Views About Death.....

 

September 12, 1973 - November 30, 2013

The untimely and tragic demise of Hollywood actor Paul Walker at a very young age of forty has prompted me to write something about this appalling phenomenon we call death. Of all the things that can happen to us, death is the most feared of all – whether it is our own death or that of another person. Death is as common as the sun rising every morning, or leaves falling from trees. But admit it or not, we have not yet accustomed ourselves to it. When will we be used to it and comfortable with it? When we are already six feet under the ground I suppose.

Death is a reality that we all have to face. Man is a being unto death, according to existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger. It simply means that death is the culminating point of our existence – we live, and then we will die sooner or later. Death is something that we cannot avoid since again, man is a being unto death. All of us will reach that unavoidable stage in our lives, like it or not.  

Death is also an open wound in man according to Heidegger. My interpretation of this is that death is likened to a wound which will never heal for as long as we are alive, like the idea of death of which we will always have awareness of for as long as we are existing. As long as we have consciousness,the idea of death will continue to lurk in the corners of our mind. Our awareness of our existence, therefore, is our awareness of death as well – like two peas in a pod.

'Nuff said. May you rest in peace Paul Walker.