Poll: If you could, would you want to know exactly when you are going to die?

In the unjustly neglected fantasy film Krull the race of cyclopes gave up one of their eyes for the ability to see the future. They were doublecrossed and all they were able to see was their own death. They lived in a state of constant depression.

I would love to know.

you will die in a sailing mishap (God forbid).

I'd like to know when. I don't know if I'd like to know how. Maybe. I dunno.

But I would like to know how long I gotta suck it up and deal. :)

I wouldn't even want to know five minutes in advance - this is why I don't fly. I know the plane is very unlikely to crash, but if it did, it probably wouldn't be very sudden, and I'd know ahead of time what the end result was likely to be.

but if I knew, and it was soon, I'd either be all panicky and rushed trying to get everything in that I wanted to do, or I'd go completely crazy. and if it wasn't soon, I'd just live my whole life in anticipation of it, knowing that I'm getting closer every moment.

obviously I am anyway, but at least if it's sudden, I don't have to alter my life to work around it being somewhat upcoming.

I agree with the sentiment, but I find the specific example troubling. It's like saying you're not going to live in a house because it might catch fire and you could die from smoke inhalation.

I'm not trying to change your mind about flying, but driving is more dangerous. And plane crashes are generally resolved (one way or another) before you can grasp what's really happening.

Heh. "resolved" I like that wording. :)

Some artists want to achieve immortality through their work. I want to achieve mine by not dying.

If I knew when, I think I would be even more stressed about death than I already am. I would be rushing to get things that I wanted to do done and then panicking more about how the death would happen and if I could prevent it when it did. But then I would start thinking the means I try to prevent it could mean that was my fate. And my head would explode and that is probably how I would die anyway.

So, yeah, if I don't know, I think I would definitely be less neurotic and just be able to live my life with the uncertainty.

I don't want to know, simply because I hate knowing "this is my last..." or "this is the last time I'll..." I really don't have much fear of death itself, but I fear knowing exactly when it will happen.

If I did have to know for sure (like in Lawrence's airplane example) I'd like to have as little warning as possible. I'd rather wake up one morning and learn that I'm going to die at lunch, than be told a week (or year) ahead of time. The airline example itself wouldn't bother me quite so much, as there's always a (slim) chance. There's a whole world between "I'm most likely going to die in a few moments" and "I will die in a few moments."

...so far.

(and unless you kill me, you can't prove I'm not. ;))

-- Pauley

Please don't take him seriously...I kinda want to keep him around. :P

yes I can.

All men are mortall
Pauley is a man.
Therefore Pauley is mortal.

Or as Woody Allen put it.

(a) Socrates is a man.
(b) All men are mortal.
(c) All men are Socrates.
That means all men are homosexuals.

Hey! That would ruin the fun of suprise!

What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?

I want to know. Imagine the countdown I could have. I wouldn't have to worry about it happening sooner, and I would be able to make sure I did all the things I was trying to do before I went.