Born for One Thing

Terror Management Theory. "The greatest fear of all" and "the primal fear of disappearing" are referencing the fear of dying. Humans are unique in that we are one of the few (if not the only) species capable of the awareness of our own mortality. This has strong implications that are not necessarily obvious.\n\nWe tame this fear by creating the illusion of immortality. Even though our earthly bodies may decompose and disappear, we can continue living after death by participating in activities that will continue after we die.\n\nThe reasoning behind religion (belief in an afterlife), political views, self-esteem, sports teams affiliations, hedonism, etc. can all be explained by Terror Management Theory.\n\nJust about everything that we do is to hide/tame the greatest fear of all.

Terror Management Theory. "The greatest fear of all" and "the primal fear of disappearing" are referencing the fear of dying. Humans are unique in that we are one of the few (if not the only) species capable of the awareness of our own mortality. This has strong implications that are not necessarily obvious.\n\nWe tame this fear by creating the illusion of immortality. Even though our earthly bodies may decompose and disappear, we can continue living after death by participating in activities that will continue after we die.\n\nThe reasoning behind religion (belief in an afterlife), political views, self-esteem, sports teams affiliations, hedonism, etc. can all be explained by Terror Management Theory.\n\nJust about everything that we do is to hide/tame the greatest fear of all.

Terror Management Theory. "The greatest fear of all" and "the primal fear of disappearing" are referencing the fear of dying. Humans are unique in that we are one of the few (if not the only) species capable of the awareness of our own mortality. This has strong implications that are not necessarily obvious.\n\nWe tame this fear by creating the illusion of immortality. Even though our earthly bodies may decompose and disappear, we can continue living after death by participating in activities that will continue after we die.\n\nThe reasoning behind religion (belief in an afterlife), political views, self-esteem, sports teams affiliations, hedonism, etc. can all be explained by Terror Management Theory.\n\nJust about everything that we do is to hide/tame the greatest fear of all.

This song is about the ultimate purpose of our lives, which according to many philosophers throughout history is to come to terms with our own immortality. In the face of immortality, our lives are in many ways absurd. We keep forming attachments throughout our lives, things we value and don't want to lose, possession, love, children, our home. We do that in spite of the fact that we know deep down we lose all of that with death, we are eventually going to lose everything. Our immortality is probably the hardest thing to accept in life, which is why man has come up with all kinds of strategies aimed at denying it, religious belief, superstition, the idea of an immaterial, eternal substance (soul). All these thought constructs are totally lacking in evidence to support them if you look at them critically and soberly, but yet they reign supreme because they fulfill a deep rooted emotional desire to live on after physical death.

[Edit: Typing error]