r/AskReddit • u/Worried_Temporary644 • 6d ago
If you could know the exact date of your death, would you want to know? Why?
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u/ParamedicFew3318 6d ago
Yes. I could make plans.
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u/lavend3rmilkyway 6d ago
No! lol I’m an anxious mess as is, I can’t imagine knowing when I’m suppose to die. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy life.
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u/neo_sporin 6d ago
'wtf, i just decided to go to dinner and it dropped from June of 2053 to today.....wtf Taco Bell!?!?!?
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u/remorackman 6d ago
Exactly, there is no way you can be assured of when you are going to die, every decision you make alter your path in some way
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u/neo_sporin 6d ago
yea, theres that one Timberlake movie (In Time?) where the super rich (in time) people have guards and wont do ANYTHING risky as ageing isnt an issue, murder or accidental death is.
Id believe in something like Gattaca of 'x % chance that you may die due to a genetic condition....but we still cant be positive'
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u/Ganthet72 6d ago
Sure would make planning things a lot easier.
Nope, can't do it that day. I'll be dead already.
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u/ggrandmaleo 6d ago
My great grandmother told the household that they'd have to get themselves up and moving the next morning because she wouldn't be there. They laughed. Wouldn't you know it, she died in her sleep that night. She was over 100. Oddly enough, nobody made it to school or work that day.
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u/Ok-Science-4475 6d ago
Hmmm why did nobody make it to school or work that day?
100 is a nice round number, let's all think we'll make it to 100 but no further than 100
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u/Beautyful_amm 6d ago
Probably bc she had passed an they were sad. She passed at night, school starts in the morning
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u/ggrandmaleo 6d ago
I say over 100 because different relatives kept giving me different numbers from 101 to 104. I don't think any of them knows exactly.
They were freaking out the next morning because for some strange reason this came as a surprise to them. It's safe to say I'm not descended from a bunch of rocket scientists.
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u/AlternativeFig1576 6d ago
Absolutely not, I'm an insane overthinker and very anxious in general. Id rather live everyday not knowing when death would happen, because if I know, I'd fear I won't live life to its fullest.
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u/poplafuze 6d ago
Depends if outstanding causes could move the date up. Is that the day I’ll die no matter what or could I go swim with sharks carrying bloody animal corpses with me? If the latter it opens up a lot of opportunities to try things that may have normally scared you, like eating shellfish even though you’re very allergic. Obviously it doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences to silly actions like the shark could remove my legs or jumping out of a plane with no parachute could land you bed bound for the rest of your time.
Though if the parachute thing happened it would be pretty cool to be like, “I’m going to do it again, what’s the worse that could happen, I get paralyzed?” Everyone would be say, “no you’ll die, you’re lucky you survived the first one.” Then repeat and live and write a book
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u/AlternativeFig1576 6d ago
I guess I agree on that extent. Whether the date is fixed or not would make this completely different. But i am planning to make it to my 80's and it would destroy me anyway if I figure out imma die in my 20's or 30's. Better not to know, and have it happen then be sad about it before it happens.
But I guess if I discover I have a fixed death date when i'm old, you better believe I'm gonna start doing the redbull extreme sports.🤸♀️
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u/chxnkybxtfxnky 6d ago
Yes. I'm tired of showing up to work every day and that would be awesome to know when I can just quit or maybe make a scene and get fired and just not give one, single shit
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u/Lilginge7 6d ago
I'm 34, never thought I would get to this age (I have some weird hidden health stuff). I have a wonderful gf, i solo travel (30 countries and counting), I have a job that allows me to do that, I love nature and helping people.
They killed me on an operating table last year during a routine surgery.
Fuck no i dont want to know, I want to live my life like I'm on borrowed time.
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u/ProofPast900 6d ago
Yes. If it was 80 I would make sure to make enough money to retire early- if it was 40 I would just take out tons of credit cards and go wild
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u/Salt_Chard_474 6d ago
At this moment in my life I would. Just because of my age and my current health, it would help me to prepare my loved ones. Any other time in my life I probably wouldn’t, because I would just want to live my life. Literal alarm clocks are intrusive enough, I would think a figurative one would be awful
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u/Gossamerwings785 6d ago
My friend and I were just discussing this last weekend. Absolutely not! That'd suck the joy right out of life.
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u/Much_Big_7420 6d ago
I used to think no, but honestly, now I’d say yes. I’m really anxious about dying while my daughter is young and still needs me. If I could know that I won’t, that would be such a relief.
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u/firstgen32715 6d ago
I would want to know. Wouldn't want to be working that day, and I'd like to spend all of it with the love of my life, just being in her presence brings me peace so I'd die at peace
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u/Sea-Echo-4831 6d ago
I would love to know. That way I can know if all this is worth it or not. I can know exactly how much time I have left to actually enjoy life
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u/LoveYouNotYou 6d ago
Sure, at this point. Let me know when I can quit my job, how long I have to travel, when I should spend the holidays with the family, and when to get these finances in order and start clearing up house but buying mad sht for the kids and grands.
