Comment by aaron695 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by aaron695 | Hacker News Reader

There is nothing more stupid than doing a will or getting life insurance. The other advice is worth thinking about.

There is no imaginary place in the sky where you can look down after your death and see people happy because you left them money or less stress.

Live life for the present and future. Not for the nothing.

Sure, game theory might throw a spanner in the works for the now and future-

- Your partner having a will / life insurance might be important, so you have to get one for quid quo pro.

- You might be stuck being stupid and it'll help you relax. Humans are weird.

- Stupid people might judge you or smart people might sham you (Since wills probably benefit society)

But this crutch we can get, that in death my kids and wife will be happy, a false safety valve, can be more destructive to your life than the reasons above.

WTF? I can't believe this is the top comment.

I don't believe in life after death, but I do believe that the world will continue to exist after I die. And in that world, chances are good that my wife and kid will still be alive, but I will not be earning money to support them. Planning for that scenario is not stupid at all. It has nothing to do with how I or anyone else will feel, unless you count "hungry" as a feeling.

Really?

Making sure that the financial needs of your loved ones are met if you do depart in a sudden manner, is the most selfless thing you can do. It has nothing to do about making you feel happy, it has everything to do with being pragmatic so that they have one less thing to worry about.

Not dying and living life is both selfish and (one hopes) better for your loved ones.

But that's hard. It means you have to be healthy. Reduce stress. Spend quality time with people.

Filling out a will is an easy escape.

Doing the best for yourself and loved ones is hard. The second half of the article touches on this.

>> There is nothing more stupid than doing a will or getting life insurance.

This is extraordinarily variable based on where you are in your life. If you have a lot of assets or a family that depends on your income, a will and life insurance can make sense. If you are like me, a single, 26 year old who has a decent job, some assets, but that's it, it's a waste of time and money.

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