[krisoft]

> What would be a fitting way to go for a cook or an athlete then?

Whatever they liked doing? Being an astronaut at that time implied that he was an aviator. Keeping his licence to fly into the old age of 90 means he most likely loved flying. That is why it is a “fitting way to die”.

I don’t know the cook you mention. Maybe they loved cooking for loved ones. In that case a fitting way to die would be while they are doing that. But maybe it was just their profession, but what made them enjoy their life was watching musicals in the theatre. In that case a fitting way to die would be them dying after watching a great performance on their way out of the theatre.

Maybe it would help if we would contrast this with an “unfitting” way to die? Let’s take the same cook who loves musicals. If she were to try to climb her roof to fix a leak (something she never before professed to care much about) and they slip and fall off the roof. That would be an unfitting way to die.

Dying is probably painfull, scary and confusing in many cases. But the circumstances surrounding it can make it worse or better. Dying in an accident doing something you always hated is worse than dying in an accident doing something you loved.

[lukan]

"Dying in an accident doing something you always hated is worse than dying in an accident doing something you loved."

Dead is dead, though. I do not think the final moments matter as much as all the years before them. So even if I will one day die on the toilet being old, that would be way better, than me dying soon in an climbing accident, even though that sounds more dramatic and I am way more into climbing than toilets.

[lannisterstark]

He was 90. You're reading too much into it. It's like when people get angry about a "Bless you."

[lukan]

Did I sound angry? I was just adressing the point that some people seem to value the circumstances of their death more, then the years before that. Wiliam Anders did what he wanted, fine by me, unless he actually was not fit to fly anymore (as this endangers other people), but no one had the guts to tell him that, being a national hero.

[sunir]

The expression is a social game to respond to death. It’s not real. We are not happy how he died. We are happy the way he lived. The game is to invert and mix the two. It’s a form of cognitive dissonance to manage our emotional response so it is positive not negative. You may not feel it yourself which is fine but appreciate that’s what others are doing. It’s not meant to be logical. It’s meant to be illogical.

[krisoft]

> We are not happy how he died. We are happy the way he lived.

Exactly.

> It's not real.

"Just because it's made up, doesn't mean it isn't real."

> It’s meant to be illogical.

Not at all. I have a big head, many things can fit into it at the same time. I can experience moderate amount of sadness over this specific person dying at this specific day. (Only a moderate amount because I didn't them personally, and for 90 year old dying is not that remarkable.) And at the same time feel happiness over that he kept flying that long during his life. One can experience both at the same time. If this is illogical to you wait until you taste some sweet and sour sauce.

[nytesky]

I do wonder if perception of time changes as you die — maybe those last moments feel oh so much longer, and you experience them as another lifetime (part of why afterlife descriptions of near death can be so rich). Like ST TNG The Inner Light episode.

[lukan]

Perception of time changes in all extreme circumstances - if you are conscious. If you die in your sleep while being high on painkiller, I do not think you notice much. Unless of course you feel your soul make the transformation if that is a thing. No idea, but I do know that time slows down in near death situations - simply because the brain runs faster.

[weebull]

> Dead is dead, though. I do not think the final moments matter as much as all the years before them.

Well indeed. How many people give up what they love because of the fear that it will kill them? This man kept his love for aviation alive until the end.