Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Inthatstate,oneisfarlesslikelytogetcaughtupinvariousformsofentitlement.

           Beckerlatercametoastartlingrealizationonhisdeathbed:thatpeople’simmortalityprojectswereactuallytheproblem,notthesolution;thatratherthanattemptingtoimplement,oftenthroughlethalforce,theirconceptualselfacrosstheworld,peopleshouldquestiontheirconceptualselfandbecomemorecomfortablewiththerealityoftheirowndeath.Beckercalledthis“thebitterantidote,”andstruggledwithreconcilingithimselfashestareddownhisowndemise.Whiledeathisbad,itisinevitable.Therefore,weshouldnotavoidthisrealization,butrathercometotermswithitasbestwecan.Becauseoncewebecomecomfortablewiththefactofourowndeath—therootterror,theunderlyinganxietymotivatingalloflife’sfrivolousambitions—wecanthenchooseourvaluesmorefreely,unrestrainedbytheillogicalquestforimmortality,andfreedfromdangerousdogmaticviews.

           TheSunnySideofDeath

           Istepfromrocktorock,climbingsteadily,legmusclesstretchingandaching.Inthattrancelikestatethatcomesfromslow,repetitivephysicalexertion,I’mnearingthetop.Theskygetswideanddeep.I’malonenow.Myfriendsarefarbelowme,takingpicturesoftheocean.

           Finally,Iclimboverasmallboulderandtheviewopensup.Icanseefromheretotheinfinitehorizon.ItfeelsasthoughI’mstaringattheedgeoftheearth,wherewatermeetsthesky,blueonblue.Thewindscreamsacrossmyskin.Ilookup.It’sbright.