'For everything, there is a season.
A time to be born, a time to die.'
It's ‘pantang’ * when Malaysians talk about death. But when we reach Senior Citizen status( like me), and when we find that most of our friends and ex- colleagues are already gone, it's hard to avoid thinking about our own mortality.
Just like a product we have a shelf life.
We often ask ourselves ;
‘Have I come to the end of my lifespan?’
‘When is my turn? ’
It's a frightening thought and a fearful topic, but death is inevitable.
Life is not permanent. It has an expiry date. See lifespan chart below. https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/3f9021ce-b5c7-4788-8bcc-4fe9789b12a4
I remember the wise words of Steve Jobs during his last days.
‘Death is the final destiny we all share’
Regardless of rich or poor, kings or peasants, celebrities or nobody, we all share the same fate - death.
Depending on which perspective you are looking at, death can be viewed from these perspectives.
Biology - Cessation of organism's functions.
Psychology - End of conscious experience.
Religion - Transition to Afterlife.*
Existential Philosophy - Gives urgency and meaning to life.
* This gives comfort to the dying.
Scientific definition of death.
It's the point at which an organism loses its ability to utilize energy to combat entropy. It's a final transition—where the complex, self-sustaining biological machinery stops running, and the constituent elements are recycled back into the ecosystem.
Nothing is wasted. All living organism when dead contributes a part to Nature and the ecosystem
The heart stops beating, blood flow stop and consciousness vanished.
Stages of death. (When death is imminent.) https://youtu.be/5sxxqxqVSNo?si=o4Sn9AFTMze6mnOz
- Reduced appetite & thirst.
- Increased sleeping
- Withdrawal from social interaction.
- Confusion or altered consciousness.
- Irregular breathing.
- Cooling of hands and feet
- Loss of consciousness.
Cessation of breathing and heartbeat.
Types of Death. https://chatgpt.com/share/6a1fc2c6-a488-83ec-9b21-6dce0fab77f9
There are 12 types of death.
- Clinical
- Biological
- Brain
- Natural
- Accidental
- Sudden
- Violent
- Homicide
- Suicide
- Assisted
- N-D-E. (Near death experience.)
- Cellular.
Just like life, death is our constant companion.
How to reduce fear of death.
Attitude is key to reduce fear of death.
Key Takeaways.
Live for the moment. Don't think too much about it. Accept death as life's natural process like birth.
After all there is nothing much you can do about it. When it comes, accept it.
Focus on what matters. Did you love well? Did you live according to your values? Have you make peace with the people around you?
Any incomplete businesses? Reconcile strained relationship? Expressing gratitude? Loving your loved ones? Sharing your stories and wisdom?
Finding meaning beyond self. You can find this in your loved ones - children, grandchildren, good friends, hobbies, arts, music, travels, shared memories.
Conclusion.
According to my search in AI, I belong to the 1 - 1.5% group of ethnic Chinese in Malaysia that is still alive. ( as per population of Malaysia of 34 million. ) See attached link. )
This can be scary. Out of a population of 32 million there are only about 350k to 500k of us still alive. A rare species, 😂
I must consider myself very lucky to be alive everyday!
Good thing about death.
Death has it's good points. It gives life meaning. The limited time encourages us to cherish our experiences, to appreciate our loved ones and to pursue our dreams.
It also helps to transform ordinary moments into precious ones, example; watching the sunset, conversations, playing with grandkids, etc.
Parting poem.
A life well lived is not measured by gold, nor counted in years, but in kindness given, and love through tears.
A life well lived leaves footprints behind, in hearts once touched, in souls made kind.
The body may fade, the voice may grow still, yet echoes remain beyond death's hill.
For in the end, when all is said, a life well lived is never truly dead.
To live well is to accept death. Avoid being too consumed by worldly things; wealth, status, or trivial concerns.
All of us must go one day.
We are all just passing by.
Do the things you enjoy most.
Follow the Key Takeaways and don't think too much about death.
Jack Ung (jack.uct1953@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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