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51 hours left to live

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Re: 51 hours left to live

#101

Post by prateekdayal »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #59

I found this post on reddit uncomfortable, and I'm not sure why. It's not because of death with dignity -- I'm a big fan. It's not because of not wanting to face my own mortality -- I know death awaits us all, and for me or some others it may come very soon indeed. Who knows when we will die? But something about it just didn't ring true as something I would want to make happen over and over again. I think perhaps it…

Judging what people do with their last hours .. not so cool :( Its their life (and death) and the least we can do is to not judge their final decisions. Just my two cents. No disrespect to anyone

Re: 51 hours left to live

#102

Post by billpaetzke »

billpaetzke wrote: post #73

His best quotes: On life: Nothing we have is worth hurting anyone else for. It's all fleeting, people. Stop seeing race, color, sex, religion, etc... They're all just people, and if you try to love them you won't lose anything. On suicide (of an otherwise healthy person): It's not living that's failed him, it's life. We can always change our life as long as were living. On regret: Yes, one. I bought my high school sw…

I was inspired and wrote a blog post expanding on the fear quote. Check it out, if you like. http://www.modernsutra.com/2011/03/a-month-of-shame-for-a-li...

Re: 51 hours left to live

#103

Post by bugmenot »

DLWormwood wrote: post #83
billpaetzke wrote: post #73

His best quotes: On life: Nothing we have is worth hurting anyone else for. It's all fleeting, people. Stop seeing race, color, sex, religion, etc... They're all just people, and if you try to love them you won't lose anything. On suicide (of an otherwise healthy person): It's not living that's failed him, it's life. We can always change our life as long as were living. On regret: Yes, one. I bought my high school sw…

As a 38 year old bachelor, I wish I learned that lesson about fear in my youth, I was one of those “possessive assholes” due to being a Fundamentalist, and regret my social hostility to this day.

Blame it on being a Fundamentalist if you wish, but you'd do better to just take responsibility for it.

Re: 51 hours left to live

#104

Post by Mz »

biot wrote: post #94
Mz wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously: A) How are phone calls "more real" than internet conversations? B) Did you read the Reddit discussion you are criticizing? His handle is "Lucidending". He opted to go off medication in his final hours so he could be lucid and spend quality time with family before he checks out, something he was unable to do while completely fucked up on chemo and other drugs. He is spending his last hours with family and o…

> A) How are phone calls "more real" than internet conversations? Bandwidth. While both are real -- thus making the phrase "more real" a bit awkward -- verbal communications transmit far more information than the words being spoken and I can't imagine the amount of typing it would take to convey the missing data. In that sense, it's "more" real.

Except that in some cases people exchange photos and other info online that you cannot exchange verbally. In the thread in question, the OP stated this was his "world tour" and folks posted links to photos, something you couldn't do by phone. You also couldn't have a phone conversation with multiple people in the same way. So I don't entirely agree. Different kinds of data can be shared. But it isn't necessarily "less" info, just different info.

Re: 51 hours left to live

#105

Post by DennisP »

ck2 wrote: post #9
jedsmith wrote: post #6

> 12,588 up votes 10,018 down votes That's a fascinating look at peoples' reactions to this. A reminder of mortality split right down the middle.

There are many bots that downvote in order to promote other submissions. I'm glad they have that choice, and the ability to share their story. In perspective there are many people in this world who die "unknown" - PBS airs the pictures weekly of teenage American soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan - then there are those who were killed while trying to non-violently protest their unjust government (China, Iran, e…

If the downvotes are bots, then wouldn't a lot more articles have that many downvotes?

Re: 51 hours left to live

#106

Post by biot »

Mz wrote: post #104
biot wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A) How are phone calls "more real" than internet conversations? Bandwidth. While both are real -- thus making the phrase "more real" a bit awkward -- verbal communications transmit far more information than the words being spoken and I can't imagine the amount of typing it would take to convey the missing data. In that sense, it's "more" real.

