THE HUMAN CONDITION - Inspired by Ernest Becker's book Denial of Death

[@tfunknationtown]

I've read the Denial of Death about 3 times now, and reread certain chapters innumerable times. You cannot reduce what was in that book to a list. What was presented was a really tight argument which through painstaking selectively worded reasonings attempts to expose death at the heart of the human drama (not the condition). He offered no SOLUTIONS in his books. He only framed the ways in which people commonly cope if only to remind us of the looming specter of death lurking beneath. Please read this book yourself.

[@joefondu]

Why do you say "not the condition"?

[@tfunknationtown]

@@joefondu in the context I said that (4 years ago, and I'm not rewatching a video which I'm inferring from my comment I didn't agree with to answer this) probably something to do with a distinction betwee the world "as it is" as opposed to the myriad ways in which values clash. Becker in Escape from Evil really plainly states his view of the human condition and he was simply a Darwinian. But, if you read the denial of death much of what he's discussing is culture, and framing death denialism as the motive force drives and constrains culture.

[@Enke796]

"It sucks." - Jason Silva, professional philosopher, about the human condition.

[@orlando098]

What else do you need? Buddha said pretty much the same - life is suffering/dissatisfaction

[@LoudWaffle]

@@orlando098 Dissatisfaction is very different from the more common and less accurate translation of dukkha. If suffering is getting injured in an accident, or having your heart broken after a relationship ends, dissatisfaction is the must more pervasive and inevitable result of our attachments to things ending, like enjoying a good meal until it ends, or loving a certain part of your relationship with another person which will never be recaptured as the one day turns into the next, or striving to build your dream home and when you succeed, moving on to the next project/goal. The last one is especially important because even when we achieve our desires, this never actually alleviates the drive for desire within us. That is what the Buddha was talking about.

[@tedstrauss999]

This is a great accessible synopsis of one chapter in Becker's Denial of Death. But Silva's last sentence ruined it for me: "Death sucks, we gotta fix that." I think Becker would might have put it " Death sucks, we just gotta live with that."

[@joefondu]

Smells like transhumanism to me...

[@kalanidmb17]

everytime im depressed i come back to this. ya ever just look around and despite all the perfections you see. you feel stuck. you cant breathe. thats me. i am my own worse enemy and i dont know how to live with it anymore.

[@marvinjarboe422]

In essence, “I’m still young with lots of life to experience. Death is still far away.” Hmmm 🤔

[@the_penitent_]

“Life is suck but death is sucker.” 😂

[@lohkoonhoong6957]

Immortality through progeny is A splendid idea if it gives you bliss.

[@K4Khmer]

Most powerful book ever, hands down.

[@Robban206]

awesome comment in the end "we got to fix that(!)"

[@ResitivexRaptor]

"Death sucks; we should fix that." -Jason Silva

[@theintrovertedaspie9095]

That aged well. In a few years scientists will develop ways we could potentially reverse aging, and possibly become biologically immortal.

[@lucky2653]

The fourth solution to the problem of death: Live in the present moment and forget the self.............and the moment when death does come, dealing with acceptance of death should be easier than dealing with fear of death. Someday we will die but every other day we will live.

[@EvolutionaryVids]

This is my favourite from this particular series.

[@helemundo]

The music's too loud in comparison to his voice. :l

[@flashgordon6510]

Yes!!

[@DaRealFiberOptix]

thank you for exposing me to these ideas and your way of perceiving them!!

[@tharykwances2570]

this guy is amazing!.

[@Insanetoaster]

very interesting theories... definately worth looking into more

[@Jhonnyb16]

I agree dying sucks. Well done.

[@mattdonahoe1361]

