What "The Good Place" has taught me about death
Death. A complete cession of the vital functions of an organism; The end of life. We cannot define life without death, yet the word alone emits fear, loathing, and sadness among many.
The fear of death is so common that everyone, from scholars to religious leaders, has prompted research on the topic. According to a 2017 survey on American Fears, 20.3% of Americans are afraid of dying. To die is to no longer be able to fulfill your dreams. It means not caring for your family, friends, and the people you love. Many fear the aspect of pain that may come with death. At the same time, many are afraid of being forgotten.
But what if you could live without death? What would you do?
This question is asked throughout the 2016 sitcom fantasy, "The Good Place."
The Good Place
The premise of the show is that four characters believe they are in heaven, or "the good place," only to realize that they are, in fact, in "the bad place." Over time, the characters attempt to get out of this "bad place," ultimately uncovering that the system that determines their "morality" is incredibly flawed due to the advancements of civilization.
In the show's finale, the characters make it to the actual "good place." Once again, they realize that something is off about the environment. They recognize that the citizens of the good place are miserable. A character explains that they can get whatever they want but can not cease to exist, which means an essentially immortal life after death.
I want to examine this fear of death through this example. More so, I argue that the existence of death is necessary for living a fulfilling life.
Boredom
A common reason why death is necessary is that we would get bored and tired. Our days would become monotonous, and we would eventually need more new experiences to find joy in. In The Good Place, the citizens could get what they wanted in the blink of an eye. While innovation will always occur, there comes a point where even things that are "new" may seem all too familiar. This idea and the fact that they could get everything without effort may have been a part of why they were unfulfilled and why death is needed.
Meaningful Decisions
At the same time, an issue with no death is the lack of meaningful decision-making that comes with having limited time. Life is nothing more than a series of events and milestones to meet. We go to school for a specific time and are expected to get married by a certain age, all to eventually retire. While I disagree with this timeline, this sense of running out of time motivates us to live. It is because we know we do not have forever that our decisions are meaningful. Even the decision to create life is often limited to a certain age due to health complications. Thus, in having unlimited time, our decisions would be meaningless.
At one point in The Good Place, the characters are stuck in a loop where they do not realize they are in “the bad place.” They are unaware of this loop, so they try each time without fail to make their actions count and change the future.
When they are made aware of the loops, their decisions become more reckless and less thought out. These actions are because they know it won’t make a difference. Knowing that time is limited motivates us to make meaningful choices with weight and consequences.
Relationships
We could also apply this logic to both romantic and platonic relationships. Relationships gain depth and meaning through shared experiences and the passage of time. We know that when we form relationships, they are meaningful because we choose to spend time together, time out of our lives that we won't get back.
In The Good Place, a fundamental relationship is one between two of the main characters, Eleanor and Chidi. A defining moment in their relationship is when Chidi realizes that he wants to cease to exist. Though it is painful for Eleanor, she discovers in the end that she has to let Chidi go. That symbol of time and commitment is what makes the relationship meaningful. If she were to have held on, the value of the relationship would likely change.
The Value of Endings
Ultimately, the characters in The Good Place realize the value of endings. Immortality, without death, ultimately results in having no closure. The show suggests that having a defined endpoint to life adds significance to our experiences and actions. The end solution was not to have less opportunity and freedom but rather to allow an ending to life through what they called “the door.” This door allowed anyone to simply cease existing in a suitable place when they choose to do so. While this may be different than having an unplanned death, it still provides the values that we associate with life. Values such as discovering new things, meaningful decision-making, impactful relationships, and ultimately, I argue that there would not be a "life" to live. Rather than living, we would exist with no fulfillment.
Applying death to live a more meaningful life:
We must acknowledge that life can end at any time for any reason. While I might want to live longer, the reality is that my life will end. Because of this, we should use the time we have to live as well as we can. By recognizing the morality of life, it gives a more significant weight to our actions. That pressure is scary, but ultimately, this is what gives life meaning.
Conclusions
To conclude, living a good life means the ability to die. It is death that makes us live the way we do. The Good Place reminds us of this because the show questions the meaning of death and life. So, if I had the choice to live forever, I would not because so long as there is no death, there is no life.
"The wave returns to the ocean. What the ocean does with the water after that is anyone's guess. But as a very wise not-robot once told me, true joy is in the mystery." - The Good Place.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/death#google_vignette
https://medium.com/@fostaseski/life-and-death-are-of-supreme-importance-ac5f7f5ea3e7
https://terveengill.com/10-reasons-why-death-is-necessary/
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/thinking-about-death-can-make-your-life-better