Date of Your Death

Here's the question: would you like to know the precise date of your death? Death is one of only a few absolute certainties in life - yet it's probably the one thing that is feared the most. Sure enough, your answer to this question would change everything - your life wouldn't be the same.

If you had the chance to know, even if you turned it down, would you think about it from time to time? Would you regret and ponder your choice down the road, especially as you got older? If you said yes, it would have the biggest impact. Many of your life's actions and plans would take a drastically different route - based on the THE date.

If you did know, you'd be able to plan ahead - you could make sure you left no loose ends. You could actually make your will and have it be up to date. You could arrange your own funeral and burial plans. You'd worry less about what you ate, what you shouldn't or couldn't do - you'd put off less - you might try sky diving, scuba diving, mountain climbing - why not? You could get the most of your life before you knew it was "your time."

You could make sure you wrote down all the stories you wanted to leave behind. You could make sure you traveled and saw the world. You could spend all the money you have saved up and budget it until the very last day. You could say goodbye to each and every family member or person that was close to you.

Clearly, this is the easy choice, right? Only if you say yes, could you handle it? Say you found out today, would you tell anyone? Would you wait to tell your family and friends - and if so, how long? Imagine how hard it would be to keep this sort of information to yourself.

I think that knowing your "date" would put an unbelievable responsibility on yourself. You'd be armed with information that I think could easily destroy you. This choice would change you - perhaps fundamentally at the core. Would you become a different person - someone you wouldn't want to be? What if you used the info for evil? You could borrow a ton of money right before you died, max out all your credit and live it up. You could take out an enormous insurance policy the day before and leave a fortune to your family. You could live without certain consequences because you would know when it would all end for you.

The hard part is, I think that many people may not know if they could handle it or not. You'd have to be pretty damn self-aware and strong. Once you say yes, you have the chains around your neck - you can't go back - there would be no forgetting the date. I think this fear is why most people answer no to the question.

For me, I think I could handle it. I would want to know. I'd keep the date close - closer than anything. I would choose not to share it with anyone or reveal that I knew - probably right up until the day I said my goodbyes. I know it would tear at me, it would give me many sleepless nights, especially as it got closer. It might torment me and push me to the very edge of my mental and emotional sanity. But I believe the rewards would be worth it.

I'm more afraid of not getting a chance to say goodbye - to not get a chance to make sure I leave my mark on this world than I am about death. Again, death is inevitable. This would help me to find a greater courage in my life - I think I would live my life with little or no regret - even more than I do now. Besides, I'm a very good planner, so my life would be one great big calendar and I'd make sure I made time for everything I want to do. Besides, I could put off updating my will...

Is the fear of knowing more powerful than the fear of death itself? What would you do if given the choice - I'd love to know...