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Small-Scale Question Sunday for February 12, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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Death is bad for those who die because death deprives them of good things they would otherwise have. That's a classic Nagel's deprivation account, but I feel like it's imprecise? Death deprives us of many opportunities: work, relationships, family. But as we get older and weaker, those opportunities become fewer and fewer. We feel more sorry for the dead young girl than for the old woman. The result is that the badness of death diminishes rapidly with age. But aging isn't just the cause of diminishing ability; it's also the main cause of death itself. The result is a vicious circle: that which reduces our capacities kills us and at the same time justifies death. We need to show that death itself is bad at any age.

We feel more sorry for the dead young girl than for the old woman.

I think this is more due to loss of potential lifespan than it is the younger state of her body.