Question Why do people die?

[Sensuikan San]

What is Life without Death.

Think of Death as a way of reminding us not to squander our time on earth.

How true that is! Damned good quote!

Quality of life is something to concider along with age. Getting old is not always pleasant. Some people wake up in horrible pain everyday. Some are not able to even get out of bed or use their limbs. Many are hooked to machines that sustain their lives, but at what cost? If a person lives long enough, chances are their quality of life will lessen to the point that death will be welcomed with open arms. Quality is more important then a year number I feel.

Quite so!

Frank is probably more aware of this than anyone else on the forum. He deals with it and sees it on a daily basis.

I feel that the above noted two posters have really come to grips in various ways with this whole question. We shouldn't truly be questioning why people, or any living organism dies .... they just do .... !

To look at the issue in any other way, I feel, is leaning towards a yearning for immortality. Seeking the holy grail. Conquering the final barrier .... death itself!

I find this a little sad ... but totally excusable and understandable. None of us wants to die ... yet!

But ... when is "yet" ?

I can no longer brag about being the oldest contributor to the forum (..or should that be ? ) - there is a least one fine lady who can "give me" at least ten years ! Frank is snapping at my heels, and a few other geezers are "chompin' at the bit" in the wings !

I cannot speak for them of course, but I do feel that they might all agree with me in seconding Frank's statement.

For myself - I dunno about the others ... yes ... my body does sometimes feel as if it's falling to bits! Yes ... I do have aches and pains at least once a day, ... somewhere!

Yes ... I do feel that I can't do and/or achieve what I once could on a daily basis....

... but I ain't ready to go yet!

On the other hand ... one day ... I will be! That, I know!

I can imagine it, I can understand it. I can easily come to terms with, and accept it.

But, I'm 62. If you're 25, 30, 35 .... I wouldn't want you to feel that way.

But it will come.

In short .... don't worry too much about why people die. Just accept that we do.

But make the most of it on the way there ...! You don't get a second shot!

?W????

 

[shadowcatcher]

Really? I was under the impression that people rarely reached 40 years of age until about a hundred years ago. That is only if we take reality into account, of course.

I realize that. If it weren't for the medical advances we probable would still be dieing at the ripe old age of 45. It's a good thing things have improved otherwise membership might be awful sparse.

I was agreeing with Kostaki's comment about people in the Hebrew scriptures. They seemed to live much longer then we do today. Like several hundred years longer. If they lived that long then, why don't we live that long today?

 

[kumo]

I was agreeing with Kostaki's comment about people in the Hebrew scriptures. They seemed to live much longer then we do today. Like several hundred years longer. If they lived that long then, why don't we live that long today?

For the same reason that elves in Lord of the Rings used to live for hundreds of years and today's elves don't live that long.

 

[shadowcatcher]

For the same reason that elves in Lord of the Rings used to live for hundreds of years and today's elves don't live that long.

But the Elves didn't die they got into their boats and floated away. So the question remains Why do we die?

 

[kumo]

But the Elves didn't die they got into their boats and floated away. So the question remains Why do we die?

We die simply because our bodies can't support life anymore, be it because of some disease, Hayflick Limit, some serious accident, etc... I don't see any reason to take some sort of philosophical stance on this matter, as an universe where death exists is only a random result from the big bang between many other possibilities, we die merely because that's how living beings turned out to be.
Saying anything more than this would be trying to give nature some kind of conscience (do I hear intelligent design?), which is completely unsupported by any kind of evidence whatsoever.

 

[Clawn]

But the Elves didn't die they got into their boats and floated away. So the question remains Why do we die?

I'll tell you all simply:

1. The body becomes so weak that it is unable to function. (Most things wear with age)

2. Outside forces put the body in such a state that it can no longer support itself. (Like if you fall out a 20 story building onto pavement)

3. Lack of nutrients. (Starvation, 1/2 of illness)

4. Ailments. (Bacteria or viruses enter and invade the bodies and disrupt it to a point at which the body's life systems cannot be operated.)

5. Other. (Such as falling and cutting off the nerves from your brain to your heart)

I think I got most of the major (if a bit general) causes of death.

 

[Doc]

Do not forget that atoms also eventually give out too which attributes to death as well.

Doc :wave:

 

[shadowcatcher]

Posted by Kumo
we die merely because that's how living beings turned out to be.

