A hypothetical

[joe-90]

If you had the choice of knowing the exact time, place, and method of your death as opposed to dying in your sleep which would you choose?

Let's say you chose the former and you know you are going to die of heart attack aged 65, so you'd at least know you'd had a life and could say your goodbyes.
The alternative may be that you have a long happy life and die in your sleep - but the downside is - you never even knew you had a life because you died in your sleep. One night you went to bed and that was it - gone.

Which would you choose?


joe

 

[notb665]

The way John Entwistle went. Off his head and enjoying the company of a young 'lady'.

 

[confidentincompetent]

My nightmare would be lying paralised but concious of my fate when they decide to turn that drip/ m/c off. I'd rather go in me sleep.

 

[pickles]

It doesn't matter. There is no afterlife so you won't remember either way. Anyway imagine the stress if you knew when you were going to die as the date got nearer. Its bad enough organising day to day stuff without having your own funeral in the diary

Iv'e worked for lots of people and seen them struggle and sort things out and then seen their death certs years later. It makes all their worrying seem pointless

Best not to know. vertical mortality curve ie dying in sleep is definitely the best exit route

 

[jbonding]

i think most people would rather die in their sleep, what could be better, i love sleeping, how many times have you felt like having 5 more minutes? your gonna die anyway and if you knew when and how, oh **** . how could you live?say your told 18 or in my case 35 car crash, show me the bed

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Reminds me of that old joke.

"When I die, I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my Grandfather.

Not screaming and in terror like his passengers."

 

[Nige F]

Exact time etc. That way I`d know how long I`ve got left to get a life

 

[joe-90]

The racing driver James Hunt died in his sleep. He never knew he was world champion, and he never had a chance to say goodbye to his family and friends. Is it cowardice to die in your sleep? I think I'd rather know where, when and how I'm going to die so I can put my affairs in order and give my kids a bit of last minute advice.


joe

 

[WoodYouLike]

Which would you choose?

To live life to the full every moment I can, regardless, full stop.

 

[dg123]

The racing driver James Hunt died in his sleep. He never knew he was world champion, and he never had a chance to say goodbye to his family and friends. Is it cowardice to die in your sleep? I think I'd rather know where, when and how I'm going to die so I can put my affairs in order and give my kids a bit of last minute advice.


joe

How could he not know he was world champion? Did he win the championship whilst asleep?

My wife's uncle died recently whilst in post-op after a heart operation. He was unconscious from the beginning of the operation until he died. Does he know he is dead?

 

[johnny_t]

It would be good to know, as then you can make sure you can get everything done before you go, but what happens if the answer comes back and says 'you are going to die whilst snorkelling off Cyprus at the age of 30' so you think 'then I won't go to Cyprus' and don't die, then you bugger someone else's death date up, and they'd been planning to die then and so had spent all their money, and they live in poverty, and bugger someone else's dates up, and then the whole system's shot to pieces.

What then, eh ??

 

[pickles]

It would be good to know, as then you can make sure you can get everything done before you go, but what happens if the answer comes back and says 'you are going to die whilst snorkelling off Cyprus at the age of 30' so you think 'then I won't go to Cyprus' and don't die, then you b*****r someone else's death date up, and they'd been planning to die then and so had spent all their money, and they live in poverty, and b*****r someone else's dates up, and then the whole system's shot to pieces.

What then, eh ??

the government would pass legislation, "The death (location of intended deceased act) 2006" create a government department complete with a system of automatic fines, and employ people (in uniforms with clipboards) to make sure that this sort of anti social behaviuor just didn't happen

 

[notb665]

I can put my affairs in order.

You mean "Get rid of all the porn on my computer".

 

[bathroomswap]

The racing driver James Hunt died in his sleep.

[pedant]He actually had a massive heart attack watching tv and collapsed on the floor in his clothes. He had called a famous motor racing jornalist (Nigel Roebuck or Alan Henry) no more than half an hour beforehand.[/pedant]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The racing driver James Hunt died in his sleep. He never knew he was world champion.

Now, I know that he was fond of the odd tipple, and was no stranger to Colombian marching powder, and probably a good deal else.

But given that he became world champion in 1976, and died in 1993, I'd be very surprised if he managed to get so completely out of it (obviously starting part way through the last race of the season) that for 17 years he remained oblivious to his result in Japan, and becoming world champ...