I mean the idea of death sucks because of the fact that it ends what we have, so if your a happy person, death means ending the happiness, and if your an unhappy person death means ending the sadness (reasoning behind suicide). But the way we talk about death is one of the reasons we fear it and let in control us even more. We think of it as this thing, we use words that would be used to describe a human experience, like "it sucks", as if it is "going to suck" we are keeping alive the idea that death is an experience because of the fact that all we are is one big make of our own experiences. Conscious experiences are all we can use as notes to consider a prediction for what something may be like. But when something is not an experience at all, there is no adjective to describe it because it is not physical or relevant in life. Experiences are the only thing we have to fear, or to look forward too, therefor it makes perfect sense that humans made a heaven to look forward to and a hell to fear. Death is part of the human condition, PERIOD. Fuck with that and who knows how the universe will react. Look at other species, they do not harm this planet like us, they do not commit suicide like us, they do not have politics and a government and a society and an ego that tears us apart. Thats the problem with the human condition, NOT DEATH. Death is natural to all species, if we change the way things naturally work their will eventually be no such thing as NATURE. Immortality is something that does not knowingly exist anywhere. To assume humans who are killing each other over politics and bullying each other to points of suicide and setting standards for each other to meet in order to avoid the constant judgment that you will feel punching you in the face every time you try to be yourself, would actually be able to make immortality work in the limited time we have before the planet we destroyed is no longer habitable, and to assume that immortality is something beneficial is refusing to understand that we simply can not fix our mistake by doing the same thing that caused it. "Oh so we are destroying nature? lets just make it so that their is no need for nature! Now lets make it so that we are so technologically advanced that we can solve absolutely any problem we run into and eventually make ourselves so artificially happy that we will have no sadness to prepare the happiness too. No bad moments to compare to the good ones, making the good ones seem 10 times better in comparison. We would eliminate the very instincts that make us human until we are no longer human and we have actually made ourselves part technology... Happiness would just become permanent and it would not even be happiness anymore since it doesn't feel the same, and its dull and boring and constant. SO we should not have a set goal to illuminate all suffering to eliminate all sadness and all bad things happening because they are a hugely important part to how we make ourselves happy now. If I could imagine that can we do it? Like terence McKenna said, anything we can possibly imagine is possible, or even happening somewhere in another universe. Thats not a theory of mine, its just an idea, of a possible negative outcome to our constant need to progress. Its what my mind was able to Imagine.

[@sarahal-rimaly7124]

Hi this is Eruekaah .. That awesome!

[@MisterSkitso]

the music is a bit loud, it overshadows the voice of this smart human being

[@publicanimal]

It's important to know and understand your enemies.

[@Shinjeez]

@BryanBlackford He means conscious of the fact that we are gonna die by causes different from getting killed, starving, etc,. Yep, we are the only species to know that, a cat doesn't know he's gonna die from old age.

[@DanFrederiksen]

I offer you the most profound truth and there is no chance I could be wrong about this. You would be a fool not to try to understand it. In silence.

[@topicsofdiscussion]

You are an amazing human being- Keep on my friend...

[@MushmurokZangief]

When you have a child, you're half immortal. Sort of ... the closest you can get. : )

[@Chidds]

I really couldn't care less about dying. I was doing just fine before I existed, why should I care about not existing again?

[@Chidds]

***** I won't know any different.

[@Chidds]

***** If anything the irrational one is the one who fears death. You don't fear every time you sleep because you won't be awake. One is only scared of what one doesn't know or doesn't like. I know what death is. It is oblivion. Oblivion doesn't scare me nor do I dislike it. For one, I would know if I had suffer before. Secondly, your typo is fitting, because that's not even a sane question. I did not exist.

[@Chidds]

***** You're begging the question - using death as a cause of fear. So what if you don't wake up? You'll never know.

[@Chidds]

***** Yeah... I don't find that scary. You might, but I don't.

[@Chidds]

***** Yeah, I have a fear of suffocation, with that draining. And I have a fear of genuinely being labelled an idiot or stupid. Basically, I have a fear of things that will effect me which I will be aware of. Curtain ways of dying scare me, but death itself doesn't.

[@AbdifatahAden]

@Doingoutsidethebox Separation from the source? Explain please.

[@Schizopantheist]

@shapuzz Because it has the word death in it (the answer is already implied in the video)- most people dont -want- to face things as they are...

[@publicanimal]

You're right, I can't rationalize perspectives of lunacy and illogic.

[@ComplyMusicDubstepPromotion]

dude? you're talking trash. This video summarizes the book "The denial of Death" It's riddled with insight that Jason provides in a condensed, short-format video. It does the trick for most of us on here. If you are incapable of relating, then maybe you lack the competence to rationalize perspectives other than your own.

[@dozmaster]

WHAT IS THE SONG IN THIS VIDEO

[@natejurgensen]

By "fix that" does he mean cure death? Live forever? If so I highly disagree. The resounding fate of death is the driving force to a meaningful life.

[@theintrovertedaspie9095]

Even with death people still waste away their lives and not live meaningfully.

[@davidraposa6285]

Jas MMan I think you forgot your, "I'm super jealous and can't handle it." part at the end there.

[@grass4life]

pretty awesome video!

[@MrLucascanuto]

You're just AWESOME!

[@ayres15022]

the background song destroyed your video.

