Why You Should Think About Death Five Times a Day

Contemplation of mortality makes you happier

Photo by Gaurav Bagdi on Unsplash

Don’t forget, you’re going to die

A Bhutanese proverb says that you should meditate on that fact five times a day. In Bhutan, one of the poorest and one of the happiest countries in the world, the dead are everywhere. The ashes of the cremated are formed into items called tsa tsas and installed in public squares. Funerals go on for weeks. Death in Bhutan — I’m told; I’ve never been — is everywhere.

Enter We Croak. The app sends me a notification five times a day that reads, don’t forget, you’re going to die. The reminder is accompanied by a quote that is usually about death, although the connection isn’t always clear.

Quote from We Croak app. Screenshot by author.

The notifications come at random times so you don’t know when to expect them. Much like death itself. I’ll be writing an article or doing the dishes or watching a movie when I get the reminder. Don’t forget.

I don’t live in Bhutan. You probably don’t either. You probably live, like I do, in a culture that denies death. We don’t like to think about it. We don’t like to talk about it…