Confronting Mortality

We all fear living a life devoid of meaning.

Consequently, we attempt to distract ourselves with worldly pleasures, which allow us to forget the uncertainty and fear of death. I posit that such a life ultimately becomes our end goal.

While pleasure can take many forms, it is inherently tied to the release of feel-good hormones. Nearly all human behaviour falls under this umbrella, spanning from simple acts of care and emotional connection to physical intimacy and thrill-seeking. We do things because it feels good.

However, we spend most of our lives treating the symptoms of this inherent fear rather than confronting its root cause. As long as life feels exciting, full of anticipation, or crowded with urgent tasks, distraction comes easily. We effectively procrastinate, pushing the confrontation with our mortality to another day.

The avoidance of this topic will inevitably come back to bite us. Subconsciously, this unaddressed dread quietly dictates our major life choices, compelling us to mindlessly seek external stimulation. True solitude forces an uncomfortable introspection, where questions about meaning become terrifying against the backdrop of unavoidable mortality.

This breakdown usually happens when we run out of external factors to distract ourselves with. A sudden loss of work, illness, or the passing of a loved one forces us to revisit this difficult topic. Without these external distractions, the floodgates break, allowing existential dread to breach our inner fortress and overwhelm us with the uncomfortable reality of our own impending death.

Failing to reconcile with our inevitable passing while living a life of superficial distraction is a guaranteed recipe for regret. A great movie requires a clear, well-thought-out ending before a meaningful story can be written. If the director instead relies on cheap tricks and flashy sequences to distract the audience, the film loses its coherence, leaving the viewer feeling like they wasted their time when the credits roll. Life operates the same way. Avoided existential dread guarantees a sense of a wasted life; bypassing this fate requires us to confront our mortality, forcing us to deliberately shape the trajectory of our own story.

Of course, this clarity cannot be achieved overnight. It requires persistent, deliberate reflection: first, to dismantle our fear of mortality, and ultimately, to architect a life worth living.

The solution begins in the quiet spaces of solitude. Rather than escaping into external validation or chasing superficial highs, we must learn to identify our distractions and sit with ourselves. Have we truly reconciled with our own mortality? Are we acting out of genuine purpose, or merely running from the fear of a meaningless life? What, ultimately, is the meaning of our existence? Answering these questions is a deliberate choice to stop letting a subconscious fear script our lives, and finally start directing our own story.

Playing devil’s advocate, one might argue that life is simply about living in the present and seeing how the dots connect in the end. Perhaps existence doesn’t require a grand meaning. We need not concern ourselves with leaving behind a legacy but rather focus on following what our hearts intend. Yet, I contend that confronting our mortality is exactly what makes this possible. Only when we are comfortable with death can we clear away poor decisions due to fear of it and gain a clearer picture of what our hearts intend.

Disclaimer: The ideas presented in this post are solely my personal perspective and have not been substantiated by any verifiable evidence. Please form your own opinions on such matters.