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The Denial of Death

Ernest Becker
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TLDR
The Denial of Death as mentioned in this paper is an answer to the "why" of human existence, which sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing.
Abstract
Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work,The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie -- man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing.

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Book ChapterDOI

Terror Management Theory and Research: How the Desire for Death Transcendence Drives Our Strivings for Meaning and Significance

TL;DR: According to the terror management theory as mentioned in this paper, these desires spring from the human awareness of our own vulnerability and mortality, which creates a unique ever-present potential for experiencing terror, and cultural worldviews have been constructed to imbue life with meaning and with possibilities for individuals to attain enduring significance.
Journal ArticleDOI

Special Article: Death Anxiety Research: The State of the Art

TL;DR: A review of promising approaches to the assessment of death attitudes, as well as a number of theoretical, methodological, and practical issues surrounding their use can be found in this paper, with the focus on the quality and quantity of future research.
Journal ArticleDOI

The dreams of people high and low in materialism

TL;DR: This article found that people who focus on the pursuit of money and goods may suffer from an underlying feeling of insecurity, have poor interpersonal relationships, and have a low or contingent sense of self-esteem.
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