Editor—While probably no one would want to argue for the desirability of a slow, painful death, I do not think that everyone would want to agree with Indrayan's belief that a sudden death is the best way to die.1 I certainly do not.
In medieval times a good death was a prepared death. Books were published on the art of dying and generally it was believed that a sudden, unprepared death was something horrible, maybe even a sign of being damned. A sudden death would not allow for confession of sins, last rites, last goodbyes, sorting of one's affairs, etc. In some ways more recent publications like Kübler-Ross's books could be seen of promoting a similar view—progressing through the stages of dealing with one's diagnosis and prognosis one can develop something like a new peace and even joy in the face of death.
Isn't the modern wish for a sudden, unexpected death just another aspect of the general denial of our mortality?
References
- 1.Indrayan A. Can I choose the cause of my death? BMJ. 2001;322:1003. . (21 April.) [Google Scholar]