Would you open it?

posted by justincredible

Would you open it?

Absolutely.  What if it was a car accident that would be avoided by simply not driving that day?  What if it was cancer that was entirely curable if I started treatment today?

Or if I had 6 months to live and there was nothing I could do to prevent it, at least I could ditch wearing a mask everywhere  :)

Would it change your answer if you weren't given the cause? You were just given a time and date.

posted by justincredible

Would it change your answer if you weren't given the cause? You were just given a time and date.

If it's a premature death, I'd immediately go get a full medical work-up.  And then I spend the day in a bunker in case it's not medical-related.  Or maybe hang out in the ER at the time and date.

So my answer is still yes.

Imagine how friggin' paranoid you would be the month/week/day leading up to that date. In the end, you'd probably just die of a panic attack on the scheduled date.

posted by justincredible

Imagine how friggin' paranoid you would be the month/week/day leading up to that date. In the end, you'd probably just die of a panic attack on the scheduled date.

But what if I'm the ripe old age of 103?  Better question would be would I then put myself into cryogenic statis until they can clone me a new body?

Sure. Tell me I have six months to live and I'll make sure my bank account is drained by the time those months are up. No point in anyone else getting my resources if I know when my time's expired.

posted by gut

Absolutely.  What if it was a car accident that would be avoided by simply not driving that day?  What if it was cancer that was entirely curable if I started treatment today?

Or if I had 6 months to live and there was nothing I could do to prevent it, at least I could ditch wearing a mask everywhere  :)

No, no!  Haven't you seen "Final Destination"?  Don't you know if you alter the timeline, the Yellow Card Man starts to go crazy?

On the other hand, if it was a date not too far away, I'd be like Queen Latifah and order everything on the menu each night.

I took the question to mean that there was nothing you could do about .........it was simply here is how and when you are going to die, and would you want to know that now.   No, for me.

posted by QuakerOats

I took the question to mean that there was nothing you could do about .........it was simply here is how and when you are going to die, and would you want to know that now.   No, for me.

This is pretty much the spirit of the question.

posted by justincredible

Would you open it?

Knowing that I just gave some Lybians a bomb casing full of pinball machine parts instead of an atomic bomb, yes.

No way.  I want nothing to do with that answer.  Regardless of whether it was 5 days or 50 years from now, it'd become a distraction to living my life.  

posted by bigorangebuck22

Knowing that I just gave some Lybians a bomb casing full of pinball machine parts instead of an atomic bomb, yes.

Definitely not opening it.

Not opening it.

Assuming you can’t change your destiny, I’d lean no. But I also know myself, and I would be curious as shit. Curiosity killed the man, in this case lol.

Even if my death day was like 88 years old, I’d start to fear it at 75, which would be miserable. I can’t imagine “living” if you knew you were going to die in the next decade. 

Yeah you can’t answer this question assuming you can change your date of death lol if it says you’re dead of car accident at age 60, you can’t just not drive a car when you’re 60 and avoid death. Otherwise obviously you’d say yes. 

Knowing that you can’t change the outcome, I wouldn’t want to know.  Fuck that. Just want to live my life.  If it’s my time, it’s my time. 

posted by Laley23

Even if my death day was like 88 years old, I’d start to fear it at 75, which would be miserable. I can’t imagine “living” if you knew you were going to die in the next decade. 

I’m only 8 years off your 75 example and I think about how much time I have a lot. As you grow older, I think it becomes easier to accept, though, imo....

God really does have a plan for all of us:

When we die and how. 

😄

posted by BRF

I’m only 8 years off your 75 example and I think about how much time I have a lot. As you grow older, I think it becomes easier to accept, though, imo....

God really does have a plan for all of us:

When we die and how. 

😄

I think accepting that you will die becomes easier. But, knowing the date and counting down the days...I cant imagine that becomes any easier. Like, at 30, and its 88...thats great. 58 years left of living, sounds awesome --until you hit 75. Thats my point, I guess. Even if I had accepted I may die any day, the thought I could also live would be tough to give up.

posted by Laley23

I think accepting that you will die becomes easier. But, knowing the date and counting down the days...I cant imagine that becomes any easier. Like, at 30, and its 88...thats great. 58 years left of living, sounds awesome --until you hit 75. Thats my point, I guess. Even if I had accepted I may die any day, the thought I could also live would be tough to give up.

Yes, that is how I feel, too, and I was trying to pass some 30? years difference of how it feels at 67 back to you.

posted by BRF

Yes, that is how I feel, too, and I was trying to pass some 30? years difference of how it feels at 67 back to you.

33...lol

I would open it and use it the best I could to make sure my family isn't left in a shitty situation (mentally, financially, other) as a result of the timing.

Way I look at it is that, if I were to die younger than expected, I'd want to know so I wouldn't be wasting my final months or whatever doing meaningless shit like working. If I found out I had, for example, one year (give or take) to live, I'd immediately quit work, get all my money/resources ready and do nothing but travel and party for that year.

There would be no point to just living like normal and preparing for a future that isn't going to be there, wasting those final months until I drop in the office or some bullshit like that when, if I know, I could at least say that I lived life to the fullest until I OD'd or whatnot.

yes