Is it better die a little inside or better to die on the outside?

[Howard Roark]

Is it better die a little inside or better to die on the outside?


The question arose earlier whether one can even die inside, and what that means. For that matter what does dying outside even mean?

And if we have an inside and an outside, surely one or both must die correct?


"Every man dies, but not every man truly dies inside."

[Kiarax]

Christ tells us we must hate our entire family and our own lives if we wish to be His disciple.

[BRP]

Stop smoking pot.

[Alishe]

Die on the inside, because ugly people are gross.

[Howard Roark]

for me the key point is how the outside can live without the inside inside and vice versa


you really have to look at yourself inside from outside to see how others outside see you before you can get inside the mindset of others outside you

if I can't do that I'd rather die

[Max™]

If by die inside, you mean dismantle yourself, then I have done that.

I have deliberately thrown away everything I have ever owned, so that I could honestly be free.

In discarding my things, I also discarded what sense of self I had attached to them, and learned how to throw away that sense of self as well.


I am free, and sane, and happy.

It is good to die inside now and then, keeps the mind honest, and life fresh.

[Shiroikage]

That is not what he means at all.

[Howard Roark]

how the hell did you dismantle your inside? and why when referring to your inside have you mentioned how tossed all your possessions

you seemed more weighed down by this alleged dismantling than any kind of yuppy who still hasn't heard you-are-not-your-khaki's


I think people get bogged down by thoughts of their inside and get confused with what is really important, that which is outside of them



but enough of that, which death is better, or more importantly: which is worse?

[Max™]

Ok then, explain please, what do you mean die on the inside?

I meant literally killing off what you are as a person, letting go of everything you thought you knew or believed, of your loves, hopes, dreams, your joys, your pain, anything.

It started when I lost everything I owned years ago, and later on several times I wound up in a situation where I ended up choosing to let go of everything.

I have now let go of my very identity, and each time a little bit of me died inside.

I learned from that though, and explored it, and eventually let go of everything for the sake of simple curiousity. To see if I could kill the me that I knew myself to be.


It is better to die on the inside, it is an interesting experience.

[fishstix]

Excluding the possibility of an afterlife and hell, I'd say it's better to be dead on the outside. If you're dead on the inside and not really living life, that takes away the purpose of being alive.

[Max™]

What is the purpose of living?

If your body is still alive, you can rebuild your "self" if you try.

[fishstix]

If you have the motivation or will to try, then maybe you didn't really die fully on the inside.

[Howard Roark]

"I died a little inside that day" is an oft used phrase, many times people turn to religion after because they feel a part of them is missing.

Other times it is more literal although no one uses the phrase in english this way, but all of our internal organs are inside (duh) and if these die or are damaged enough it can lead to death

without answering your question just yet, I don't want to be too specific and cut off any discussion, I want to see some people's answers first


dying on the outside should be obvious

[Howard Roark]

What is the purpose of living?

If your body is still alive, you can rebuild your "self" if you try.

you're taking it too literally, I think you almost have it though

[Max™]

It was more intentional than just an arbitrary act, an exploration of what it meant to be myself, by considering if I could destroy myself.

You can do a good job of it if you try, but the body keeps going whether you're in there or not.


If you think someone can completely die inside without trying to do it, I don't think they were really alive at all.

Most people are barely awake though.

[Max™]

you're taking it too literally, I think you almost have it though

I probably know what you mean, but I think you haven't taken it literally enough.

Death is an ending, it is the last letting go.

Consider what it means to kill your self, without killing your body.

I got the inspiration from various buddhist sort of schools of thought back when I was actively studying religions.


As an example of killing parts of yourself, I am serious when I say I do not believe in ANYTHING. I killed that part of me, it is not there anymore. I rebuilt myself without it.

I do not worry, I killed the nagging voice in my head that tells me things are not good enough, threw it aside and scraped out the hole that was left.

I do not desire things, I killed the urge to possess anything.

I do not hope, I killed the part of me that hopes, as hope is based in part on belief, and with the death of belief, hope went with it.



I am thankful for my woman, because without her I fear there is very little left to remind myself that I am human. I do not feel human, but I love her, and she is human, so I must be as well.

[The Stig]

I use the "died a little inside" as "lost a bit of faith/hope" in whatever

[Max™]

Exactly!

I have no faith, so by that argument I would be quite dead inside in many aspects.

[Khamsin]

Since this is incredibly vague, are you asking if it's better to be an unscrupulous, amoral asshole or die?

Simple answer: For the asshole, it's better to live and be an asshole. For the rest of us, it's better if they die.

But really, there's no changing anything after literal death, so no matter how much your insides have "died", if you're still living then you still have a chance to do something about it... if it even bothers you that you're dead on the inside in the first place.

Possible scenarios to complicate matters may include situations where you have the choice to sacrifice yourself to save many (whether it be putting yourself in danger to save others, or simply not giving in to torture when other lives are at stake). But in general, what I said above applies.

[sephir]

when I found out Santa Claus wasn't real I died a little on the inside