Interiorizing death makes it a personal, responsible feature of a unique life

Evidence

They understood that the meaning of life is connected, inextricably, to the meaning of death; that mourning is a romance in reverse, and if you love, you grieve and there are no exceptions—only those who do it well and those who don’t. — Lynch, Thomas, The undertaking-life studies from the…, 128 (#expands, via linked claim)

Come to terms with death. Really grasp that being mortal, while terrifying, can also make our lives sublime by infusing us with courage, compassion, and concern for future generations. Seek enduring significance through your own combination of meanings and values, social connections, spirituality, personal accomplishments, identifications with nature, and momentary experiences of transcendence. — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 814 (#responds-to, via linked claim)

Once the moral person has been killed, the one thing that still prevents men from being made into living corpses is the differentiation of the individual, his unique identity. In a sterile form such individuality can be preserved through a persistent stoicism, and it is certain that many men under totalitarian rule have taken and are each day still taking refuge in this absolute isolation of a personality without rights or conscience. — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1016 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Understanding death is essential to understanding life. — Lynch, Thomas, The undertaking-life studies from the…, 128; Acknowledging discomfort around death can provide solace. — Lynch, Thomas, The undertaking-life studies from the…, 14; Accepting mortality can make life more meaningful and compassionate — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core: On the Role of…, 814 (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Understanding death is essential to understanding life. #expands (0.80) — Lynch, Thomas, The undertaking-life studies from the…, 128
• Acknowledging discomfort around death can provide solace. #expands (0.75) — Lynch, Thomas, The undertaking-life studies from the…, 14
• Accepting mortality can make life more meaningful and compassionate #responds-to (0.75) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 814
• Unique identity is the last defense against being reduced to a living corpse #complicates (0.75) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1016