Why do humans fear death? Should we?

[safinator]

There is once simple thing that all normal humans share in common. It is the fear of the unknown. At a young age we are afraid of the dark, sometimes at older ages we still are.
So what is the greatest unknown? Have you guessed it?
Death
Put that together, and you get the fear of death. However, once one is able to accept death, they may not fear it. Personally, I don't fear death. I'm not saying that I would go and jump off a building or whatever. I enjoy living and I would hate to die, but when the time comes I'm not going to be afraid of the cold embrace.
And if you had guessed that I was religious then you are very mistaken.

[Loki]

Religious zeal actually indicates a strong fear of death and hence need to clinge on the idea of afterlife IMO.

Yes. It is the fear of death which drives most people to religion. They have not yet come to the realisation that this life is all we have.

The cold hard truth: when you're gone, you're gone.

I am an atheist and do not fear death.

[Stygian Cellarius]

I've been thinking about the first question of this thread: why do humans fear death? When I think of something like this I reduce the phenomena to its fundamental parts. One of those is the "will to exist", something I have always assumed to be a positive entity, but now that I have thought on it in light of evolution I am doubting that. I just had the thought that this "will to exist" may in fact be an illusion. To be honest, I hope I am wrong on this because it will cause problems for some of my other theories, but while I think on this more I am going to post my thoughts here any maybe someone can find fault in it.

Let's imagine how this "will to exist" could manifest in the simplest life-forms and then work our way up to greater complexity.

Imagine there is an ocean that we insert a population of bacteria into.
Population encounters threat #1: pockets of high salinity.
A few bacteria change direction when they sense higher salinity content.
Bacteria with that response are selected and multiply, all others die, now all bacteria change direction when they sense high-salinity.
Population encounters threat #2: thermal vents.
A few bacteria change direction when they sense an increase in heat.
Bacteria with that response are selected and multiply, all others die, now all bacteria change direction when they sense high-salinity and an increase in heat.
Population encounters threat #3: whirlpool.
A few bacteria begin spinning backwards like a cork-screw when they sense they are being pulled.
Bacteria with that response are selected and multiply, all others die, now all bacteria possess the behavior of changing direction when they sense high-salinity and an increase in heat and spin backwards like a cork-screw when they sense they are being pulled.
Now we have 3 independently selected behaviors, none of them related in any way, but all with the same consequence: the continued existence of the Bacteria.

The process of behavioral selection repeats itself millions of times over. Genetic complexity increases, and eventually there are millions of behaviors that all just happen to allow for the continued existence of the organism, even though the behaviors were independently selected and there is no relationship between them. This perceived unity of consequence creates the appearance that all biota possess the positive attribute of having a "will to exist". The sum of behaviors that allow continued existence, perceived by an abstract generating self-conscious mind creates the illusion of the positive entity we call the "will". The "to exist" part of that compound appears when that abstract generating mind generates the negative concept of death. The "will", "to exist", and "death" do not correspond with anything in reality. They are abstractions; cognitive constructs, that only exist in our minds. There is only WHAT IS, in reality; the material entities and as they are at each point in time. Whatever language we invent to simplify the world and communicate it to one another does not mean these concepts exist in reality and in the case above, they don't.

Also, in my first post, I stated that a satisfactory answer to the question: why do humans fear death? can be revealed only in light of evolution. However, almost every one who posted in this thread appealed to either philosophy or psychology. I am saying that this is not the way to go. Does anyone want to challenge that?

[Riki]

I personally fear much more the way I will eventually die.And In what state I will be when old.

[Riki]

How does It feel to be Dead?
It's the same feeling as before you were born.

[Caismeachd]

Seems Christians fear death more than atheists.

http://religionvirus.blogspot.com/20...-of-death.html

Which is ironic because they are told to believe in a heavenly afterlife. Of course they don't truly believe in any afterlife, deep down (which is why they cry at a funeral rather than to celebrate and be happy because their loved one is in heaven), and they are dumber than atheists to boot, which explains everything.

[Stygian Cellarius]

How does It feel to be Dead?
It's the same feeling as before you were born.

Since we recall nothing before our birth then the identity is obviously destroyed if such things like reincarnation take place. And if the identity is destroyed then for all practical purposes it is the same as being totally destroyed from our POV. Then what would be the point? To recycle spiritual energy?

[Riki]

Since we recall nothing before our birth then the identity is obviously destroyed if such things like reincarnation take place. And if the identity is destroyed then for all practical purposes it is the same as being totally destroyed from our POV. Then what would be the point? To recycle spiritual energy?

Once you dead you dead.Period.
The only way we can make sure to "live" after death.It's trough memories,and even those will eventually die.

[Stygian Cellarius]

Once you dead you dead.Period.
The only way we can make sure to "live" after death.It's trough memories,and even those will eventually die.

Now you are making positive claims about something you can't possibly know about. Tell me how you've come to such knowledge.

[Riki]

Now you are making positive claims about something you can't possibly know about. Tell me how you've come to such knowledge.

No one know's.
So one goes with what one belief's.
And I don't believe in live after death.
But one thing I believe Is that Nature do not waste nothing.