I don't think I've ever been afraid of death. I just wanted to be okay with how I lived my life.
Curious, do you have kids? I now have a fear of death I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have children. I have a huge sense of obligation. I need to stick around for them. My two oldest know what I do for a living. They don’t like that I travel so much for Forever Labs. The other night my daughter asked if storing your stem cells could make you not die? I said that I believe it will help people live longer and healthier. She then asked if anyone was trying to figure out how to keep people alive forever? I said that many people are trying and that it will take many approaches, including stem cells. She then said, “daddy, I don’t care if you have to travel. Just fix it.”
I do not have kids, and you're absolutely right. I would be terrified to die if I did. I think what I meant is it isn't the "death" part itself that scares me, it's what would happen as a result. I wouldn't be around for the people that need me most, and I wouldn't have been able to do all the things I wanted to do. The concept of ceasing to exist doesn't scare me on its own. I'm glad to hear your daughter feels good about that. Few friends grew up with parents who traveled a lot for business.