Is it so simple to chose life over legacy?

[Beautiful Nightmare]

Is it so simple to choose between life and legacy?

 

Alkalis knew his legacy could be achieved at Troy however he also knew that this would come hand in hand with his death and he still chose to go to troy. He did this so his name would live on for centuries after he did.

I myself am completely afraid to die and only see it as a comfort factor like most when I am very down. It is one of my greatest fears but it is not the greatest. My greatest fear is to be forgotten and not remembered. When I die I will live on in the hearts of those I knew and loved. However, when they die my gravestone will become a title less piece of stone and all I did in my life will be lost.

If I could do something, something truly amazing I would be remembered forever. I would live on in a story. I would go down in the ages, immortal in the form of a name or story. Some people build time capsules to be remembered however this does not make their name known to the world at the tip of their tongue.

When you think of it like this you realize why he chose his legacy. Now think what would you do? Tell me what you think!

[Peredhil]

Due to my personal belief system, I'm not afraid death itself. I really don't have much interest in world renown - everyone remembers Hitler, but is that a positive thing?

I'd much more rather try to touch the lives, in a helpful supportive way, with whom I come in contact. Even if they don't ever remember me, hopefully they'll grow in some way and the touch will ripple out long after I'm forgotten.

In a more immediate death-response, in my family tradition, when someone dies, we gather for the funeral. Everyone brings a picture, a memory, a story to share with those gathered, celebrating the deceased's life. Then the closest relative gathers all the memories and such and make a little "scrapbook" type thing and gives out copies to the relatives, so that future generations can know the person behind the name and pictures. I guess as long as the tradition and memento books are passed on, it's a form of immortality on earth.

It also is a small incentive to be a little more patient at times, as the survivors get to write your book - at the funeral, everyone is *very* honest.

 

Good thought provoking question!

[Parmenion]

Good to see such an interesting question from you and hop you are well my dear!

 

(Its spelt closer to Achillies or something)

 

Firstly, the reason I think many humans fear death is because of our very natures. During the agricultural revolution approximately 8000 BC man took his fate out of the hands of the gods and placed it firmly in his own hands. While man used to rely on a hunter-gatherer and partial agriculturalist's way of living, the revolution was a time when man began to produce more food than he had population, to support an ever growing population. The more food that was produced, the more the population grew because of the food surplus and the lack of need to keep the population low, unlike their ancestors. The more the population grew the more food they needed to produce and so the expansion and planting grew and grew.

 

In fact the Semites, partial agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers saw this happening among their brothers on the fertile crescent, about where the middle-east is now and they told a story about it, wondering why their brothers of the North and West sought to live against the laws of life. The agriculturalists continued expanding with their population and where they needed more room they often killed their brothers for their land to grow more crops on. The book the Semites wrote was the first version of the bible. The agri-revolutionists were represented by Cain and they represeted themselves with Abel. Thus you have the lead up of Cain killing Abel, which was basically a propaghanda story for the Semite peoples to keep their way of life, living within the laws of nature and trusting their faith to the gods and not to take destiny into their own hands like Cain.

 

The reason I refer to this is because of its relevance to how we think in this day and age. Our culture whispers in our ear daily that we are "Masters of our own Destiny". From the day we are born we are taught that although we share this world with other species, they are non-sentient (self-aware) and that we are. We are taught that we are somehow different to these other creatures. We forget that there have been many many ages of various species being the dominant life-forms on the planet, reptiles, insects, mammals, fish etc... We declared war on everything within nature, we killed off the predators which would hunt our prey and the prey which would eat our crops. These are examples of our own self-proclaimed "mainfet destiny". We feel humans have been destined to rule this world and perhaps more. This is the arrogance that our Culture whispers in our ear. This is why we seek to control our lives and our deaths.

