Challenges Of Mortality

Superior Essays
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, humans go through five stages in their lives. The last stage of development is self-actualization, which is the stage responsible for human’s need of conquering challenges. In fact, society provides everyone with similar challenges to conquer, such as earning good grades, maintaining a healthy relationship...etc. Although the aforementioned challenges are already overwhelming and difficult, they are not human’s greatest challenge. Furthermore, these tasks are tangible, meaning they can eventually accomplished through effort and work. However, one challenge is almost impossible to conquer, and that is facing mortality. The reason humans find confronting mortality difficult is that humans instinctively …show more content…
For this reason, Morrie seeks comfort in religion to blind his anxiety. In fact, the Epicurean philosopher Lucretius proposes that: “...it is the uncertainties and perils of mortal life that lead us to believe that the gods control the natural world.” (Jong) Thus, the quote further supports that humans’ innate fear prevents one from directly facing mortality, and instead choosing to escape through religion. Another quote also metaphorically reflects human’s natural fear of death: “ ‘My God, this is terrible,’ the wave says. ‘Look what’s going to happen to me!’...’ We’re all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn’t it terrible?’(Albom 179) The phrase of “being nothing” can represent the afterlife result, as humans possibly will decay and have no physical or even spiritual sign of presence. In fact, the wave’s fear demonstrates the natural reaction of humans learning an unacceptable …show more content…
I mourn the slow, insidious way in which I’m dying.”(Albom 57) Morrie lost what is essential for human body regulation, which is his physical well-being. By losing his physical well-being, Morrie demoralized, which affects his mentality to not admit mortality. On the other hand, Morrie's loss of dancing ability combines both physical and spiritual destruction. Through Morrie’s words, readers are able to empathize Morrie’s sorrow: “ I envy them being able to go to the health club, or go for a swim. Or dance. Mostly for dancing.”(Albom 119) For Morrie, the loss of ability to dance, not only indicates his health decay but also his mentality decay. The sense of loss affected his mentality because dance was originally one of his spiritual supports that provided him joy. However, at this time, the lack of spirit weakens Morrie’s mentality to not face mortality. To summarize, human’s innate sense of loss implements one’s adversity to confront mortality. In addition, human’s inborn feeling of regret and dissatisfaction also supplement the reason humans find facing mortality the greatest challenge. The word mortality clarifies as having a limited

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