Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           HisbookTheDenialofDeath,wouldwinthePulitzerPrizeandbecomeoneofthemostinfluentialintellectualworksofthetwentiethcentury,shakingupthefieldsofpsychologyandanthropology,whilemakingprofoundphilosophicalclaimsthatarestillinfluentialtoday.

           TheDenialofDeathessentiallymakestwopoints:

           1.Humansareuniqueinthatwe’retheonlyanimalsthatcanconceptualizeandthinkaboutourselvesabstractly.Dogsdon’tsitaroundandworryabouttheircareer.Catsdon’tthinkabouttheirpastmistakesorwonderwhatwouldhavehappenedifthey’ddonesomethingdifferently.Monkeysdon’targueoverfuturepossibilities,justasfishdon’tsitaroundwonderingifotherfishwouldlikethemmoreiftheyhadlongerfins.

           Ashumans,we’reblessedwiththeabilitytoimagineourselvesinhypotheticalsituations,tocontemplateboththepastandthefuture,toimagineotherrealitiesorsituationswherethingsmightbedifferent.Andit’sbecauseofthisuniquementalability,Beckersays,thatweall,atsomepoint,becomeawareoftheinevitabilityofourowndeath.Becausewe’reabletoconceptualizealternateversionsofreality,wearealsotheonlyanimalcapableofimaginingarealitywithoutourselvesinit.

           ThisrealizationcauseswhatBeckercalls“deathterror,”adeepexistentialanxietythatunderlieseverythingwethinkordo.

           2.Becker’ssecondpointstartswiththepremisethatweessentiallyhavetwo“selves.