 

This is why many people fear death. We see ourselves being somehat removed from the circle of life and cannot accept that this is inevitable for all creatures. This was certainly the case for me when I was younger because I knew no better. The more I learned of life and experience (and there is still much to know!), the more I saw through the veil that our common society and culture pulls over our eyes and the more accepting I became of the fact that we are all of us a part of nature and subject to its laws regardless of whether we live in cities and regardeless of how much we seek to remove ourselves from the rest of this world around us.

 

I understand completely why you would want to be remembered by the world and if you want that badly, then you will achieve it. Everything is possible for one whose heart is strong enough. You may wonder at this point about what talents you have that could make this happen. Talents can also be learned no matter how old you are - don't forget that. For me, like Peredhil, it is enough that I make impacts within my circles and am remembered (hopefully) fondly by them. I keep records to pass down through the generations of my family to come and will also encourage my family to do the same so that we might know all of our ancestors in years to come.

 

*hugs*

 

PS: To Peredhil, I think remembering Hitler is a positive thing. As long as we keep such a horrible memory fresh it is less likely that we will ever again allow such a thing to come to pass IMHO.

[Peredhil]

Remembering Hitler is positive for the reason you state. I personally would not want to be remembered AS a Hitler figure...

 

Good read! Thank you for posting.

[Venefyxatu]

Interesting question, and interesting replies.

 

Even though I am convinced that there is something after this life I have no intention of dieing just yet, no matter how heroic it would be. If it is my time then I will go, but until then, I'm enjoying my life too much to give it up in exchange for eternal fame.

It is as Peredhil and Parmenion have said : I would rather somehow make a difference for the people I know without being remembered than do something truly amazing and be remembered for that by people who only know what I did, and not the person I am.

 

Btw, it's spelled Achilles

[Regel]

Collect hearts Arwen, and friendships that will exist longer after the framework of this life. Have a purpose for waking up in the morning. Make a difference in other peoples lives. Share those special talents and abilities with the people around you.

Try to become more than what you are. It's called growth. You know the kind I am talking about, the spirtual and personal development kind. Live a good long life and your legacy might be a loving family and thousands of friends.

 

You wrote:

 

 

 

If I could do something, something truly amazing I would be remembered forever. I would live on in a story. I would go down in the ages, immortal in the form of a name or story. Some people build time capsules to be remembered however this does not make their name known to the world at the tip of their tongue

.

 

Perhaps you will write a story that will do just that. A story that brings families together at bedtime. A story that parents will read to their children for countless generations.

 

Now that would be a legacy worth leaving, at least that's what I believe.

[cryptomancer]

I myself have wished for fame, yet never chosen to persue it.

 

For me my legacy will be words, weather or not they are published, because it is in the words that I have written that people will still remember me, even as I fade to grey.

 

[epinephrine]

I too am not afriad of death (although the act of dying scares me a little). I personally refuse to believe that the eighty odd years I have on this planet, or less with the amount of Coke I drink, is all there is. For me my motivation to get up each morning is to fulfill a calling that I passionately believe in that is my reason for being on this planet.

 

So I agree legacy is important, but not so people will remember me so much. Rather that they will be inspired to find their calling and go for it... I know it sounds a bit cheesy but it is a most powerful thing, having a dream. Nice question Arwen!

 

epinephrine

[Annael]

Lee Ann Womack actually has a song that is this question exactly.

 

Something Worth Leaving Behind

 

..."but if I will love, then I will find

that I have touched another life

and that's something

something worth leaving behind..."

 

I have been published. *shrugs* so my name will continue on in something. But that doesn't really mean anything to me I guess. I have passed up on my own opportunities to be happy just to see my friends happy. Some people call me a fool for doing this, that I'm just being used. In fact, there are some people that refer to me as a carpet for the way that I allow myself to be walked on, but in my heart I know that I am doing what I think is right. That's just the way that I am. If I can make someone smile, laugh, feel loved and good about themselves, then I can die tomorrow knowing that I have done one of the best things in the world that I could possibly ever have done. Love.