"All this lying to and by cancer patients is a measure of how much harder it has become in advanced industrial societies to come to terms with death. As death is now an offensively meaningless event, so that disease widely considered a synonym for death is experienced as something to hide. The policy of equivocating about the nature of their disease with cancer patients reflects the conviction that dying people are best spared the news that they are dying, and that the good death is the sudden one, best of all if it happens while we’re unconscious or asleep. Yet the modern denial of death does not explain the extent of the lying and the wish to be lied to; it does not touch the deepest dread."
As society gets more advanced in its ability to treat otherwise fatal diseases, the race away from death has reached a pace never seen in our species existence. As Sontage says, it has become impossible to "come to terms with death." Does society lose any benefits that could come with "coming to terms with death" in our discussions surrounding disease? Does death have a purpose in our society that could be lost? What is that purpose (if there is any)?
As society gets more advanced in its ability to treat otherwise fatal diseases, the race away from death has reached a pace never seen in our species existence. As Sontage says, it has become impossible to "come to terms with death." Does society lose any benefits that could come with "coming to terms with death" in our discussions surrounding disease? Does death have a purpose in our society that could be lost? What is that purpose (if there is any)?
Regardless of its association to disease, death has been something people have been trying to run away from for centuries. Religion and culture attempt to enhance the idea of death by believing that there is life after death, or that in some way, death is not the end, but the beginning of something new. I believe that these various adaptations of death are peoples's ways of coping with or understanding something so mysterious and indescribable. Observing through a secular, scientific lens or through one of culture and life, acknowledging the presence of an "end" of sorts allows someone to "prepare" for whatever may come. Lying to patients may distract them for some time, but I believe it could be detrimental to their preparations when thinking about the life they still want to live before they die... it can protect them yes, but their families still know and the patients world become isolated and imaginary.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what benefits there are with "coming to terms with death" to lose. I am also not sure that there is a purpose to death that would be lost. I do not think people have expectations for their death...there are wishes such as a painful, quick, or peaceful death but there is no way of knowing what will actually happen. I touched on something in my other post that I think falls in this category as well: I do not think lying to patients about their state of health is ethically okay. Knowing that death is coming can alter a lifestyle. One argument for lying to a patient would be that someone is given the sudden death wish, but I think this is a negative thing within the context. The counterargument is that they are not able to experience all that they can. If they know that are going to die, that leaves more opportunity to experience things before the time comes. I think this is a loaded topic because there is also the fear aspect of death approaching that can alter someones life drastically. The final thing I would say is living each day as if it's the last is the one solution to "death".
ReplyDeleteVery few people legitimately want to die, and even fewer people want to die slowly in a hospital with wires and tubes stuck to their bodies. By hearing your fate, it is easy to lose all hope and not come to terms with death, but to accept it as inevitable. By coming to terms with death, you don't just accept it but you embrace it and understand its importance, and that is a very hard thing to do. Everything in life our lives is cyclical, including the act of living itself. We end up being exactly what we started as, nothing but an idea or memory. Without death, the cycle becomes incomplete, and without knowing about death, the cycle again is incomplete, because it was not honestly understood. Notifying patients gives them an opportunity to understand and process the potential sequence of events that could lead to their death. This diagnosis doesn't necessarily have to be something that frightens the patients. The stigma around death is too negative of one, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteFor a while now death has been something that people have been trying to out run. Whether it be through changing your diet, working out, or taking certain medication, death is something that eventually will happen and it is interesting to think about why we as a society never talk about it like it does not exist. This is another reason why when somebody dies no matter at what age, it is always a shock and a hurtful event. The reason as to why I do not believe that death will ever loose its purpose is because of the bonds we humans make and the attempt to have control over the things we cannot. I think that death serves the purpose of making sure we remember the lives of our loved ones who have passed and view the sorrow that comes with death as the missing of a truly loved one. Because of the fact that somebody could do so much to aid and help you in your life and then one day be gone is a reason as to why death is such a big deal in our society. This is why I think death does have a purpose. But an idea to examine would be why we don't ever discuss death and treat it like something that will never happen to the people we cherish most.
ReplyDeleteThe only benefit of "coming to terms with death” in relation to disease that I can think of is the idea of releasing an individual in pain from their unending misery; however, I also think coming to terms with death could provide closure for many families who have spent much of their lives in waiting, hoping their their loved one would heal or be cured from whatever illness they have suffered from. Disease takes a toll not only on the individual affected by the illness, but also those who loved and cared for the individual. I think death does have a purpose in our society, but that purpose differs depending on who you are talking to, what ideology they were raised with, and whether they have a certain faith. Death can mark an end, a beginning, or a midpoint, but no matter what it defines for different individual, it does have a purpose. And I think it is up to us, as a class, to talk through our definitions of death and come to an all-encompassing, well rounded understanding of that purpose.