[@zakiekera9993]

Agreed 100%

[@GPHsmurf]

If you think of the self as the "centre" of consciousness, the awareness of it, and you can experience yourself as such (cf: Alan Watts) then it becomes clear that you are continuous with the total process of the universe, an aperture through which it attains consciousness, death isn't so bad. This isn't so kooky if you consider your personality as uniquely the result of genes and life experiences (from the smallest to the biggest), each thought and feeling a theoretically predictable reaction.

[@GunniTheGunman]

Is there a text version of this?

[@Johnramusic]

Nice music gd video

[@mokdaddjellit9143]

Dying sucks ,we gotta fix that. *takes a sip*

[@GPHsmurf]

Wow BIG woops there, I meant to say the robot who is burnt and who DOES feel pain *facepalm*, that was probably very confusing. I don't feel as though I'm denying anything, or that by seeing it in the way I do I make it simple. We'll have to agree to disagree I think Dan.

[@Gussimus]

congrts making it to ted global!

[@econogate]

I would rather see a Sheldon Solomon at the TED, quick someone call him, he would do it in a heartbeat if he has not already!

[@onlyeyeno]

I think he forgot the most obvious, and most widespread way to "leave a legacy and become immortal", namely having kids. Since I haven't read Beckers book I don't know it it's Da Silvas oversight or if its "missed" by Becker to, because that would be a bit embarrassing.

[@thund3rpantiez]

Life. Life makes life bearable ;)

[@ELACproductions]

he should be a model

[@chronoflect]

@shapuzz It definitely deserves more views.

[@ComplyMusicDubstepPromotion]

illogic? Where? "It has been suggested that originality demands a degree of lunacy"

[@StLennyBruce]

I just came to hear someone else's way of explaining Becker's ideas, but the music or sound just kind of distracts from his ideas. I'd say it was annoying, but I guess that'd make me a hater or something.

[@PuffaloPhil]

His production technique is the same kind of turd polishing used by pharmaceutical companies to advertise chronic diarrhea medicine on daytime television.

[@StLennyBruce]

Hysterical! I watched it without the sound, so I all I had to see was his frantic arms waving and his Jeff Goldblumish imitation of spontaneity.

[@youranongirl]

ooh phoenix song and a guy with a sexy mind

[@kocerarif]

Or your dirty mind.

[@loopy094]

You guys have relatively similar profile pictures.

[@passingpoor]

Top drawer

[@DanFrederiksen]

that's very charismatic but here's the problem Jason, I'm a computer scientist specialized in AI and I'm very good at it. And I can tell you that something as seemingly trivial as pain cannot be done in any physical system. It simply doesn't have the expressive power. Qualia, consciousness, these are extramechanistic concepts, spiritual if you will. If a simple robot is designed to scream when you burn its hand, did it feel pain, did it need to, could it ever? the answer is no. that's a clue

[@martymartmusic]

without death you cannot have life.

[@kellymartin3841]

That's just not true. Another construct to make us ok with it, is saying that death gives meaning to life. That is bullshit.

[@TheMrDenim]

And we should care about what you say because...

[@eorobinson3]

He forgot the creative act of child making. We live on through the lives of our children, genetic immortality. A life transcending death is achieved not only through the creative work, but also the (pro)creational work, of a woman’s womb.

[@shapuzz]

why does this have so few views. WTF!!?

[@robinpayneguitar]

I am aware that death is a psychedelic experience, and I love that shit, so if anything I'm stoked. Pigs are aware of there mortality. That's why the squeal for hours before they're about to be slaughtered. Just because an animal can't speak to you in English doesn't mean it's unaware of its mortality... how on earth would you know? The hubris. Come on now Silva, maybe try coming up with an original thought for once. Seriously I've watched so many of this cat's vids and all he does is quote people! ALL HE DOES! "Well I heard this great quote by so and so which got me thinking about this other great quote and as so and so says, such and such. Which is very similar to what so and so said about such and such, while working with so and so who thought such and such. But this is interesting when you contrast it with so and so's theory, which was almost as interesting as this book by so and so, who thought such and such". Denial of death is a good book though... the dude died a year after he published it. That makes it even more interesting...

[@mmkmkdhdbrb]

Robin Payne maybe pigs also have the piggy condition

[@samihassansoukhou5475]

Robin Payne what did you do?

[@kevinortiz8873]

There's no such thing as an original thought we all stand on the shoulders of giants. I'm not going to argue with a guy over the internet but you should probably watch some more of his talks a two-minute video doesn't do it justice.

