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Areala Asks: Would You Rather...? (20160703)


Areala

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I must apologize, as I've been horribly busy the past couple of weeks and neglectful of my weekly posting duties. In celebration of it no longer being Canada Day, I present a new "Areala Asks" question for discussion.

Today, my beloved, I simply want to know:

Would you rather...?

A - Know the time of your death, but not the manner in which you will expire

or

B - Know the way you're going to die, but have no idea when it will happen

Note that with either option, nothing you can do will prevent your death.

There are pros and cons to each one to consider, of course, so discussion is your only option. Which would you choose, and why? You have until July 10th at 10pm Eastern Time to post your response. Make me proud! :)

*huggles*
Areala

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I'd go with B. Let's say I'm to die in my sleep. Well sure, every night might be a little scary, but I feel you could eventually just put it out of mind. I mean, odds are it wouldn't be until you were quite old.

If I knew exactly when it would happen, it would pretty much taint every moment leading up to it, getting progressively worse as the date drew near.

Of course, the really interesting question is: suppose I choose B, and find out that I'm to die while hang-gliding. As the rules state, nothing I can do will prevent my death, so what the hell convinces me to knowingly embrace death and get on that hang-glider when the time comes?

Edited by kitsunebi77
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I'd go with B. Let's say I'm to die in my sleep. Well sure, every night might be a little scary, but I feel you could eventually just put it out of mind. I mean, odds are it wouldn't be until you were quite old.

If I knew exactly when it would happen, it would pretty much taint every moment leading up to it, getting progressively worse as the date drew near.

Of course, the really interesting question is: suppose I choose B, and find out that I'm to die while hang-gliding. As the rules state, nothing I can do will prevent my death, so what the hell convinces me to knowingly embrace death and get on that hang-glider when the time comes?

You might only know that you die as a result of a hang-gliding accident. Just because you never get on a hang-glider doesn't mean some other moron doesn't jump on one and inadvertently slam into you at 50 miles per hour. :)

*huggles*

Areala

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You might only know that you die as a result of a hang-gliding accident. Just because you never get on a hang-glider doesn't mean some other moron doesn't jump on one and inadvertently slam into you at 50 miles per hour. :)

*huggles*

Areala

True, but that's a different scenario than knowing you will die while hang-gliding. I'm operating under the assumtion that choice B will give you specific information, not vague or cryptic info that can be interpreted different ways. Assuming you were set to die in some singularly unusual way (riding a barrel over Niagara Falls), it would be pretty interesting to see what bizarre string of events or compelling force would lead you to get anywhere near Niagara Falls in a barrel.

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Option A is more preferable to me. It would be fate set in stone. It's possible to plan around it. Work extra overtime and make a grand exit in the last month or so.

I wonder, if you know when and you can't change it; wouldn't that mean you are in a way invincible up to that date?

Option B would be very stressful and haunting. IMO it's human nature to try to prevent it from happening if you know how; even if you couldn't change it.

Dying in your sleep could mean a person would be too afraid to go asleep; but no sleep eventually also leads to death.

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i choose the counterpoint of option A.

maybe i'm too much of a planner, but it would give me a definitive timeline for getting everything done that i'd want to do. Say i wanted to see Paris. i would know that, for example, i had 10 years to make it across the ocean. Just a way to prioritize and put things in perspective.

Likewise, once you got towards the end, it would give you time to say goodbye and get some closure with your friends and family. Sure, it would be sad, but that's going to be the case regardless of life. This way all of those "i wish i would've told them _____" would be solved.

option B really grants you nothing.

So you know how you die. so what? as stated, there's nothing you can do about it. If i find out i'm going to get hit by a bus, i'm going to be paranoid every time i cross the street. if i find out i'm going to drown, everytime i went swimming/bathed/whatever i'd think "maybe this is the time". the knowing but not knowing thing would drive me insane.

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Heh, frankly, I'm entirely shocked that I ever saw 20. Not that I was a particularly wild child, but I certainly had my moments, and challenged the laws of physics a time or two. Fortunately, you bounce more when you're younger.

Then, I saw 30. To say I had some rather self destructive behavior in my younger days, that's honest. To say that I had pretty much given up on life in 2007 / 2008, that's pretty accurate as well. I know what kept me going, and am beyond grateful for the circumstances.

Now, if I see 40? Well, maybe I'd learned a thing or two and decided to try living with a bit of self preservation. May not be quite as much fun, but I find it to be rewarding, to devote oneself to making the world a better place than it would be without them.

On that note, I don't want to know when I'm gonna go, nor how. I would want it to be a bit of a surprise. I know that it is an inevitability, but why spoil the fun? Why make yourself paranoid?

I've lost friends and family across the spectrum from immediate and unexpected, to unsurprisingly, to short term and unfortunate, all the way to knowing it's coming and can't do anything to help it. One thing I've learned over the years? You come to accept death, but damn it all, it's never easy. Even years and years later, it can still sting in certain moments.

To lighten this post a bit, what the hell Areala? Canada Day kept you busy for two WEEKS? :P

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Quote te72"

Heh, frankly, I'm entirely shocked that I ever saw 20. Not that I was a particularly wild child, but I certainly had my moments, and challenged the laws of physics a time or two. Fortunately, you bounce more when you're younger.

Then, I saw 30. To say I had some rather self destructive behavior in my younger days, that's honest. To say that I had pretty much given up on life in 2007 / 2008, that's pretty accurate as well. I know what kept me going, and am beyond grateful for the circumstances.

Now, if I see 40? Well, maybe I'd learned a thing or two and decided to try living with a bit of self preservation. May not be quite as much fun, but I find it to be rewarding, to devote oneself to making the world a better place than it would be without them.

On that note, I don't want to know when I'm gonna go, nor how. I would want it to be a bit of a surprise. I know that it is an inevitability, but why spoil the fun? Why make yourself paranoid?

I've lost friends and family across the spectrum from immediate and unexpected, to unsurprisingly, to short term and unfortunate, all the way to knowing it's coming and can't do anything to help it. One thing I've learned over the years? You come to accept death, but damn it all, it's never easy. Even years and years later, it can still sting in certain moments.

To lighten this post a bit, what the hell Areala? Canada Day kept you busy for two WEEKS? :P"

I agree with most of this because death would be the similar consequence to me of reckless or dangerous choices at young ages but maybe not as fast my earlier dumb choices. I did grow old when my family left me to fend for myself. So much pain but it can be exchanged for so much good. It just takes some monkey man time. Im lgratefull that I even had good family to look up to.

Now to answer this post;

A - Know the time of your death, but not the manner in which you will expire

Such a trick question. I have thought about the answer which exists but I have no way of proving so I felt in the force that I will die from cancer in 2029 or maybe a couple years after 2021 where my hot rod electric car is hit my an unknown truck. I will shit in a colostomy bag for two years before I get week and let myself slip away alone in a hospital.

or

B - Know the way you're going to die, but have no idea when it will happen

I love this question because it has an answer nobody can tell you with any certainty. There is an answer and the answer is unchangeable. I'm open to discussion but it would stand to reason that everything has been chosen and there is no free will if you study the uncertainty of the quantum theory and apply the theory to the observations of our physically known universe. The answer is in part A and I hate to make anything else up. Maybe cancer of the kidney or liver?

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