Tag: death and dying

Death and Dying

CULTURE OF DEATH – WHY MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR OTHERS WHEN DEATH IS SO MUCH EASIER

We live in a sick and twisted society where narcissism is rewarded and hard work and integrity are punished.  We no longer have community values, we have “What’s in it for me” values. As for the “Why should I care” question, this is what happens when the people who are the biggest weasels make it to the top and you become inconvenient to their goals.  The historic old-age pension plan of community life – the young are cared for by parents who are then cared for by their children when they grow old – does not exist as a societal norm in the 21st century. No, when you are old and inconvenient, we are not going to take our resources and help your life be better, we are simply going to make death the easiest choice. And package our greed and laziness in such a way that it doesn’t bother our conscience and makes you the bad guy if you object to be told to go die because you need help.

 

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“Suicide Machine” That Lets You Experience Death Now Ready for the Public to Try

Death and Dying

TITHONUS AND THE FALLACY OF ETERNAL LIFE

Two years ago, a man in Indonesia celebrated his 146th birthday.[1]   The human life span has expanded by decades.  For centuries the average life span was about 40.  Age 50 made you an honored elder.  Now humans  who celebrate their 100th birthday rarely make the news.  Advances in medicine, nutrition, and basic sanitation have made this possible. But University of Illinois at Chicago epidemiologist S. Jay Olshansky has the radical idea that living longer should not be the focus if we fail to also live better as well. [2][3]

Tithonus

According to the Greek myth, the goddess Eros persuaded Zeus to grant her lover Tithonus eternal life.  However, she failed to ask for eternal youth as well.  So Thinonus grew older and older, and yet never died.  His body became frail and weak. As he got smaller and more frail, he begged Eros to return him to his mortal state and let him die.  But the goddess did not have the power to grant his wish.  He lived on, and continued to waste away until he became so small and shriveled that he became the first grasshopper.[4]  Rather than being a joyous extension of life, immortality became a curse and he begged for death.

Today

Increased longevity has brought on an increase in health and economic issues that our current social systems have not caught up to.  Susan Golden of Stanford University said that longer lives require a wellness-based approach that needs to start in childhood.  She claims that in Denmark, the primary care physicians are paid more than specialists, reducing the economic incentive to manage illness and focus on preventative lifestyles instead.[2]  Her article covered provided interesting insight into some of the pluses and problems of the search for longevity and presented some possible solutions to the Tithonus fallacy.

It is simply common sense that what we seek is an extension of the quality of life, not merely the quantity.

Additional Reading and Footnotes:

  1. ‘World’s oldest man’ celebrates 146th birthday and says patience is key for long life
  2. Human Lives Might Be Long Enough Already
  3. Shifting focus from life extension to ‘healthspan’ extension
  4. Some translations say Tithonus became a cicada, others say a cricket.
Dog buried with owner with a statue of the dog by its owner's grave
Animal rights

FOREVER FAMILY: PETS BURIED WITH OWNERS

This is something that should have happened a long time ago. A new law in New York has allowed cemeteries to bury pets with their owners.[1]  Most of us who own a furry companion view them as part of the family, and we promised them a forever home. In whatever Hereafter you believe in, we want to believe our pets will be there with us. And this new law allows the symbolic representation of that belief.

Pets Buried with Owners Controversy

Yet, this is a controversial change. For some, mixed burials are a violation of human dignity. Some animal lovers view it as a violation of animal dignity as well. Many state laws require that only certified pet cemeteries can cremate animals. Critics view the new laws as a money making scheme where mixed cemeteries would allow unscrupulous people to open pet crematoriums and just dump the bodies in the desert.[2]   A genuine concern exists that people will treat animals with dignity and respect after death as well as humans.

However, being a pet owner places one in a similar caregiver relationship as that of a parent and child. You are meeting the basic needs of an intelligent, self-aware, social creature who depends on you utterly but honors you with their trust and unconditional love in return. Hence, the social bond is described as the pet being a “furbaby”.

The term “furbaby” is in no way an offense to human dignity. It in no way blurs the line between human and animal. It does however reflect the depth of emotional commitment made to an animal who is a deeply personal part of your life: a being who lives with you, listens to you, loves you, is your best friend and confidant, makes you laugh, and brings you joy. If your pet is not your furbaby, you aren’t doing it right.

As in life, so in death

I am a firm believer in human dignity. But I think acknowledging animal dignity is compatible with a high notion of human dignity. I applaud the new laws that let me honor my promise to my furbabies that they now have a forever family.

 

 

Additional Reading:

  1. New Law Allows Pets To Be Buried Alongside Their Humans At Cemeteries
  2. Legislation would allow pets, humans at same crematory