You Can Mitigate the Fear of Death by Finding Meaning in Life

As individuals enter their senior years, there is no avoiding thoughts of their own mortality.

- Jeffery Tan

But in Asia, the topic of death is often met with fear, discomfort, or an emphatic "Choy!" response, as it is considered too inauspicious to even mention. However, approaching mortality with intentionality and meaning can profoundly enhance the quality of life in one's later years.

The Singapore Department of Statistics and the World Population Report rank Singapore as seventh in the world for life expectancy, with an average of 84.27 years. This is behind Asian territories like Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan, which rank second, third, and fourth, respectively.

My own conservative benchmark is the psalmist's reference to the typical lifespan being "three score and ten"—in other words, 70. Consequently, living in my sixth decade somehow sharpens the focus on mortality, initiating a form of life "countdown," if you will.

The past year also saw the passing of several friends and contemporaries, prompting one to have a quiet but deeper reflection on how seniors can meaningfully engage with mortality—with the goal of making peace with a human eventuality that is unavoidable.

COPING WITH MORTALITY

The awareness of mortality is a universal human experience, but its impact varies depending on age, culture, and individual circumstances. For seniors, the proximity to the end of life can evoke a range of emotions—from anxiety and sadness to acceptance and even gratitude.

Psychologists have long studied how individuals cope with the awareness of their own mortality, particularly through the lens of terror management theory. This posits that humans manage the anxiety associated with death by adhering to cultural worldviews, pursuing self-esteem, and forming close relationships as coping mechanisms.

For seniors, this theory suggests that finding meaning in life—whether through relationships, legacy-building, or spiritual practices—can mitigate the fear of death. A study published in the journal