anger

A fear of death is primitive. Those forms of life that have had a profound and overwhelming fear of their own mortality have always had a greater chance of survival. Due this evolutionary fact, some of the most prolific species on our planet have a crushingly powerful fear of their own death. Simply put, the fear of death is a survival trait and stems solely from that developmental aspect. I am not trying to say that this fear is something to be overcome and I am not trying to say that I as an individual am above or outside of it. I am positive that when my time has come to shuffle of this mortal coil, I will be pissing in my pants and begging for just a few more minutes of sweet existence from the nearest conveniently located diety. However, for the purposes of an academic or philosophical discussion, I believe it is important to realize that a fear of our mortal nature is a primitive thing.