[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":71},["ShallowReactive",2],{"stoicism-article-12/20":3},{"path":4,"stem":5,"title":6,"description":7,"meta":8,"body":23},"/stoicism/12/20","stoicism/12/20","Fear The Fear Of Death","Meditation for December 20, 2021",{"quotes":9,"last_updated_at":15,"tags":16,"categories":19,"changeFreq":21,"backgroundImage":22},[10],{"quote":11},{"content":12,"author":13,"source":14},"Do you then ponder how the supreme of human evils, the surest mark of the base and cowardly, is not death, but the fear of death? I urge you to discipline yourself against such fear, direct all your thinking, exercises, and reading this way—and you will know the only path to human freedom.","Epictetus","Discourses, 3.26.38-39","2021-12-20T07:23:00",[17,18],"stoicism","mortality",[20,17],"meditation","never","/IMG_E91176CD9FF5.jpg",{"type":24,"value":25,"toc":65},"minimark",[26,35,42,45,57,62],[27,28,29,30,34],"p",{},"As an adolescent, I had an intense fear of both death and the eternity after it. The fear manifested into a physical\nfeeling in my abdomen. As I aged, that physical manifestation started to dwindle and now I can't remember the last time\nI ",[31,32,33],"em",{},"felt"," something physically when thinking of death.",[27,36,37,38,41],{},"Our lesson today from ",[39,40],"daily-stoic",{}," has a great explanation for this, that I believe explains my journey through the\nfear of death. The authors remind us that when we are children we are ignorant of death, but we have many examples of\nwise men and women who can provide us guidance in regard to death.",[27,43,44],{},"As we mature, we have the opportunity to learn more about ourselves, others, death and life. When we experience the\ndeath of a friend or family member, we can learn to grieve with reason.",[27,46,47,48,51,52,56],{},"A death that was difficult for me to deal with was my paternal Grandfather. He had become a surrogate father to me. He\nwas responsible for many of the spiritual and physical gifts in my life. He shared wisdom with me. When he passed, I can\nremember being upset at the funeral, because one member of the family was ",[31,49,50],{},"wailing",". If there is one thing I knew, my\nGrandfather would have wanted others to mourn in a happier more thoughtful manner. I made a point to celebrate my\nGrandfathers life the way I knew he wanted. There were many of stories about his silly joke telling. How he would always\nlaugh before he got to the punch line. How his faith shaped his life. How he found it important to work and ",[53,54,55],"strong",{},"give"," to\nothers his entire life.",[58,59,61],"h3",{"id":60},"conclusion","Conclusion",[27,63,64],{},"If you believe that death is really the end, then rejoice the thought of death. If you believe death is the start of a\nnew chapter, then rejoice in the thought of death. Death is the elimination of all of your pains, worries and wishes.\nDeath also holds in it the elimination of all of your fears.",{"title":66,"searchDepth":67,"depth":67,"links":68},"",2,[69],{"id":60,"depth":70,"text":61},3,1793716909123]