Nature is cruel
indeed. We’re created with the
capacity to develop huge egos and accomplish great feats. Then ultimately we
lose our entire being. In spite of our capacity to alter nature (test-tube
babies are now common), we are subject to some of Nature’s eternal laws. Bodily
deterioration is one, immutable reality. Walt Disney may have hoped to have his
cryo-frozen body return to life when technology advanced. But as of this date, no one has come
back from the apparently final, inert state.
About the
clutches of the grim reaper, the comedian George Carlin joked, “It’s definitely
on your schedule.” Humor is one good defense. Some defenses
against death, like humor are helpful, while others, like denial, have been
portrayed as destructive. According to cultural anthropologist Ernest
Becker, denial culminates in wars.
In his 1973 Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Denial of Death, Becker describes
how dualism (the division between body and symbol), coupled with our refusal to
accept the body’s demise, causes us to concoct heroic belief systems. He
proposes that the conflict between one belief system and another leads to wars.
In this election
cycle, it’s important to note that we are vulnerable to leaders who motivate by
means of harnessing belief systems to fight for a cause.
Becker suggested
that creative people manage to integrate the dualism through means of their
creative projects. In essence, life can be viewed as a creative project in
which each of us has the potential to participate. In other words, heroism is embodied in everyday life.
Through our good deeds to help others, we make the world a better place and
create positive memories. Memories are the symbol through which we live on (in
others’ minds) after we die.
In A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens, Scrooge is haunted by the Ghosts of
Christmas (past, present and future). These spirits awaken in him an awareness
of death that transforms him from a bitter and miserly man into a generous one.
By giving to others, he experiences the joy that had been missing in his life.
After his death he will be remembered for enhancing others’ lives.
In her 1940
book, The Moral Basis of Democracy, Eleanor Roosevelt encourages us to
prioritize the well-being of others and to choose love and faith over hatred
and fear. Living by her tenets creates positive memories of our lives.
If we follow
Becker’s thinking, an awareness of death, coupled with the idea that we live on
in symbols of good memories, can help us accept death and create peace in our
world.
Conclusion:
Acknowledging the dualism between body and symbol in an awareness of death motivates
us to live life to its fullest and to heal the world.
Dear Reader, I
welcome your thoughts.
jsimon145@gmail.com
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