[bitexploder]

Stoics would encourage all of us to internalize our own mortality, not for morbidity’s sake, but because it helps live in the moment. The wake up call stories like this should be simulated by everyone. Imagine if this were you? Live with a fraction of that pain in your heart and try to internalize it. How does it impact our choices? Things like fingers and walking become amazing. I am always happy people share their stories, it helps us all remember our mortality and make good choices every day. Also, I wish the author a speedy and continued recovery in their journey.

[throw0101a]

People may be interested in Stephen's Colbert on the topic (video):

> That might be why you don't see me as someone angry and working out my demons onstage. It's that I love the thing that I most wish had not happened.

* https://twitter.com/AC360/status/1162183695270387712

Cooper was reading from a GQ interview:

* https://www.gq.com/story/stephen-colbert-gq-cover-story

Colbert was quoting Tolkien.

[yodsanklai]

> I am always happy people share their stories, it helps us all remember our mortality and make good choices every day.

Not for me. When confronted to death or intense pain, everything else becomes insignificant and futile. And when things go back to normal, I tend to forget. I suppose that to be fully functional human beings, we need to ignore the harsh reality of life! Is it really possible to "internalize mortality"? I know some people try very hard but are they immune to anxiety and daily worries, are they happier? I haven't met such a person yet.

[nighthawk648]

Do you stop yourself short?

Honestly answer. Do you face death all the way? Does the immense pain dissipate, and similar thoughts had with no pain attached?

There is gold in the ashes. It is up for the individual to identify.

Death is painful and dreadful. Anxiety ridden. Everyone feels it when contemplating death. Like the Mideveal ages everyone should walk around with a golden jeweled skull.

We plan for life, never for death. Find in the saddest moments, the hardest moments, the beauty the light gives you.

For in death, there are no answers that pertain to life just as life has no answers that pertain to death.

You may have control over living this life, but only if you fully see the beauty that death allows in life.

Don’t let the anxiety stop you.

Darkness, surrounding and surmounting, where no self exists, life boundlessly feeding into the ether and the ether boundlessly feeding into life.

A process of forget, death, decay, growth and born. Where the process is outside all of that.

The process that persists yet you go away.

Think about that darkness there, that scary insurmountable darkness of the persisting process. The persisting process that if it had awareness and wanted to undergo death and growth it could not, yet you are bounded by this process. To always grow and die, either eternally forever or one time in the whole of forever. Both time being a perfect circle and a straight line, you being the one point for all of that eternity.

To be reprised or forgotten about forever.

Darkness shattering.

The paralyzing will, if fostered, cared for, can exhume paralyization and can find a dark addicting taste for the affinity of the unknowable.

[specialist]

Me too.

After every near miss, it takes me a while to trick myself into rejoining the world of the living, where paying rent and doing laundry matters.

Being a geek has been an asset. I can lose myself in solving problems. Focusing on those thoughts to push aside the other thoughts.

This current cycle, I got a puppy. Total pain in the ass. But he still needs to be walked, so I get up and we walk. Rinse, lather, repeat.

[bitexploder]

I think it comes down to the dichotomy of being human. We have this inevitable end that we know is waiting for us, but we are alive, dammit. For many on HN, that life is full of curiosity, so many things to learn, and so much cool stuff to do and see. Especially for younger people who have not experienced much grief or loss, contemplating this end is especially jarring compared to the vibrancy of life. For others it can be very morbid and bring back bad memories and induce anxiety. I think, ultimately, we should embrace our sometimes unpredictable end and become comfortable with the idea of our end to better celebrate our own lives as we live them. I do think Stoicism is not for everyone and some people just naturally develop a very stoic mindset. Ultimately, a lot of it comes down to controlling what we can and simply accepting the rest as our lot in life as humans (the living and the dying).

[jmkd]

An elegant reminder, thank you.

[HNcantBtrustd]

Part of me thinks this person's job is complete.

He started an idea, developed, and has a team to continue it.

He did his role.

What is next for him? Hopefully he has enough money to live without working. Then he can put his efforts into himself.

[Bootwizard]

Well there's no way he gave up his entire stake in the company. I would assume he continues on as part of the board, or at least an advisory role.