you think about it the same way you think about your grocery list or your plans for next weekend -- you see what truly matters. You see what’s worth your time and never worth your tears.
You understand who’s worthy and who isn’t worth your time.
Once you understand death, you understand how to live. Or as Woody Allen put it, “You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred.”
You have perspective
Nothing helps you enjoy the present more than accepting its end.
So why not just enjoy it? Why not let go of all the small, petty things that weigh everyone else down and look at the grand scheme of your soon-to-end life.
Things like long lines, late trains and bad weather aren’t going to ruin your day, but make you happy there is one to ruin.
You don’t waste time with sh*tty people
If you’re going to ruin my limited days with nonsense, I’m just not going to f*ck with you. It’s as simple as that. People who have accepted their deaths have stopped accepting bullsh*t.
They surround themselves with people who make their days worth living, who add value and depth to their lives. They are as quick to befriend good people as they are to cut out the toxic ones.
You don’t harp over expenses
Savings are for people who think they’re going to need money in the after life. The people enjoying their paychecks and taking themselves out to dinner, having experiences and moments rather than saving every penny for the day they can finally use it, are the people who understand the whole point of life is to spend your money before you leave it.
You're only scared of the right things
Once you’ve accepted the scariest part of life, everything else just seems like a walk in the proverbial park. The idea that your life will end -- that you will leave everything you know and love -- is as liberating as the idea that none of it really matters.
You're constantly motivated
If you never think about death, when do you think about your worth? When you’ve accepted you’re going to leave this world, you become motivated to make your mark before it happens.
When you understand, accept and know you’ll be gone some day, you become increasingly obsessed with getting your reputation in order. You don’t just want people to miss you, you want them to remember you.
You have realistic expectations
You don’t expect much from people or things because, at the end of the day, they’re going to be in the ground just like you. People may disappoint you, but as long as they don’t kill you, you’re still alive and grateful to feel such things as disappointment.
You don’t sweat the small stuff
Why get upset when you can just move on and find something else to make your life worthwhile? Sweating the small stuff is about as productive as spending your days in bed, refusing to see the world and experience everything it has to offer before you’re lying under it. Thinking about death does more than put everything into perspective, it puts things right.
You cling to the things that make you happy
If we’re all going to die, why not spend your life doing everything you want, when you want? If you love someone, spend all your time with him or her.
If you love chocolate cake, eat it until you can’t look at another piece. If the beach makes you happy, move to the beach. Life is short, your happiness should last the whole of it.
You don’t do things you should do, but things you want to do
People who think about their deaths don’t worry about societal norms or what’s appropriate. They do what they want when they want and dare you to try and tell them otherwise.
They’re enlightened; they’ve seen the point to it all and won’t waste their time trying to explain it to you. They’re too busy enjoying their limited time to worry about how you feel about it.
