Sam Keen on Ernest Becker

Philosopher/Author, Sam Keen discusses his now famous interview with Ernest Becker on his death bed in March of 1974. Also see www.flightfromdeath.com.

[@tobyruncorn2]

What a moving speech in its modesty and simple grief.

[@sebonac1]

Just amazed that to this day Ernest Becker's celebration of the brilliance of Otto Rank's work ---- linking Rank directly to Kierkegaard while rightly denigrating Freud --- has not made the impact one might imagine it would. "The Denial of Death" is just about the greatest book I have ever been lucky enough to read. RIP FOREVER, EB!

[@gabea.5652]

Have you read worm at the core? I’m reading that now and plan to read Denial of death after.

[@andrewsmith3257]

@@gabea.5652 I need to read that. I listened to Denial of Death about a year ago and it was brilliant.

[@TroutMaskReplicaa]

Has anyone built on becker's work? I recently finished and found the synthesis of his (and other known) ideas deeply compelling, even if some of the repetition of 'famous' psychology terms 'oedipal complex.. fear of castration' felt unnecessary given his, in my view, clearer definitions. Any other book recommendations greatly appreciated.

[@mezzanoche]

Ernest Becker's works never cease to amaze me. I read 'Denial of Death' a few years back, and it was powerful then. But, after my 30 year old brother died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2007, I had a chance to revisit his work again, and it was that much more moving and powerful. I feel like a better human being just from reading his works and researching similar thought processes etc. I believe that Becker's works will come to the foreground of society as time passes...great mind.

[@martifingers]

I am so glad I saw this. Becker's work seems to resonate with me and somehow having this testament to the man and his authentic search for the truth is tremendous validation. And of course how lucky he was to have such a perceptive, intelligent and humane interviewer in Mr. Keen.

[@shaman683]

I read Becker over and over again. He is the only man who will tell us the way things really are, and this is a remarkable feeling...like bracing mountain air. I always feel clean and refreshed after I read his books. Like Mr. Keen says, Becker was one of the Great Ones.

[@maazali8889]

I am currently reading The Denial of Death. I am only 20 pages in, and I am already impressed. Love Becker ❤️

[@MikeVODKA]

I'm really glad to see some good solid comments in here from normal sane minded people. Like the guy "mezzanoche" who's brother had died. He Said the Becker book helped him with that loss. Greatest Non-Fiction book I had the pleasure to read time and time again ,

[@travisswadling2724]

i think it's time for me to re-read DOD. I've read it once and about halfway through I knew that I was reading the best book I've ever read and most likely ever will read

[@vanheemstede777]

2020 and still so true

[@debarthomas]

I am moved by this. Having read everything that Ernest Becker Every wrote, I wish I could have been there, in that room at the hospital, to say "thank you" to Mr Becker, my captain oh my captain. There was no greater mind who answered so many questions.

[@surreallife777]

I read his books when I was 24 years old, now I’m 61 and even after all these years I still have the books and on occasion I go back and read them. I remember going to Banyan books in Vancouver and this red book stood out on the shelf and the title was Escape From Evil. The thing I appreciate about Ernst Becker’s writings was that they were clearly written and it was like connecting the dots to a conclusion. I remember underlying and putting checkmarks under certain paragraphs and I remember smiling. I had reached certain conclusions after reading history about human nature and some of the things Becker stated in the book like “human beings are neurotic but they’re very nature” is something that I concluded after reading history, but not having any educational background or degree, I was not completely confident of my views. After reading Becker I felt more confident in my conclusions about human nature.

[@sabas7549]

I just started reading escape from evil after the birth and death meeting and the denial of death. It’s going to be my last of the Ernest Becker saga for now, but so far is standing out as my favorite. This comment resonates with me because I also am a student history and came to the same conclusion about human nature years ago.

[@bjd222000]

He changed my life, my thought, the greatest of them all.

[@Harsh-yg3cc]

which book should i read

[@zachvanslyke4341]

Beautiful 🙏

[@tellyontellyon]

I read his book; it really is quite brilliant.

[@its_eis]

It's an outrage that the interview is sold at the foundation. Make it available for free.

[@holyghost4821]

Great documentary.

[@Valet101]

thank you for posting mind opening video

[@Sheepbone]

Many thanks for posting this vid.

[@squamish4244]

It will be interesting to see how the ideas of Becker and his ilk interact with the ideas of the 'immortalists' and 'transhumanists' among us, such as Ray Kurzweil.

[@christiananderson4909]

What an experience. . .

[@elekkr]

Becker managed with his understanding of the denial of death to make people to grief for him eternally .

[@stephaniemarsilia]

Take heart, shakanunu! I read it in the late 70's; it's only a curse as long as one is under the illusion that it is lifting the "final veil"! It IS an important book, but in my experience, not the final or most important revelation. Good luck to you in your quest!

[@Harsh-yg3cc]

r u alive

[@gabea.5652]

RIP 🪦♥️ 🌌

[@StLennyBruce]

4:11 fantastic.

[@squamish4244]

I would argue that the exceptional levels of mental well-being brought about by mind training in the Buddhist tradition are already a form of h+, albeit millennia old. What masters of this training have to say about death is very interesting and very different from what h+ people are saying today.

[@TJ-kk5zf]

is this is cutting room floor clip from Flight From Death?

[@transcendentalfilms]

A short clip from this unedited scene does appear in Flight from Death.

[@squamish4244]

And when I mean crazy...well, granted it's unkind, but Kurzweil talks about resurrecting his dead father...I don't know what else to call that.

[@lohkoonhoong6957]

Becker lights up the dark side of our psyche. Our longing for immortality remains unassuaged.

[@squamish4244]

Yes, pretty much. I've tried debating with a few of the transhumanists on here, they really are crazy.

[@squamish4244]

What should I know more about? I've read a lot about transhumanism and the alternative viewpoints, and spent a lot of time thinking about what it means. What would you like to discuss?

[@squamish4244]

@mindauggas So do I. I think the movements I was describing have aspects of religious cults and their adherents are incredibly naive. Kurzweil has some serious emotional issues - e.g. he wants to resurrect his dead father. I would be unnerved if he ever got some sort of political power.

[@BrianBrawdy]

"Mor-Tal-UP!"

[@squamish4244]

I have been heavily influenced by Buddhist ideas of what constitutes a 'self' and what it really means to elevate the human condition. Buddhism posits the subjectively experienced state of an 'eternal now' (i.e. enlightenment), while transhumanism would entail some form of 'forever existing as myself', a rather horrifying notion akin to the monotheistic heaven, where you simply live...to what end? What would being downloaded onto a computer for the next billion years really be like?

[@squamish4244]

Well, I see the suffering caused by the denial of death behaviours and the transhumanist agenda as an extension of those behaviours, not really getting to the root of the problem, and it irritates me. I will say Ray Kurzweil is off his rocker and kind of half-baked. If that means I'm defensively rationalizing my own choice, fine.

[@ChristophDollis]

You mean how they interact with lunatic optimists?