# Choose to know WHEN or HOW you'll die **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538 "2016-03-10T13:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/1 "2016-03-10T13:54:53Z")
Death appears before you and gives you a terrible choice: you will know either _when_ or _how_ you’ll die. You can’t know both, and you must pick one. Which do you choose? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/2 "2016-03-10T14:01:46Z")
Ugh, neither is appealing, but I chose when. If I learned I would die in my shower, I might be tempted to never bathe again. Nobody wants that. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/3 "2016-03-10T14:14:12Z")
I can’t decide whether to moon Death or flip him the bird. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/4 "2016-03-10T14:26:38Z")
I picked when. At least then, knowing the exact moment, I could have already said my goodbyes and maybe have people gathered around. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/5 "2016-03-10T14:30:35Z")
If you know when, you are invincible until then. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/6 "2016-03-10T14:34:03Z")
If I know when perhaps I can make my peace with that and act accordingly, having fun and making decisions with that date in mind. If I know how, I might go through life in fear, always on the lookout for that “how” or worrying if today will be the day. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/7 "2016-03-10T14:40:06Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > If you know when, you are invincible until then. Nobody says you’re going to be in working order before, though. I already know when: when I reach my expiration date. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/8 "2016-03-10T14:42:22Z")
I don’t really want to know. I picked When but I meant How. At least if I know it’s a heart attack or something I can really get serious about my health. I mean, which I am doing anyway. Getting serious, that is. Hopefully it will just drive me further! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/9 "2016-03-10T14:46:30Z")
I really don’t care to know either piece of information. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/10 "2016-03-10T15:34:05Z")
I want to know how. Even leaving the hypothetical aside, I genuinely want to know how, and specifically, I want to know if I will die peacefully or die suffering. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/11 "2016-03-10T16:08:26Z")
I choose “when”. As has been pointed out, above, if you know when you’re going to die, you’re immortal until that moment. Also, if you know when, you can make sure that when it happens you’re sedated or otherwise distracted. It’d be nice to be able to really put one’s affairs into order. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/12 "2016-03-10T16:20:42Z")
I choose “how”. I don’t like the thought of living with a ticking time bomb strapped to my neck. It would probably disturb my sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/13 "2016-03-10T16:35:47Z")
I picked “when”. If I know that, I can pick “how” myself. I’m thinking hydroplane off of Niagara Falls. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/14 "2016-03-10T16:36:27Z")
Knowing when would make it easier to budget in retirement. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/15 "2016-03-10T17:22:42Z")
I already know how. When might be nice - it’d let me know how far I need to plan ahead - but it might be horrible, too. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/16 "2016-03-10T17:30:58Z")
Just let me know when. I’ll see to the how. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/17 "2016-03-10T17:47:44Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > If you know when, you are invincible until then. There’s a book called _This Is How You Die_ where the idea is somebody invents a machine that will tell you how you will die. The machine is always 100% correct but, like the typical oracle, sometimes its words are misunderstood. One person is told that he will die by “suicide”. And he’s delighted. He figures that while he will someday kill himself, he’s now otherwise invulnerable. He’ll live as long as he wants to. A week later he’s killed when a terrorist suicide bomber blows them both up. The machine hadn’t said it would be his suicide that would kill him. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/18 "2016-03-10T18:03:25Z")
I chose when, there are some pretty terrible ways to go and I don’t want that anticipation. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/19 "2016-03-10T18:04:42Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > If you know when, you are invincible until then. For certain values of invincibility. You could, for instance, spend your last 15 years in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s as your brain and body both gradually deteriorated. Nonetheless, I’m picking ‘when.’ Based on family history, I’ve got a pretty good chance of being in full possession of all my marbles (at least, all that I’ve got now, because I _know_ what you’re thinking!) until pretty close to the end. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538/20 "2016-03-10T18:11:35Z")
“I choose ‘how’.” “YOUR CAUSE OF DEATH SHALL BE . . . LACK OF OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN.” “That’s not terribly helpful.” “BUT IT IS ACCURATE, YOU GOTTA GIVE ME THAT.” I go with ‘when’; if it’s next week, I live differently than if it’s next year. And so on. Whereas if you tell me ‘gunshot’ – what good does that do me? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-to-know-when-or-how-youll-die/748538.md?page=2)