Death time line

Yes, I would certainly want to know how and when I was going to die.

I was surprised to read in earlier comments that more than one person would use this knowledge to take revenge on people who had hurt them. I think putting a finite time frame on my life (especially if it was relatively short) would help me finally get over past pain because it would mean I probably wouldn't have to risk of running into that person again. I would, instead, use the knowledge to influence my investing (I know that's nerdy, but how would nice would it be to know exactly how much retirement money you'll need and how much longer you have to work?) and to travel and spend time with the people I love the most. I'd want to spend my days as happy and busy as possible to keep my mind off my looming death and to suck the marrow out of the rest of my short days.

I've mentioned before on this space that I currently work on the block that separates the White House from the main World Bank office, and I live on Capital Hill. I've talked with my geographically similar friends many times about where we would want to be if The Bomb went off. Obviously, the first choice is to be as far away as possible. But if you're going to be in the blast zone, would you rather be killed instantly or live in horrible pain from radiation poisoning? Most of my friends said they'd rather die instantly and avoid the pain. But I would want to live. I don't care how much pain I was in, I would want that last bit of time to call or see the people I love one more time, to say goodbye and I love you. Plus, I figure, if it was really so intolerable that I wanted to die, I could always kill myself, on my own terms and by my own decision. And who knows? Maybe I could be saved.

If you could only know one thing about your death--the how or the when--which would you pick? I think I'd rather know the when so I could plan out the rest of my life to drain every once of enjoyment from it. I think if I only knew how I was going to die, it would make me too paranoid. What if I found out I was going to die in a plane crash? Wouldn't I avoid planes--not just for my own life, but for everyone else's sake who would be flying with me? Or what if it was some seemingly small disease--wouldn't I turn into a total hypochondriac?

I once wrote out my fantasy obituary. I'd highly recommend that as an exercise to anyone!