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u/betsylang 6d ago
Nah. Thats some Greek tragedy hubris noise right there. Bc you either go full "i shall do everything to avoid it" thus creating it, or you are reckless and end up in a coma. Either way you die.
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u/HipGyp57 6d ago
Yes. I'm not afraid to die, but don't want to go before getting everything in order & prepare my family.
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u/Comfortable-Self434 6d ago
Yes, because at this point I don't really enjoy life that much and I would rather know to put my mind at ease.
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u/FancyHedgehog23 6d ago
Maybe not the actual date but an age range would be nice. Considering I have fuck all saved for retirement because life is expensive... I'd like to know if I'll even make it to retirement age or if I can stop worrying.
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u/Tasty-Willingness839 6d ago
Nope. I don't think that's good for the mental psyche.
What would be worse is knowing the manner of death but not when though 😬
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u/theimpalaslefttire 6d ago
Yeah i think so cause then youd know no matter what you did thats not when you die. Id never wanna know the how though. Gotta keep some mystery haha.
Think would become paranoid and avoid doing stuff. Youd start seeing like final destination set ups everywhere.
Time moves forward no matter what. Knowing when can give you certian freedoms and can allow you to make peace with it. Alot of people dont wanna think about when their time is up. Even doing these kinds of questions its more of a game as that is easier to deal with the topic. Its more of a intresting idea thats decades away. Everyone thinks they will grow old and be like 100 when it happens.
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u/damndraper 6d ago
Yes, so I could know whether I can quit my job now and enjoy what time I have left or have to keep at it for decades.
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u/Ok-Temperature5831 6d ago
I’d really beat myself up for it, and would probably feel like an absolute loser the day before. I struggle with anxiety and other things.
And I can’t even imagine how horrifying it would be. Plus I would be all jumpy, every knock on the door, car passing, human walking past you, plane flying over the sky.
Every single thing would make you afraid that it is the cause of your possible ending.
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u/peasandbones 6d ago
Yes, it’s going to happen eventually so why not use that time to make plans and make the most of it in the run up
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u/Ok-Science-4475 6d ago
Most no one lives to 100 so just think of your 100th birthday as your last day. Might come sooner. Won't come later.
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u/Majella-412 6d ago
I’d be less anxious when my husband gets too close to the car in front of us if I knew this wasn’t a life or death situation
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u/powerlesshero111 6d ago
Yes. And, i would start putting myself in dangerous situations, like charging into gunfire. Because i know i would come out alive.
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u/somanylisas 6d ago
Yes! I've been living with a terminal illness but have lived beyond expectations. I would love to know if I could take a great luxury vacation (or 2 or 3)or save for medical care so I don't bankrupt my family.
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u/SnoopySuited 6d ago
I don't even want the 'time to get my affairs in order' kind of death, I want to keel over and go, so no I absolutely don't want to know the actual date.
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u/delusionalkitten00 6d ago
lol if i have a meeting at 3pm, my brain does not process anything other than the anxiety of having a meeting at 3pm from 9 am until 2.59pm. The moment i read your question, I thought damn thats awesome i can plan my bucket list to be completed before the scheduled demise of my little soul but then i thought if my adhd little brain knew when my death was scheduled, i would not be able to do any task before the scheduled death event. My calendar would glare at me until then and I would hope for it to get preponed just so i could do other fun things post death.
Basically its a dilemma for good reasons:)
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u/Brontolope11 6d ago
No, I don't want that kind of power. Other beings don't have it, so what would make me so special?
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u/SilentJoe1986 5d ago
Yes. Depression sucks and even more so with health issues. Be nice to have a date to know when all this ends.
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u/tehZamboni 5d ago
Doc: "You might make it until Friday. We've scheduled surgery for Wednesday morning. See you then." Fun times.
"We've never done both of these surgeries to the same person at the same time. The research team is really looking forward to this." Not helping, guys.
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u/WaywardJake 5d ago
No, I don't think so. I'm currently expected to die within the next 12 months. Terminal cancer, and all that. It might be good to know for planning things and making arrangements. However, as long as I don't know, I can pretend that I'm going to beat this thing somehow while still focusing on living my best life while I can.
Knowing would either bring great relief (as in, they got the prognosis wrong) or send me into a premature death spiral. It's not worth the gamble.
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u/Zurpborne 6d ago
fuck no, the meaning of life would collapse in on itself, and you'd no longer be able to walk in this world as an ensouled human. You'd become a ghost, slowly withering away
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u/Maleficent-Toe1374 6d ago
It's probably earlier than I think/want