Fear of Death

Out of all the philosophies we have reviewed in class, Epicureanism has resonated the most with my own life. One of the main beliefs in Epicureanism is that humans should not fear death. The reason being, "Therefore, it is relevant neither to the living nor to the dead, since it does not affect the former; and the latter do not exist.” (Epicurus, 124). While this claim by Epicurus if founded in the belief that their is no life after death so death cannot do us any harm since we will cease to exist, I believe that even those who believe in an after life should not fear death. Death is the one guarantee in life. So, fearing the only thing in life that is inevitable doesn't make much sense to me. Epicurus believed that fearing death was causing many people to miss out on life and I agree. While I don't fear how my death will affect me, I do fear how my death will affect others such as my family and friends. I have lost family members and I know that the death of a loved one can have a huge impact on a person's life. So, I agree with Epicurus that death should not be feared because it gets in the way of living, but I am worried that my death will have negative affects on those around me. Overall, I think that death should never be feared because it is something that will happen to everyone. Life cannot exist without death so it is important to accept this and focus on the affects I can have on people while I am alive.