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1-Page Summary of The Denial Of Death
Overall Summary
The Denial of Death is a book about the human condition. It discusses why we exist, why we deny our own mortality, and what it all means. The author has spent his entire life studying this subject and has come to some interesting conclusions. He won a Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1974 but died before he could receive the award due to terminal cancer. His final work, Escape from Evil, was published posthumously in 1979.
In “The Denial of Death”, Becker argues that we all have a fear of our own mortality. We refuse to talk about death and avoid thinking about it, but we know deep down that someday we will die. Therefore, humans create culture to distract themselves from this fact and feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves.
Becker reveals that when people feel like they’re part of a group, it makes them feel powerful. This power can make them act in ways that are harmful to others who don’t believe as they do. He explains that culture, religion and politics cause wars because we cling to the social constructs associated with those things and feel invincible because of it.
Significantly, Becker criticizes Freudian views. Instead, he brings together psychology, mysticism, and religion to try to find a unified way forward in understanding the human condition. He believes that everything is interconnected and that it’s impossible to understand religion without understanding the psychology behind it.
Everyone wants to live a meaningful life. We all feel existential dread if we think that we are born only to die. This explains why we look for purpose and meaning in everything, from philosophy and religion to nationality and more. Becker argues that the Denial of Death doesn’t ask us to give up on happiness but rather, accept that nothing lasts forever. Above all, he says, be brave enough to face death head-on so you can move beyond meaningless social constructs like nationalism.
Becker encourages readers to have faith that there is a greater creative force at work in the universe. This creative force has no name, and it doesn’t belong to any organized group or religion. It’s larger than us, so we should accept its presence and trust that things will turn out okay even though we’re not always aware of what’s going on around us.
Critics say that having faith in a higher power is just as futile as believing in manmade religions. However, Becker believes that there are differences between the two. Manmade systems cause war, but pure faith inspires peace and virtue. If we all simply believed in something bigger than ourselves, then we would be united and wouldn’t have much left to fight about.
Becker urges readers to ask themselves why they allow man-made cultural norms to dictate their lives. We are afraid of death, and we want to belong to something that is tangible and everlasting. Leaders take advantage of us because they’re also afraid of death, but the point is that we already do belong to something everlasting—we just don’t know what it is or how to find it. Instead of chasing a purpose that doesn’t exist, we should embrace our true nature.
Becker reminds us that we are the only creatures who think about death. We spend our lives trying to figure out how to live forever, but in reality, we’re already living forever by existing right now.
This book discusses the work of several psychoanalysts, such as Kierkegaard, Rank and Freud. They all ask similar questions about why we exist and what life means to us. Religion is an important part of our lives because it helps us find meaning in our existence.
