In part 2 of his conversation with JUDITH NELSON at the Spirit of Humanity Forum in Reykjavik, Iceland, Thomas talks about embracing mortality, finding a purpose, defining our role in the world, and the shift humanity is living through.
Q: In the Forum, you touched upon having no fear of death. You talked about the way the world is going, making a lot of people quite frightened. Can you tell us about that?
That's a profound topic. When I was nineteen, I did my civil service in a home for the elderly, where people spent the last months of their lives. I really connected with people there. My grandmother died when I was nine years old, but at nineteen I was better able to engage with old people.
Witnessing the final stages of their lives influenced me a lot. What was important for them? What did they reflect upon? Some had a hard time letting go because of unresolved relationships, or some trauma they hadn't worked through. This influenced my own reflection about what kind of life I wanted to live.
At nineteen, you're busy finding out how awesome life is, but it was also important for me to embrace and welcome mortality. I can't say that I'm not afraid of death. I want to experience life, and there is so much I haven't yet lived. At the same time I find comfort in the notion that this existence is finite and impermanent. I can't do anything about it anyway.
The question for me is, “What is the purpose of my time here, and how should it be fulfilled?” That gives me a good orientation and makes me take things less seriously. “What is my contribution? What feels most meaningful?"
Some people have a hedonistic attitude like, “I'm going to die anyway, so let's have a party as long as it lasts.” That's not the kind of life I want, but it does help me to be aware it's finite.
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