The ultimate tragedy of the human condition is our awareness of our inevitable mortality. Each person is born with a death sentence. The developing child initially discovers the traumatic reality that their parents will die and later that they themselves will eventually die. This reality is too terrifying to tolerate, so the child must resort to psychological defenses. However, defensive solutions such as denial and religious beliefs that offer respite from death attempt to block out the pain, but never fully eliminate death anxiety. Death awareness has a powerful effect on every aspect of human life.

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