So it sound like you accept the fact that we die just because that's the way thing are. We die because we always have.

Are you satisfied with that answer?

My opinion will differ from yours and I don't have a problem with that. I mean the world would be an awful boring place if we agreed on everything.

 

[kumo]

So it sound like you accept the fact that we die just because that's the way thing are. We die because we always have.

That's not exactly what I said. To me the fact that we die is just a result from environmental pressure, physical laws and a bit of randomness. There's a big difference between accepting a result knowing what caused it and saying this "result was uncaused" (quite paradoxical..) or "that's the way things are".

Are you satisfied with that answer?

Yes, quite a lot. And what would your answer be?

My opinion will differ from yours and I don't have a problem with that. I mean the world would be an awful boring place if we agreed on everything.

I agree! Now the world has just become a bit more boring

 

[lost]

I think it is normal to die, but at the other point it is sad when someone you love dies, you feel the pain of loosing him, but deep inside you know he just had to go... :souka: At least thats my opinion. :relief:

to add to that...my opinion....when a person you love die, it does make you stronger. and if there is no death, there is no memories...honestly, yeah you remember all these fun times you have with the people around you but it's not as strong as the memories that you spent with the person that has past away. i dunno, this is how i feel right now...all i can say is that i believed the person that died is in peace.


hummm....i answered that q the other day. i wanna die peacful and painless. hehehe...but when it's time to go, it is time to go.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

People die because our bodys wear out eventually, and to be honest i don't really want to live forever anyways :relief: . Come to think of it i think 60yrs old is a good age to die because

a. Its enough time to live a full filling life, get married or find love, raise kids and be a grandparent and all the rest.
b. After 60yrs old you can expect to start going senile/incontinent/arthiritus(sp?) or get other old age related issues, life isn't really that enjoyable after 60yrs old- your too old to shag(well for most people anyways), you have a wrinkle problem, acheing joints, buckled knee's, forgetful memory, you moan alot about the youth of today and swear you were never like them, "in the good old days", your offspring wants to move you into an old peoples home so they can turn your room into a pool table room, people start asking about inheritance and how long you've got left to go, and well...Loads of other things...

As long as i get to do what i want to do and acheive in life, i don't mind when i die as long as i don't get over 60 :blush: .

 

[Anchyyy]

to add to that...my opinion....when a person you love die, it does make you stronger. and if there is no death, there is no memories...honestly, yeah you remember all these fun times you have with the people around you but it's not as strong as the memories that you spent with the person that has past away. i dunno, this is how i feel right now...all i can say is that i believed the person that died is in peace.

Agree. Recently my aunt died and i was really sad. I kept remembering her. Everything remembered me of her. It was awful. Now when some time passed i realized it's a good thing to remember her every now and then and that this should not be the reason to be sad.

hummm....i answered that q the other day. i wanna die peacful and painless. hehehe...but when it's time to go, it is time to go.

Same here! Not that i fear the pain anyway. :relief:


Beside that i heard that people are often saying this: To live is to die. :souka:
From the on point this is true. You live till your old and then you die. The final act of your life is death. But then again if people would always think of death, fear it, they wouldn't be able to enjoy the life like they should.

 

[Reiku]

Why do we die?

Two reasons:

1: Becuse we have sex.

2: Because it makes life more interesting.


Species that reproduce asexually through cell division basicly "clone" themselves, so they cannot really be said to die untill all the copies are wiped out. Howerver this is bland and boring and prevents any genetic improvement whatsoever...

...luckily for us, humans get to reproduce sexually. (some of us anyway)

Sexual reproduction allows a mixing and scrambling of two creature's DNA--creating new and different combinations, which adds variety and provides the driving force behind the process of evolution.

It's also a lot of fun.

However, since the evolutionary process is constantly refining species, it is nesecary for the old versions to go away--not unlike what happens with outdated technology.

You invent an abacus, but then a calculator comes along--at first they co-exist, since the calculator is fast and heavy and the abacus is slow and portable they occupy different evolutionary niches...

...but then calculators begin to mutate...

...they start getting smaller, more compact--and pretty soon they are in direct competition with the abacus for survival.

Since the calculator is now both faster and more portable than the abacus, it becomes more desireable, and begins to reproduce faster--as the abacus slowly dies out.

