Name: The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death
Uploaded: 2013-12-12T16:05:06Z
Duration: 15 min 19 s
Description: Philosopher Stephen Cave begins with a dark but compelling question: When did you first realize you were going to die? And even more interesting: Why do we humans so often resist the inevitability of death? Cave explores four narratives -- common across civilizations -- that we tell ourselves "in order to help us manage the terror of death."

Philosopher Stephen Cave begins with a dark but compelling question: When did you first realize you were going to die? And even more interesting: Why do we humans so often resist the inevitability of death? Cave explores four narratives -- common across civilizations -- that we tell ourselves "in order to help us manage the terror of death."

Stephen Cave: The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death

The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death

Facing death's inevitability sparks humanity's quest for immortality, driving the creation of narratives offering eternal life.

Empirical studies reveal a bias towards believing in afterlife narratives when faced with mortality, influencing behavior and beliefs.

Philosopher Epicurus and Ludwig Wittgenstein argue against the rationality of fearing death, advocating for a meaningful life narrative.