Why Do People Die?

With recent events, this question was again drawn to my mind.

Why do people die?

And is this a bad thing, or is it good?

Losing a loved one is always a difficult experience. It feels so unnecessarily cruel.
Why does this person have to die? Why do I have to die?

Some people say that death is what gives life meaning. If we could live forever and do all the things we want to do. Then life would lose it’s value. I recently finished the book Four Thousand Weeks which touches on this topic.

We only have four thousand weeks in an average life (if you live to be 80 years old). Accepting this and being aware of your finitude should make you focus on what’s important.

Other people say that death is a problem that just hasn’t been solved yet. An combination of diseases and deterioration which ultimately results in death.

But diseases can be cured and one day, death too, will be just one of those things we cured.

I’m uncertain as to what makes more sense for myself.
Obviously I would rather not have any of my friends or family die. And I would prefer not to die myself.

But I also feel like living as if you will have an eternity (while it’s more likely that you will live to see no more than a 100 years), makes you waste a lot of time chasing projects and distractions which you already knew would not work out in the end anyway.

Having somebody pass away at the other side of the world feels even more unreal.

A message, a call, a picture. And then you just have to accept that they are no more.

It feels unfair, but somehow everyone has to experience it.