SOCIOL 1A06 Lecture Notes - George Herbert Mead, Nuclear Family, Interpersonal Communication
16 Dec 2012
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Knowing that they could die at any moment makes people anxious, and to cope with that anxiety, people normally deny death. Religion is one example of the way people deny death. Another example is trying to maintain the appearance of being young. Determinism: the belief that everything happens the way it does because it is destined to happen that way. (fait) Voluntarism: the belief that we control our destiny . Cosmetic surgery has become much more popular since the 1990"s. Denying death makes it harder to figure out how best to live well and being happy. Pursuing youthfulness distracts people from accepting growth and allowing them to realize who they really are and what makes them happy in life. Refusing to deny death focuses the mind on how best to live. Higher education can help people focus on how best to live. High education is devoted to that; it is not just about job training.
