Most people hate death as a thief of life, the bringer of sorrow and lamentation, and a scary, ultimate journey whose immediate destination is still a subject of speculation. However, all evidence retrospective of the beginning of life on Earth points to a rather radical suggestion that death could be a liberator in its active actuality. Let me tell you why – in respect to human existence.

For one, humans have, up to now, done exactly zilch to dodge death. In fact,and from a critical perspective, all humans have done on this planet is to devise myriad and more effective ways of risking their own existence. From manufactured diseases and weapons of mass destruction to instigating climate change and sparking horrific armed conflicts, humans have always had one goal: Self-destruction, albeit unconsciously.

Therefore, from this human example, we can deduce that the primary goal of any intelligent species is to find the most efficient and fast ways of exterminating its own self. Ever wonder why the most advanced technologies always originate from weapons research? Exactly. But even if death doesn’t come from outside forces like wars, catastrophes, and epidemics, an organism is intrinsically tasked with self-extermination from the inside. That’s why there are diseases that originate from within an organism without necessity for external infection. Cancer, for example. Also, that’s why people age. Old age is in itself a fail-safe for assured eventual death of any organism.

In essence, death can sometimes come as a liberator to prevent extended suffering of a species looking for painful ways to kill itself. This leaves you with one conclusion: That the only reason you’re still alive is because you haven’t either killed yourself or you haven’t been killed, yet. That said, you’ll agree that except from an emotional point of view fueled by the fear of the unknown and loss of those you’re emotionally connected to, there’s no real reason to hate or fear death. You live so you can eventually die. There are no two ways about that.

And by the way, what the heck is death in the first place? There’s only one way to find out…