Mental Candy is also unhealthy
We look at some of the messages and comfort stories that people tell themselves in order to avoid focusing on the seriousness of age-related illnesses and death.
This is what could be called a paradox. Right now, Death Cafe’s Facebook page, where people go to discuss death, is a very active place. Pages about life extension, on the other hand, are relatively dead. This screenshot shows activity on a Death Cafe posting:
The Death Cafe’s core message is \”don’t worry, death is nothing to fear\” (which, incidentally, implies that you don’t have to engage in any extra effort to prevent death). This message says \”don’t be afraid, death is not something to worry about\” (which implies that you do not have to put in extra effort to avoid death). The message on a life extension site is \”death can be a problem but we can overcome it with some effort.\” It’s like a kiosk offering free candy next to one that serves overcooked broccoli, then tells you that you could get a nice gift in decades to come if you work hard for it. Which kiosk would you rather go to? Exactly.
Source:
https://www.leafscience.org/mental-candy-is-also-unhealthy/