Basicly it is a process of improvement through experience.

You take what you already have, tinker around until you have something better, and then replace the outdated, inferior version so you can move on to the next step.

Imagine if you stopped learning how to move your body after discovering how to crawl.

You would never stand, never walk, never run, and never even concieve of dancing.

Since we are all posting here, it is reasonable to expect we all have some understanding of how to use a computer...

...have you ever learned, or been taught, a better way to do something on the computer?

Imagine if you never learned how to bookmark web pages--and had to remember and type the full adress in each time. Think of all the web sites you visited in your life--each one having a link or a referance that allowed you to find the next page you visited.

If you had been limited by your own memory, would you ever have made it far enough through the internet to even find this forum?

And once retyping dies and is replaced by bookmarking, it makes it possible to discover keybord shortcuts--so now you can bookmark faster, increasing the distance into the net that you can travel.

It's like that--each new thing, be it a person, technology, idea or whatever--is a stepping stone to the next. But until we leave the first step behind and stand on the second one, we can never reach the third.

That is why we die.

Every second we exist is a test to prove our continued value--when we are surpassed, we fade and are replaced, so we constantly strive to improve ourselves.

That is why we live.

 

[DavidRojer]

If you do study history then you will come to know that Before the time of Christ people has long ages like three to four hundred years.Gradually the life and age become shorter.What can i say about this but this is a hidden truth which can only be solved by God.

 

[Mycernius]

If you do study history then you will come to know that Before the time of Christ people has long ages like three to four hundred years.

Well that just shows you have never studied history. Care to cite a credible source for that piece of inane BS?

Gradually the life and age become shorter.What can i say about this but this is a hidden truth which can only be solved by God.

Oh dear, a christian with assertions. Care to provide evidence of your magic sky pixie? No, wait, you have none.

 

[LeBrok]

We die because we live.

Natural process of life will wear and tear our cells, destroying our DNA and repair system, culminating in organs failure, and our death. There are also good clues pointing to the fact that our life span is programmed in our DNA too.
Why mice live 2 years, dogs 20, humans 80? At cellular level these 3 mammals are almost identical. Comparing mammals’ cells would not give you a clue why one will live 2 years, the other 80. So why things are this way? Well, it turns that longevity comes with development of offspring and making sure their future is secured. It takes only few months for young mouse to mature and few more months to learn everything from parents, to be successful and take care of new generations. It is much longer process in humans therefore nature found a way to extend human life to accommodate for this. Also there is no reason for nature to keep adults alive beyond that point and extend life span even farther. Obviously nature sees it as wasted food that could be used for next generation.
Just imagine that in our 20s, when we are young, strong with most vital strengths,10 generations of mice got fragile, wrinkled, old and died. Simple wear and tear, as cause of death, is not enough to explain various life spans of mammals. Most of an answer must be in DNA programing.
Let me tell you something, if blind evolution found a way to keep people live much longer than other mammals, it is only logical to conclude that human ingenuity can figure out how to live even longer or young forever. In future we'll update our DNA programing to version human2.0 to live our lives young and healthy to the end. Next updates to Human2.3 can make us not only young, but also beautiful, intelligent, kind forever.
Once we achieve this point, the only natural form of death for humans will be euthanasia. You live few hundred years, seen everything, experienced everything, achieved as much as you could, finally got bored, will to live is gone, and you "pull the plug". I would say this is more dignified way to live and die for intelligent life form, isn't it?

Take control Sapience, take control.

 

[Mycernius]

Please read Genesis.

Why? It is as informative about death as Harry Potter.

 

[himagain]

Stars form and die. Planets form and die. Every plant and animal on earth has died or will die. Death is inevitable.
It is a natural law. Embrace your own time here, and gracefully accept death when it comes. Because it will!

 

[Twilight]

Everything must go, one of these scientific rules that I've known for so long; since I was little that I've forgotten the source. But anyway, with time and technology there is a chance we can slow the aging process.

 

[Twilight]

Stars form and die. Planets form and die. Every plant and animal on earth has died or will die. Death is inevitable.
It is a natural law. Embrace your own time here, and gracefully accept death when it comes. Because it will!

Yes and maybe someday, who knows you might be a baby again, become a spirit helping out the current residents and comforting the children or there might be this chance that a heaven exists scientifically after all. The possibilities awaits in the afterlife.