It is something common, and no matter how common it is, we do not get used to it: every day our written diaries publish between 20 and 30 obituaries of people who died in Navarra, in Pamplona. Some of them we know, others' surnames are familiar to us and many times some are from our neighborhood, our surroundings, our family...
People die, but not only others die, one day it will be our turn, and that day we will be part of those who denounce the people who have ceased to live. What anguish it creates for us just thinking about it! But it is the truth. Some readers will stop reading this article, and will miss an important opportunity to reflect on the death of oneself; as happens to others, someday it will be our turn.
It is good to keep it in mind and not forget it, but with calm, with peace and tranquilityThis is coming to an end, and the important thing is that it comes to an end without regrets and with “hands full of good things and personal satisfaction.”
The human relationship with death
We find it hard to accept this fact of deathIt is as if by naming it, it comes to us first, and that is why no one talks about it. It is a cultural taboo: some knock on wood, others say “please, let’s change the subject”; and many, in their privacy, see the age of those who have died today and say to themselves: “He is older than me, it is normal that he dies”, “He is the same age as me!…” and, We get a lump in our throatOnly in private do we ritualize the fact every time we read the newspaper.
Many people turn death into a negative obsession. As if by not thinking about it, it would never come, or the other way around: by thinking about it more and more -obsession-, I push it away from me and get rid of it. This topic has been addressed in culture by emblematic figures such as Buddha or Dalí, who said: "I fear death less and less, because I will come to have Catholic faith and believe in the immortality of the soul."
Cultural and philosophical perspectives
The theme of death and immortality has been addressed by various philosophies, religions and cultures throughout history. Certain cultures have seen life and death as two sides of the same coin. For example, the Stoics considered preparation for death to be the pinnacle of the art of living, as reflected in their motto: «memento mori», which means "remember that you will die."
Epicurus, on the other hand, expressed that “While we are, death is not, and when death is, we are not.” This philosophy breaks the taboo and places the certainty of death on the periphery of our daily lives, allowing us to live more fully.
How our beliefs influence us
Beliefs significantly influence our perception of death. For those who have faith in the afterlife, such as Christians, death is not the end, but a transition to eternal life. According to this perspective, one acquires "a mansion in the sky without mortgages or loans, with a little garden and a river nearby, so that happiness is complete".
However, these beliefs have also been criticized. Ludwig Feuerbach, in his work "Thoughts on Death and Immortality," argues that immortality is not of the individual, but of the species; that human dignity lies in accepting our finitude and seeking the eternal in collective humanity. These ideas reflect a more secular and humanist.
Death in everyday life
Death also plays a role in how we experience everyday life. Reading obituaries, for example, connects us to the endless cycle of life and death, reminding us of our shared humanity. One curious anecdote tells how a man collected obituaries of people younger than him as a ritual to reassure himself in life.
In other words, death is a constant reminder that our actions and emotions are finite, and this can motivate us to transform our ordinary days into something meaningful.
The scientific perspective
From a scientific point of view, death is the irreversible cessation of vital functions. This approach, although more pragmatic, also opens philosophical debates on the ethics of prolonged life and the possibilities of overcoming death through technological advances, such as cryogenics or artificial intelligence.
While these ideas may seem futuristic, they represent a clear attempt to reconcile death with human curiosity and ambition. Can science transform our view of death and immortality?
Death is the one event we will all experience, but also the one we most avoid talking about. By adopting a perspective that integrates cultural, philosophical and scientific dimensions, we can not only accept it, but also live more fully, with a peaceful heart and mind.