Themes of the Humanities: Life-Affirmation
Life as we know it can be described as a blessing that was given to us in order to fulfill our existence with countless experiences. The thing about life is that it comes with a limited life expectancy that varies into the unknown for each individual. It’s almost scary to think that we are given a life with no say in the matter just to be introduced with certain death no matter what path(s) we may decide to take on the journey of life. In previous chapters we’ve mentioned things that life is full of such as love and happiness and how perspective shapes our outlook and definition on these certain topics. As far as life-affirmation goes, it goes along with the same idea that its whatever we may believe it to be based on our morality, culture, and even religious values that we carry with ourselves. What I have gotten from this chapter is that life can either be life-affirming or life-denying. Countless examples of philosophers and artists showcase their side on things through their undying words and artwork in order to show others how they see life to be through their lens. As stated in the chapter, “Death can be thought of in a number of ways. It may be an enemy out to get us; a force that makes us all equal; a glorious finale to the lives of the pious and the brave; … or as a natural event, part of the universal cycle.” (442.14.1) From this quote it explains how death has the ability to cast a shadow over our lives or how it can be the light that keeps us going until the very end. This often invokes the question of if we are dying to live, or living to die? My answer to that is neither because no matter how we look at life, there is no human that possesses immortality, making death an inevitable concept that we have to accept with the life that we have been given. As stated, “Christianity speaks of heaven as a reward for virtue and hell as a punishment for sin…” (456.14.3) Personally based on my religious viewpoints of Christianity, life should not be taken for granted just because we know that death is coming one day, but instead we should worship and follow certain guidelines to a point where when our time does come we have no regrets or fear whatsoever because we will be able to live a more affirming life in heaven.
Life and death can also cause us to embrace death and face it head on without any second thoughts. For example, “Circuses, rodeos, and similar spectacles continue to lure crowds that evidently love the element of danger faced by performers, auto races with death-enticing speeds and unacknowledged but always present possibility of a fiery crash.” (444.14.4) Things like this is when people don’t allow the symbol of death to haunt their existence in order for them to live their lives as they see fit. Call it fate, destiny, or an unavoidable fact, our positive outlook on life depends on how we view death. Life and death in my opinion kind of plays the role of the yin-yang symbol where one cannot exist without the other. We all have one shot at both life and death, and from this chapter the main thing that stood out to me was that we have the power to reinvent ourselves in a way to continue a positive outlook on what it really means to live your life.
Janaro, R. P., & Althshuler, T. C. (2013). The art of being human: The humanities as a technique for living. Pearson Learning Solutions.
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-daredevil.htm
Affirmations. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://drmichaelmcgee.com/affirmations/
