fandomhigh | Philosophy of Loss, Friday, Period 2

"Welcome to our not-a-final," Didi said cheerfully as the class filed in. If she was a bit shaken by the nightmare that had frightened her awake, or by the general air of trouble covering the island that morning, she wasn't showing it. "We're having another discussion. We've talked -- or I've talked, anyhow --- a lot about how death is the one inevitable thing about being alive. It still is, but the way you die isn't inevitable. And today I want to talk about the concept of a 'good' death."

"To some people, that will mean dying at home in your sleep at the age of 95. Somebody else might say dying a hero is the way to go -- running into a burning building, or going down in a blaze of glory during a war. And of course, some people would never die at all, if they had their way. My question is, what makes you think of the way someone's life ends as a good death? If you got to choose, what would you pick?"

"There's a proverb in India. 'When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.' Is that something that you would agree with?"

She gestured to a student at random. "What do you think?"

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Good.

Listen to Didi for the last time!

What does a "good" death mean to you?

She is there!

When she tags in!

Kathy Li

Kathy shifted a bit in her seat when Didi started talking about dying like a hero and running into a burning building. La, la nothing to see here!

"I think that any death is a good death if it gives you a measure of peace before you go," Kathy said with a thoughtful frown. "Dying at 95, surrounded by family, all that? That's good because, again, you've made your peace. Putting yourself between someone else and danger--again, you've probably decided that this was a good way to go. It's when dying leaves you feeling hurt, scared, helpless, and...resentful?...that it becomes a bad death."

Dante

Raven Darkholme

Raven was a little distracted, and more tense than normal. She was in her full on good 1950s girl disguise today, complete with circle skirted dress that came down below her knees, bobby-socks and saddle shoes.

It was comforting, her most practiced disguise, like a security blanket. Which after her dreams last night, she rather needed.

"All right," Didi said, with a thoughtful nod. "I guess the question from that is, how much time to make peace do you need? Is it still a good death if somebody only accepts it when they don't have any other choices anyhow?"

"Like a martyr or something?" Kathy asked. "I guess...I think that might shade it into dying well rather than it being a good death. Hmmm, maybe dying a good death has some element of wanting behind it, too? Like the 95 year old--if they can't think of a better way to die, then yes, it's probably good. Same thing with the hero, there's an aspect of choice. Someone dying from a horrible disease? If they embrace it, yeah. If they're just, like, resigned to the inevitable, then probably not? It's tricky."

Elsa of Arendelle

Kaylin Neya

Philosophy of Loss, Friday, Period 2

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Lecture [12/18]

Discussion [12/18]

Talk to Didi [12/18]

Talk to Kathy [12/18]

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