Except that in some cases people exchange photos and other info online that you cannot exchange verbally. In the thread in question, the OP stated this was his "world tour" and folks posted links to photos, something you couldn't do by phone. You also couldn't have a phone conversation with multiple people in the same way. So I don't entirely agree. Different kinds of data can be shared. But it isn't necessarily "les…

Good point. I wasn't thinking of photo sharing and such in regards to "conversation"... in my mind I pictured plain text email/chat vs. phone call. By that measure, Facetime and Chat Roulette are internet conversations and greatly exceed what is possible via a phone call.

Re: 51 hours left to live

#107

Post by Maxious »

btipling wrote: post #69
ck2 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many bots that downvote in order to promote other submissions. I'm glad they have that choice, and the ability to share their story. In perspective there are many people in this world who die "unknown" - PBS airs the pictures weekly of teenage American soldiers who died in Iraq or Afghanistan - then there are those who were killed while trying to non-violently protest their unjust government (China, Iran, e…

This isn't true. What evidence do you have that bots downvote on reddit? The reddit guys came by our Cloudkick office late last year and flat denied there are any bots they know of that downvote when I asked them. If you don't have any real reason to know about bots on Reddit you should probably not persist in continuing to pass on this fantasy.

> The reddit guys came by our Cloudkick office late last year and flat denied there are any bots they know of that downvote when I asked them

I guess they forgot to explain that while it's not bots that do it, there's a feature in reddit code itself makes it look to many people that such bots exist: http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/eaqnf/pardon_me_but_500...

I've linked that so many times in threads about tragic events or sensitive questions where people even a single downvote personally (ie. it can happen with very small scores but high activity)

Re: 51 hours left to live

#108

Post by Mz »

biot wrote: post #106
Mz wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that in some cases people exchange photos and other info online that you cannot exchange verbally. In the thread in question, the OP stated this was his "world tour" and folks posted links to photos, something you couldn't do by phone. You also couldn't have a phone conversation with multiple people in the same way. So I don't entirely agree. Different kinds of data can be shared. But it isn't necessarily "les…

Good point. I wasn't thinking of photo sharing and such in regards to "conversation"... in my mind I pictured plain text email/chat vs. phone call. By that measure, Facetime and Chat Roulette are internet conversations and greatly exceed what is possible via a phone call.

"A picture's worth a thousand words."

Voices have their good points. They convey a lot of emotion and such. On the other hand, I found that has a big downside as well, especially when dealing with something like a serious health crisis: People can't keep negative emotions out of their voices, emotions which can be unwelcome to the person in crisis. If you are dying and wanting to "get a life", not dealing with the emotions in someone's voice can be a benefit of being online. To me, it's not "more real" or "less real". It's just a different means to communicate, one with different strengths and weaknesses. It's better suited for some things, less well suited for others, but to me it is no less "real".

Oh, and have an upvote.

Re: 51 hours left to live

#109

Post by rick_2047 »

burgerbrain wrote: post #97
rick_2047 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Easy to say when you have the balls to express that in public which others can only express through anonymous downvotes.

I hope you die slowly and painfully.

And I hope you do not die at all and get a chance to upload your brain to a super computer and experience the ultimate singularity.

Re: 51 hours left to live

#110

Post by Xurinos »

DanielBMarkham wrote: post #59

I found this post on reddit uncomfortable, and I'm not sure why. It's not because of death with dignity -- I'm a big fan. It's not because of not wanting to face my own mortality -- I know death awaits us all, and for me or some others it may come very soon indeed. Who knows when we will die? But something about it just didn't ring true as something I would want to make happen over and over again. I think perhaps it…

I can pinpoint one part of what it is for me. There is indeed a certain reverence, a certain dignity for those who are dying, bless his soul. However, I always have to remind myself that those who approach death's door are not magically wiser than anyone else. People are often concerned with final words, want to see that perspective of "What if I was about to die? What really matters in life?". And it is never new. People say the same things. Now, if this is the kind of thing that will inspire someone to bring more life to their own existence, then I am okay with it. There is just a line there somewhere.

The other part was that this was a choice. I understand the rationalization, and I cannot say I would not choose the same in the same situation. It just does not sit well with me. At the moment, I have too much fight in me.

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