October 17, 2025
This is one of those questions that sounds like a fun hypothetical until you actually try to answer it, then it gets uncomfortably real.
Both options are terrible.
If you knew when, you’d live your whole life with a countdown clock in your head. Every year, every month, every “see you next time” would have a quiet asterisk next to it. You’d be doing math at every birthday party: only twelve more of these to go.
But if you knew how… well, good luck living a normal life. Imagine being told, “Car accident.” You’d start walking everywhere. “Falling object”? You’d never set foot near a construction site again. “Heart attack”? Goodbye bacon, hello kale. And yet, somehow, that anxiety might still follow you. Because knowing the how just gives you one more thing to fear, and no way to stop it.
I think most people say they don’t want to know either, that they’d rather be surprised, but I don’t buy it. We want control. We want to plan. We want to live like there’s meaning to the timing of it all. But death doesn’t RSVP. It just shows up when it’s ready, whether you’re mid-laugh or mid-laundry.
The older I get, the more I realize that not knowing is probably the greatest gift we have. If we knew, we’d obsess over the finish line instead of enjoying the road. We’d live cautiously instead of curiously.
So, no thanks, I’ll take the mystery. I’d rather not count the days or fear the details. I just want to make the time I do have worth missing when it’s gone.
👉 Read the full blog post where I answer this Question of the Day and share the Thought of the Day
🎯 Browse the full Question of the Day archive here →
✉️ Get Daily Questions and Thoughts Sent to You
Take a minute a day to reflect, think, and maybe even smile.
Join our free daily email.
💬 Your Turn
So… would you rather know when you’re going to die or how it will happen?
Share your answer in the comments or on social — your weird little truth might be someone else’s comfort zone.
Leave a Reply