Question Of The Day - May 30

[cassiopea]

Greetings ~ Wishing everyone a pleasant Tuesday today!


Kind of in a philosophical-ish type mood today:

You are offered the opportunity to learn accurate information about your future, if you choose to accept it.


Would you rather...


Learn the date of your death, but not the cause?

OR

Learn the cause of your death, but not the date?




No godmoding; So no "Boths" or "Neithers" allowed

(And there wouldn't be anything one can do to prevent it)

I think I would rather know the date. It is risky, since you could get a date as soon as next week which would be distressing, but could also get decades from now, like in my 90's or something.


If I were to know the cause, such as a car accident, murdered or a specific type of illness, I reckon I would be paranoid about going into a car, suspicious of everything or fussing over alleged symptoms all the time even if they could be far away. Not really a way to live in retrospect. Plus, I find I am more scared about how I would die (Painful, for example) instead of death itself. Granted, there is a chance to hear good stuff as well, like being told you will have a very peaceful and positive end.

 

[Winchester]

How about.....I'm simply not going there. Sorry, but I don't want to know. Period.

 

[sivyaleah]

How about.....I'm simply not going there. Sorry, but I don't want to know. Period.

Ditto and ditto!

 

[muffy]

I would like the cause but not the date.

Muffy

 

[denice]

I would rather not know either. If I had to choose one I would rather know the cause.

 

[Kieka]

I think knowing either would alter everything. For example, knowing the date causes you to have a panic attack that leads to a heart attack. Or knowing the cause is a car accident you avoid cars and walk everywhere but because you walked everywhere you happened to walk along the sidewalk at the right moment to be hit by a car; thereby dying in a car accident.

If I absolutely had to ..... I don't know. The date would allow you to put your affairs in order. But does knowing your days are numbered and the exact amount make you put less effort into the now? Knowing the cause you would want to try to avoid it. I think cause would be less psychologically damaging assuming it isn't something preventable because then you would likely go crazy trying to avoid it.

This whole question makes me think of a book called The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Highly enjoyable book and recommended but for this subject the main character dies of cancer every one of his lives (that he lives long enough to, some lives he dies earlier by murder or suicide). But if he lives to a certain point he gets cancer at that age no matter what he does. It is earlier if he doesn't live a healthy life but when he does everything perfect he still gets it; just a little later. So he knows he will die of cancer regardless of his actions. He doesn't get an peace from it and just learns the signs and visits the doctor when signs present.

 

[Mother Dragon]

I think I'd rather know the date if I absolutely must know one or the other. That way I could cram as much life into my remaining time as possible.

 

[Kat0121]

How about.....I'm simply not going there. Sorry, but I don't want to know. Period.

Yeah. Same here.

 

[raysmyheart]

I would rather know the date. This question has me thinking today of how precious life is.

 

[DreamerRose]

I don't want to know either. But, if you knew the cause was a disease, then you would know the outcome when you first became ill and could make preparations.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

The date will I reach 90's or over 100? Work on planning cruises around that

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

i'd rather know the date. that way i could plan things ahead of time -- specifics in my will, and etc.

i actually don't fear death, look at it as part of the normal course of life.