The Apeiron Blog

Jon Hawkins

Apr 18, 2020

The Secret to a Better Life? Spend More Time in Graveyards

Lessons learnt from Martin Heidegger’s “Being and Time.”

Photo by Simeon Muller on Unsplash

German Philosopher, Martin Heidegger, spent most of his childhood in a rural religious town. He
loved picking mushrooms, walking in the countryside, and going to bed early.

Such a simplistic lifestyle influenced his outlook on life, along with his work — to which he
dedicated most of his time studying Existential Philosophy.

He engaged rigorously with Kant, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and many other key thinkers. And,
when the time came in 1927, he published his work “Being and Time” — which has since been
hailed one of the most significant texts in contemporary European Philosophy.
It reflects simple truths about the meaning of life and the sicknesses of our time. And, when
utilised correctly, these lessons can pave the way for a more fulfilling, meaningful, and content
life.

Dasein (“Being”)

Human beings suffer a variety of diseases of the soul.

First and foremost, according to Martin Heidegger, we have forgotten to notice we are alive. In
our day to day existence, we fail to properly acknowledge our own existence — something which
Heidegger calls Dasein (being).

We enter a state of auto-drive. We undergo certain actions, letting events and experiences happen
to us; without properly acknowledging that we are the conscious being experiencing them.

In effect, we see things as if we are a mere bystander who lets them happen,without
acknowledging that we are the ones in control.

We work, eat, sleep — without consciously thinking. And before long, all those experiences are
forgotten.

Heidegger admits — we do occasionally acknowledge our Dasein. But such acknowledgement

is a rarity: perhaps late at night, when we have been alone all day, or on a walk through the
countryside.

It’s in these moments, according to Heidegger, that we begin to acknowledge the strangeness of
reality. We begin to ask questions such as:

 Why things exist.

 Why there’s something rather than nothing.

And a variety of other deep questions about the nature of being.

It’s in these moments we begin to wrestle with an opposing idea — das-nicht (the nothing). We
begin to acknowledge how fortunate we are to be alive: because at any moment, “the nothing”
could take away our being.

It’s by asking such questions, that we will begin to gain a genuine appreciation for our dasein —
and begin to acknowledge that we are alive, and we are lucky to be so.

“We still by no means think decisively enough about the essence of action.”

The Unity of Being

A second truth we often forget, is that all being is connected.

To appreciate this truth requires us to take a more expansive view of reality: to acknowledge that
people, and ladybirds, clouds, or even that cup of coffee you are drinking — are all in existence
right now.

And it’s this one property that fundamentally unites everything in existence: we all share being
(dasein).

Of course, Heidegger points out, our jobs & impinge on our ability to acknowledge this— it
requires us to be egoistic, and treat other people and things as means, rather than ends. We
exploit raw materials, animals and other people: to achieve our goals.

But, on rare occasions, we all acquire this expansive view where we realise the true connectedness
of reality.

Heidegger believes we should use these moments as a cure for alienation and egoism.

It will also help us to achieve a better appreciation of the time and moments we do have left on
earth; before das-nichts takes away your being.

You should, therefore, use these experiences to acknowledge that every person around you,
object, and animal has a dasein (being). Respect this being, rather than using it to your advantage.

More importantly, recognise your own being — and appreciate every waking second of it,
because it won’t be long before das-nicht takes it away.

“Let himself be drawn hither by the coercion of the phenomena themselves.”

Live For Yourself

The final problem Heidegger points out is that most of us fail to live for ourselves.

Of course, we aren’t quite free to do exactly what we want. Each and every one of us has been
thrown into a life, environment and culture which restricts our path to some degree. We are
subject to archaic prejudices, practical necessities, and rigid attitudes which are given to us at
birth.

According to Heidegger, it is the Philosopher who thinks closely about these things — and
attempts to overcome this “throwness” (“Gerwofenheit”) by trying to understand exactly what
environment he has been “thrown into.”

In essence, we must closely appreciate and understand the culture, time and everything that comes
with it before rising above it — and acting in accordance with our own values, rather than
those set before us.

It’s only then that we will make the move from “inauthenticity” to “authenticity.” — We will
begin to live for ourselves.
Problem is, according to Heidegger, we fail miserably at this task. We give in to the societal mode
of thinking, acting in accordance with a path set before us — what we see on television, or read in
the newspaper.

Heidegger calls this problematic way of living in accordance with the “they-self” rather than
“ourselves.”

So, Heidegger asks — how do you overthrow the “they- self” and instead live for “ourselves?”

Focus on Death.

To begin truly living for ourselves, Heidegger argues we must focus on, and truly appreciate our
upcoming and impending death.

We must realise that nothing and nobody can save us from das-nichts.

It’s only in doing so that we will stop living for other people, worrying what others think, and stop
wasting all of our energy trying to impress others we don’t even like.

Instead, we will begin to live for ourselves, acknowledging that every second of every day carries
with it an important, and rare opportunity of being.

That then is the secret to living life to the fullest — we must fully appreciate our being, and we
can do so by acknowledging the fact that it will one day end.

And to achieve this, Heidegger argued in a 1961 lecture that we should —

“Spend more time in graveyards.”

In doing so, we will stop wasting our being and time on things we don’t really want, and instead
only commit to actions that bring us joy, happiness and contentment.

“If I take death into my life, acknowledge it, and face it squarely, I will free myself from the
anxiety of deathand the pettiness of life — and only then will I be free to become myself. ”

The Takeaway

Heidegger presented some of the most important truths of Existential Philosophy.

He diagnosed human existence with a variety of diseases of the soul, before outlining some home-
spun truths about how we can live a better life:

 Stop acting as mere bystanders. Instead, fully appreciate your existence. Do so

by properly asking questions about the nature of your being, and acknowledging
just how lucky you are to be here.
  Achieve a state of sonder — rather than egotistically using objects and people
as a means to benefit yourself, acknowledge that we are all connected by one
common property: we all have being and exist in the present moment.
 Finally, stop living for other people — in accordance with the “they-self.”
Instead, rise above societal ideology, prejudices and rigid attitudes in order start
living for yourself. Do so by focusing on death. Your time on earth is limited,
utilise it carefully, and stop wasting it.

“The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking.”