Anyone else feeling anxious over their own mortality after reading this?
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Quod sumus hoc eritis
Fuimus aliquando quod estis
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I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
71–80 of 310 posts
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#72Anyone else feeling anxious over their own mortality after reading this?
Once you have kids (my apologies assuming you don't if you do, but perhaps other readers should be aware), you start to feel that every day - not only worrying how they'll be cared for materially, but also how they'd cope with the loss developmentally.
Yes, having children complicates things quite a bit. I personally don’t care much about my own demise but the thought of leaving my child without support is giving me great anxiety. My biggest hope in life is surviving until my child is a young adult.
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#73Quoted post unavailable.
This is the funniest post.
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…
We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.
That will probably do nothing for obesity rates except fleece obese people. I’d be more interested in seeing appetite drugs like semaglutide become cheap and easy to get, something that helps instead of buying into punitive measures for absolutely everything.
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#75Anyone else feeling anxious over their own mortality after reading this?
“Why should I fear death? If I am, then death is not. If Death is, then I am not." - Epicurious
I was in the hospital with a blood clot and was told by the ER doctor that I could die at any moment.
Quotes like the above, ideas, feelings about meaning, thoughts about my wife and kids all were completely absent. I just felt blank and completely alone. No words or concepts or language could penetrate that feeling.
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…
We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.
Those approaches -- reducing pollution, etc -- aren't popular in part because humans are terrible about not knowing how to count the deaths that didn't happen.
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
How haven’t you been kind to your body?
Bike accident (utterly self inflicted), 1000's of all-nighters, too little exercise (which I guess you can always point at, I bike a lot but that's not balanced exercise), diet, overstressed joints/muscles by doing too much physical work beyond my ability (usually when remodeling houses or constructing stuff). Coupled with a nice assortment of genetic heritage and some regular diseases (COVID, kidneys, gall bladder,…
Sorry to hear.... I'm a fan of your work and your writing. Hope you can put as much focus into improving your health (sleep, diet, mobility) as you do your work. (I have had the same tendencies so I know...)
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…
We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.
> "Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund."
Imagine for example if we taxed the shareholders of CocaCola instead, they're the ones who got wealthy from obesity. And before you say "it was the consumer's choice", what was CocaCola's $4b/year advertising spend for, then?
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Once you have kids (my apologies assuming you don't if you do, but perhaps other readers should be aware), you start to feel that every day - not only worrying how they'll be cared for materially, but also how they'd cope with the loss developmentally.
I couldn't say this any better. Once you have kids, everything changes. The impact of getting ill is no longer how it affects you, if you've done enough with your time, but how it will affect them. It's like a dark cloud that follows, in the back of your mind every day. Ultimately, it helps you realise what really matters, and what doesn't.
I consider this one of life's greatest privileges. The responsibility of it all can be overwhelming, but I have perspective in droves!
Re: I’ve been battling cancer last 2 years, but now only have a few days left
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
I really wish people would stop saying “F cancer” As a society, we have the option of greatly reducing cancer deaths whenever we so choose. Let’s do that rather than raging against something that feels nothing. It has been over 15 years since the Last Lecture and we still have done little for pancreatic cancer, for example. https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo According to Craig Venter, early detection is what we need to eli…
We also have a lot of data on ways to reduce cancer before it happens. Reduce obesity. Reduce pollution. Etc. Yet we really aren't doing an awful lot about those things. Imagine for example if we had an obesity tax - everyone obese must pay 30% of their earnings into a Medicare fund. Sure it would be unpopular, but obesity would very quickly be solved, and cancer rates would plummet.
Obesity is caused by lack of access to quality food, being too scarce or too expensive. Sugar and fats are cheap, so most of the pre-made foods are just that. So increase the quality of the food available to the masses and do proper education regarding nutrition and healthy living, and the obesity rate will decrease.
Most of the obese people are like that not because they choose, but because they cannot do better.