Language
Country/Area
No result found
The truth about death: Why can't humans get rid of death anxiety?
Death has always been one of the deepest sources of anxiety for human beings. Regardless of culture or social context, the fear of death is almost inevitable. Terror Management Theory (TMT) in psychology provides a framework to understand this phenomenon. This theory, first proposed by psychologists Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon and Tom Pieszczynski, profoundly reveals how the cognition of death affects human behavior and culture.
Terror management theory holds that an individual's perception of death triggers a basic psychological conflict, that is, the conflict between the instinct of self-preservation and the inevitability of death.
When humans realize the inevitability of death, they develop an uncontrollable sense of fear. This fear prompts people to seek culture and faith to counter this sense of existential fragility. Whether it is the concept of the afterlife provided by religious beliefs or the values conveyed through national identity and the continuation of offspring, these have become important tools for humans to soothe their anxiety about death.
Self-esteem is the core of fear management, and an individual's self-esteem is closely related to cultural identity.
In terms of self-worth, many people use culture to build their identity and self-worth, which is a strategy for coping with death anxiety. Through participation in specific cultural rituals, the pursuit of social recognition, and even heroism in daily life, a sense of self-worth is strengthened, which helps to alleviate the fear of death.
Cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker's book The Denial of Death highlights the significance and value of culture in the afterlife. Beck believes that most human behavior is intended to escape the reality of death, and this escape includes creating cultural symbols, establishing belief systems, and establishing moral norms.
Humans have tried to mask their fear of death by creating nations, religions, and cultural frameworks to orchestrate the meaning of life.
From an evolutionary perspective, terror management theory posits that fear of death is not an adaptive trait, but rather a byproduct of human intelligence. With the conflict of short-term survival instincts, the perception of death has given rise to the rise of cultural beliefs, which not only helps the survival of individuals, but also strengthens the rules of the game and moral concepts of the entire society.
Just as human upright walking has both advantages and disadvantages, death anxiety is seen as an inevitable result of wisdom and consciousness. When this awareness emerges, the establishment of culture becomes a natural response to this anxiety.
Society enables individuals to find meaning and value in it through cultural symbols, laws, and morals.
The connection between self-esteem and death is that the level of self-evaluation will directly affect the individual's response to death. When faced with reminders of death, people with higher self-esteem tend to be more positive about life, while people with lower self-esteem may further escape reality out of panic.
Studies have shown that the level of self-esteem affects an individual's choice of healthy behavior. People who are concerned about their image and ignore health issues often engage in physically risky behaviors. In addition, there is a two-way influence between self-esteem and health. Behaviors such as smoking and excessive sun exposure may be further aggravated by high self-esteem.
When faced with death anxiety, increased self-esteem can serve as a psychological defense mechanism to help people cope with their fears.
This means that when people face the threat of death, they tend to relieve anxiety by enhancing their self-evaluation. However, this defense mechanism can sometimes lead to overconfidence, which can blind people to health risks. In fact, health-promoting behaviors and death cognitions can not only coexist, but also influence each other, further complicating people's behavioral patterns.
Through the interaction between self-worth and cultural background, we can better understand why humans choose to escape or become numb when faced with death. From a more macro perspective, this anxiety is part of human existence. It drives cultural development and, to a certain extent, ensures social stability.
Against such background, does the inevitability of death require us to rethink the meaning and value of life?