ReplyDeleteI think society has always tried to run away from death and views death as “a bitter end”. If you look at death through accidents, the death penalty, or disease, death is seen as a negative thing. No matter how people view it nobody really knows what happens when you die. There is always talk about the worse thing that could happen in todays world and death is always the ultimate punishment or consequence and trumps torture or incarceration. However, I think the stigma around death is too negative because over everything people are afraid to die. Everyone knows they are going to eventually die but when the time comes, people are too scared to face it. I don’t believe death is the “Ultimate end” and by knowing when you will die I think that could be a positive thing when it comes to life goals and experiences.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to recognize death and the possibility of it so that we can make the most of our lives. That sounds cheesy. But it's an important outlook for the diseased. If the ill do not recognize death, then they will do nothing to change their current situation (for example, by trying to fight the disease or making the most out of their final years). Trying to hide a diagnosis from the patient-- or anyone else-- is problematic. Death is unavoidable, especially if the disease truly is incurable. If we make a purpose out of death (that "offensively meaningless event"), then the purpose should be to recognize the brevity of and value in life. Neglecting death probably leads to more suffering in the end-- because the truth is our loved ones die and so do we.
ReplyDeleteI believe that death most definitely has a purpose, and its more than likely that this purpose fluctuates from person to person. As a society, death is dark but there are many different perspectives and outlooks on death from depending on your religion or race. Going off of Alinas post I agree with her idea that "coming in terms with death could provide closure for families who have spent much of their lives in waiting". We hear and read about expected death vs. sudden death all the time and the sense of comfort that comes along with knowing when death is suspected. However, that is not to say it makes dealing with death any easier but it provides some sort of timeline for a family.
ReplyDeleteDeath is something that can be considered a taboo subject yet, is it really, or are we just discouraged from talking about it? As has already been mentioned above, society has been trying to "outrun" death for centuries now, despite the fact that it isn't possible to escape the inevitable. With coming to terms with death, I'm not sure society loses any benefits in accepting it or not. Each individual approaches death differently, with their own understanding and processing. Everyone dies, whether one comes to terms with it or not. Whether or not one is dying from a terminal disease such as cancer, coming to terms with it will depend on each individual. Personally, I believe it to be 'easier' to come to terms with death when one is able to process what exactly this means. Whether this is through religion or personal beliefs, death might be seen in a different light. I have my own beliefs about death and what I believe comes after, yet I am still afraid of dying. Maybe this is because I'm still young and I still have a life to live, so naturally I would/should be afraid. When I think about those with disease who are told they are dying or on death row, I can only imagine how receiving that news must feel, regardless of age. I think this goes back to the stigma that surrounds death and how this sudden inevitable end allows one to question their life. There is never enough time and there never will be. There will always been time to do more in one's life, yet to come to terms with the end will make it easier. Death's role in our society is one that is inherently there. We have never known anything different. So, I'm not sure if there is a purpose that is to be lost. I do think that the negative stigma death holds that instills fear in us also propels us to make certain life choices. We have limited time on this earth, and the inevitable fate of death is something I believe affects us everyday, whether we realize it or not.
ReplyDeleteDeath- as scary to most as it may seem- actually improves life. Might I say it “compliments it”. Without death, life would be meaningless. You would never have to push yourself to do anything and would never have anything to live for. Recognizing that death is imminent and can happen randomly to any one of us, you can start to truly appreciate life. Because of death, life can be truly appreciated and cherished. Knowing that in the end of the day anything you ever do will be meaningless actually helps me live my life to the fullest. It allows me to understand to always make sure that I’m happy first and foremost and to always appreciate what I have, for one day it could all be gone.
ReplyDeleteI think that many people can reconcile with the fact that death is an inevitable action that will happen to every single one of us. There are circumstances in which it is difficult to “come to terms with death” as for many death is a foreign experience that no one has personally encountered until it actually happens to them. In our discussions surrounding disease, I do not think that society loses any benefits that could come with “coming to terms with death”. I believe that it is easier for one to go through life accepting the fact that their death will eventually happen. I think it also important for someone with a disease to know whether it is a life or death situation and use this knowledge to influence their course of action. To run away from death or to severely fear it only makes it harder in the end when death becomes reality.
ReplyDeleteDeath is the ultimate happiness. I define happiness as the inability to feel pain and fortunately or unfortunately death is the only way to reach such a state of pleasure. So I believe death has multiple meanings. Death is the end of life and actual feelings. There is no afterlife so I also see anything that leads to death including illness can be seen as a form of a pathway to happiness. This is not the exact connection I am intending to establish, but the stigma around death is unfair and not really relevant. Death is simply another part of life. Illness leading to death is different however. Illness is not asked for for the most part. One is given an illness against their own will and then die too soon. The only thing us humans should have a choice in is when we should not continue to exist. Illness and old age are the only things that can take such an innate choice away. That is why these two examples are most feared.
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