The Denial of Death
Ernest Becker's extraordinary book, The Denial of Death.
Irvin D. Yalom • Staring at the Sun
man’s tragic destiny: he must desperately justify himself as an object of primary value in the universe; he must stand out, be a hero, make the biggest possible contribution to world life, show that he counts more than anything or anyone else.
Ernest Becker • The Denial of Death
Since the main task of human life is to become heroic and transcend death, every culture must provide its members with an intricate symbolic system that is covertly religious. This means that ideological conflicts between cultures are essentially battles between immortality projects, holy wars.