[@muspam8530]

said the dude who covers songs on his guitar and displays them on the internet. big wow. much hypocrite.

[@otisziggenhorn5858]

The squeal you hear from pigs is a fear response, certainly, but to say that this reaction equates to the animal being aware of its mortality is quite a leap. There is no way to know this.

[@anthonyromano785]

oMFg in the url, gg

[@joeyeatspuppies]

I thought this said The Human Centipede

[@oblivionzzzmike]

I'm amazed this has got the likes dislikes ratio with that disrupting background music.

[@emanuelson80]

It's funny how we're all aware of our mortality, but we can't live as if we really believe it.

[@kozzworld]

nice ending hahahaha

[@ScarletteAqUaRiUs]

wait wait wait... pigs are also aware of their mortality

[@caramelbonbonchen]

i just wanted everyone to know..that this is my husband..

[@Mysterieskolen]

what about the buddhist/yogi way? :) transcendence of ego .. it is ego that is afraid of dying =) dying is nothing you, as the observer really ever does - only the thinker, the ticker .. the mind .. but then again, what is the mind? where does all this inspiration comes from? the great collective unconscious like Jung proposed? .. and again, what is the collective unconscious? :)

[@martymartmusic]

Maybe some animals are aware of their mortality, but they accept and are free of the ego? it's pretty likely that we just die, but no one knows for sure. this guy thinks he has it all figured out though...

[@averageGoat_meh_eh_eh_eh]

He is spaking at TED next week i think or at least very soon

[@SteelCityBoilermaker]

Hahahahaha. Wow. So I'm walking down the street until about 2:25 when I step in a pile of dog crap. Time to clean off that shoe?

[@gregnicenh]

Think he was...

[@whytomoya]

Fuck that white dot on the left. Great work though.

[@PuffaloPhil]

Ernest Becker also says that "man's natural and inevitable urge to deny mortality and achieve a heroic self-image are the root causes of human evil." Instead of skimming over philosophical and sociological works in order to find supporting arguments for your Singularitarian religious beliefs, you should try a deeper and more patient approach. Perhaps you are distracted from deep readings by spending too much time on the technological devices that you trumpet at every given chance? Perhaps instead of creating propaghanda in support of scientism you should create empirical research in support of science? An ethical scientist doesn't manipulate evidence in order to make it aline with a preconceived notion. Your preconceived notion is that of the Singularity and that technologic marvels can only be for the betterment of mankind. You will do anything to support this notion. You will do anything to support the notion that we can and must overcome our own deaths. My prediction is that in the process you and your ilk will partake in the most despicable acts of the 21st century.

[@muspam8530]

Interesting argument, yet this fellow just represents one aspect of the spectrum there is and I think he is quite aware of that. He chose to be part of the unicorn future and that is okay.

[@GPHsmurf]

I'm saying I'm a reductionist. I think we are the example of the "robot" whose hand is burnt and who doesn't feel pain. In chaos theory, the behaviour of a deterministic system can be for all intents and purposes impossible to predict. Consciousness may be an emergent property of the nervous system. Consciousness is how a nervous system "feels", even if you can't quite capture that feeling with electrochemical explanations. What you said was just rude, my view is no more arbitrary than yours.

[@LittleMusicBoxes]

The music was too much. Why so dramatic? Like you are scared of not being taken seriously, and being forgotten! “If only the stock music was louder!!!!!”

[@Black101Warri0r]

If he believes in spirit, source, or God. Then perhaps he should understand that God made all souls to be immortal, shedding this physical meat bag is just one part of life. For example a catipillar cant experience what a butterfly can. Nor can a butterfly experience what an eagle can or an eagle to a pheonix. In which then the pheonix is reborn from its ashes, so why are u so afraid of dying silva? U fear the unknown, just admit it.

[@oxygen6371]

Here's a simple fix guaranteed to work... don't have kids!

[@chromosome24]

@Doingoutsidethebox As a part of an evolving system dying is the ultimate failure. If death was the answer, then universal evolution would not be a natural process. Its not about ego, fear, etc., but about the laws of nature...death is not an optimal solution, just as non-existence was not an optimal solution, as the big bang made apparent.

[@gamepro94z]

woot first to view lol

[@DanFrederiksen]

chinese room is pure nonsense and that's not what I'm talking about. what your arbitrary view is doesn't matter. I offered you a way to actually know the truth. if you think I am the one who knows

[@speedygonzales4707]

Music is so annoying : (

[@HakWilliams]

WFT IS UP WITH THAT HORRIBLE HORRIBLY LOUD MUSIC!!!!