"If I Keep Moving, I'm Not Dead"

"There seems to be a popular illusion: The more we deny death, the more life we have. The deluded thinking suggests that if we have less of one (death), then we have more of the other (life). Or, if we simply pretend that death isn't an option, then it might go away. The attractive deception is based on the belief that life and death are unrelated. This notion easily morphs into a series of life-denying behaviors, which result in numerous exaggerations of life."

"1. Our adoration of speed. We love speed. How quickly the internet delivers information, how fast a car travels, how quickly a work assignment is accomplished, how quickly we transition from one task to another, or how quickly we become acquainted with someone are all cherished dynamics. Speed vaults us out of the present moment into the unfolding next moment. Of course, if we're moving, then we are likely not dead. How alive are we when driven by haste?"

Confronting mortality requires acknowledging limited options around death and dying and facing associated emotions such as fear, regret, worry, and sadness. Denial of death creates an illusion that avoiding death increases life and promotes beliefs that life and death are unrelated. Denial manifests as life-distorting behaviors and exaggerations that reduce genuine aliveness. Examples include adoration of speed, which propels people out of the present and favors haste over presence, and excessive task orientation, where doing more substitutes for truly living. Rapid speech and relentless activity can mask avoidance and produce a life half-lived.

Read at Psychology Today