# Viewing my own death through a pet fish's death **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 25, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377 "2008-11-25T03:10:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![petew83](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@petew83](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petew83)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/41 "2008-11-27T03:58:01Z")
This forum rocks lol. Seriously though, I don’t want my death to be a splash in the ocean. Dammit. The most interesting response seems to be the one about linear time, though it could have used some elaboration. There’s probably an interesting rationale behind it. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/42 "2008-11-27T04:10:34Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I disagee with Epicurus on one thing. I never thought there was awareness in death. I’m not afraid of death, I’m afraid of getting old and decrepit, and not being able to do the things I want. My biggest fear is becoming physicaly incapable of taking my own life. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/43 "2008-11-27T09:36:06Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > But didn’t all religions start out as some type of folk belief (which may or may not have turned out to be ‘true’)? I am not trying to insult faith here, I promise. I just don’t understand the “diametrically opposed” part. Is it the ‘truth’ part that seperates a religion from folk belief? And if so, how is the truth part determined? No actually I don’t know any religion that started that way. Religions often start very radically and redirect or directly conflict with tribal tradition. Often they came about under the aegis of smashing superstition. Calling folk tradition religious belief is like saying viral Internet Menes like the hamster dance are religious beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/44 "2008-11-27T09:40:05Z")
religious belief implies a tradition of inculcation revernce and stewardship not merely a viral meme. I am not even making an argument of the relative truth of various beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/45 "2008-11-27T21:10:18Z")
> [@petew83](#): > > So my betta fish died the other day, and it made me wonder. What is the difference between him dying and me dying? One key difference is that you are able to deeply contemplate the concept of dying - the fish isn’t (as far as we know, but I think it’s a reasonable assumption). That doesn’t of course mean there’s any greater significance _to the universe_ between the two events, but it does play a part in shaping our corporate, societal response to the two different deaths. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/46 "2008-11-28T19:15:49Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > One key difference is that you are able to deeply contemplate the concept of dying - the fish isn’t (as far as we know, but I think it’s a reasonable assumption). > > That doesn’t of course mean there’s any greater significance _to the universe_ between the two events, but it does play a part in shaping our corporate, societal response to the two different deaths. Why is it that people who do not believe in a universal intelligence feel the need to point out what the universe doesn’t find significant? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/47 "2008-11-28T19:23:57Z")
I don’t know. If I meet such a person, I’ll be sure to ask. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/48 "2008-11-28T19:53:30Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t know. If I meet such a person, I’ll be sure to ask. I am just curious, the whole point of reducing a life into what the universe does or does not find significant seems like a pointless rhetorical game to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/49 "2008-11-28T20:00:59Z")
I was merely trying to make it clear that my statement was not, on this occasion, attempting to assert anything metaphysical. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/50 "2008-11-28T20:01:45Z")
Does the god who made it night and day go on. Does the huge god that provides food disappear. Does the incredible creature that cleaned the tank still exist. The other fish have must have much to ponder. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/51 "2008-11-28T20:03:12Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Why is it that people who do not believe in a universal intelligence feel the need to point out what the universe doesn’t find significant? Because most people do seem to think there’s some sort of objective significance to their own life, some sort of “God” who has a purpose for them, and taking on the viewpoint of _sub specie aeternatatis_ is a counter to that viewpoint. By transcending our own limited perspective and taking on a universal perspective, we are able to view things objectively. People are way too attached to their own viewpoints and this is a way to transcend that. ---
**Author:** ![siggma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@siggma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siggma)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/52 "2008-11-30T04:56:50Z")
Obviously there’s more to it that current public awareness. As an Atheist in mind and body, I do believe I will come back. In fact I have come back and I do recall some of what it was like. No horrors, no endless blackness, no magic garbage can named “Jesus”. Just other people, most of whom don’t understand where they are or what’s happening. You can [read more](http://trbailey.net/trb/) if you are interested. As for the fish, I wondered the same thing when my HUGE neon chomping Angel died. I was destitute and my power was shut off. I anguished every day as I watched the entirety of my 120 gallon Angel tank get slower and slower. I think they died from the cold. I still have dreams about them from time to time. In one I’m inside a huge fish tank with a lid on it, drowning. In others the tank shatters and all the fish end up on the floor. I try to find them all but I can’t. Sometimes I find one fish and put it back, then I wake up feeling awful. Sometimes life feels nasty. -Tom ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/53 "2008-11-30T05:09:37Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Because most people do seem to think there’s some sort of objective significance to their own life, some sort of “God” who has a purpose for them, and taking on the viewpoint of _sub specie aeternatatis_ is a counter to that viewpoint. By transcending our own limited perspective and taking on a universal perspective, we are able to view things objectively. People are way too attached to their own viewpoints and this is a way to transcend that. I see it as a path to nihilism, but ok. Maybe you’re right. I don’t think one can take on a universal perspective, reducing the value of a human life or even the value of a fish’s life isn’t taking on a universal perspective. You are just pretending to have a universal perspective, not actually having one. You still see things from your two eyes, not from every point in every direction all at once. ---
**Author:** ![siggma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@siggma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siggma)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/54 "2008-11-30T18:24:57Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > If there were an afterlife, would you expect to get an impression of it from looking at a dead fish? Or, for that matter, from looking at a dead human? I wouldn’t. But it might remind me of my own death, if I had one in the past. ---
**Author:** ![siggma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@siggma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/siggma)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377/55 "2008-11-30T18:43:35Z")
> [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > To my mind, there is no way to understand your own death. Until you die. > [@](#): > > You can understand the death of other living things, as you said, “his brain stopped working and his personal identity was gone forever.” > That is death in another living thing. To understand your own death, you have to understand that you are not a part of it. So you’ve saying death is not a real experience? What if you die and discover otherwise? If you’ve already decided you have no future beyond death does that not preclude any possibility of exploring it? Is religion the only possible explanation for an “after life” or a “next” life? And the most important question of all, if I have lived before, does my lack of recall for those event(s) preclude it’s existence? You do remember your own birth, don’t you. > [@](#): > > As some some person said in one time or another, “I think, therefore I am.” Death is the loss of “I am.” That would be [Rene Descartes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_descartes). Is that a comment based on personal experience or wishful thinking? If there is nothing beyond death, why exist at all, unless one blames life on some outside force which insinuates it’s wasn’t or isn’t your choice to be. In that light, would not life itself be a violation of your right not to exist? > [@](#): > > You can try to imagine another person’s reaction to your death. You may even think about what the world would be like without you, _but at the moment of death you have as much perception of your death as the rock that will become your headstone._ > > Creepy? Sorry. > > SSG Schwartz That’s not been my experience so it seems we have many views on the topic. -Tom [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-my-own-death-through-a-pet-fishs-death/474377.md?page=2)