ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Stephen Cave - Philosopher
Philosopher Stephen Cave wants to know: Why is humanity so obsessed with living forever?

Why you should listen

Stephen Cave is a writer and philosopher who is obsessed with our obsession with immortality. In 2012 he published Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization, an inquiry into humanity's rather irrational resistance to the inevitability of death. Cave moves across time and history's major civilizations and religions to explore just what drives this instinct -- and what that means for the future. Cave writes for The Financial Times and contributes to The New York Times, The Guardian and Wired.

More profile about the speaker
Stephen Cave | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxBratislava

Stephen Cave: The 4 stories we tell ourselves about death

Stephen Cave: Hadithi nne tunazoambia nafsi zetu kuhusu kifo

Filmed:
2,486,724 views

Mwanaphilosophia Steven Cave anaanza kwa swali lenye kazi lakini la kulazimisha kufikiria:Lini ulitambua utakuja kufa?Na cha kusisimua zaidi:Kwa nini wanadamu huwa tunakwepa kifo?Katika hotuba hii ya kuvutia Bwana Cave anachambua vitu vinne katika maisha ya binadamu ambapo huwa tunaambia nafsi zetu "ili kutusaidia kupambana na uoga wa kifo"
- Philosopher
Philosopher Stephen Cave wants to know: Why is humanity so obsessed with living forever? Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I have a questionswali:
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Nina swali:
00:14
Who here remembersanakumbuka when they first realizedgundua
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Ni wakina nani hapa walishawahi tambua lini
00:17
they were going to diekufa?
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watakufa?
00:21
I do. I was a youngvijana boymvulana,
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Natambua.Nilikuwa mvulana mdogo,
00:23
and my grandfatherbabu had just diedalikufa,
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na babu yangu alikuwa amefariki,
00:26
and I rememberkumbuka a fewwachache dayssiku laterbaadae lyingkusema uongo in bedkitanda at night
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na nakumbuka siku chache baadaye nikiwa nimelala kitandani wakati wa usiku
00:30
tryingkujaribu to make sensehisia of what had happenedkilichotokea.
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nikijaribu kujiuliza kipi kilichotokea.
00:34
What did it mean that he was deadwamekufa?
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Ilimaanisha nini kwamba amekufa?
00:36
Where had he gonewamekwenda?
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Atakuwa ameenda wapi?
00:38
It was like a holeshimo in realityukweli had openedkufunguliwa up
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Ilikuwa ni kama shimo limefunguka
00:42
and swallowedimemeza him.
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na likammeza.
00:44
But then the really shockingkushangaza
questionswali occurredilitokea to me:
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Na swali la kushtua likanijia:
00:46
If he could diekufa, could it happenkutokea to me too?
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Kama amekufa,inaweza ikanitokea na mimi?
00:50
Could that holeshimo in realityukweli openkufungua up and swallowkumeza me?
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Hilo shimo litafunguka na kunimeza?
00:53
Would it openkufungua up beneathchini my bedkitanda
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Litafunguka chini ya kitanda changu
00:55
and swallowkumeza me as I sleptakalala?
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na kunimeza wakati nimelala?
00:58
Well, at some pointuhakika, all childrenwatoto
becomekuwa awarekufahamu of deathkifo.
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Katika namna fulani,watoto wote wanakuja gundua kuhusu kifo.
01:02
It can happenkutokea in differenttofauti waysnjia, of coursebila shaka,
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Kinaweza kutokea katika njia nyingi tofauti,
01:04
and usuallykwa kawaida comesinakuja in stageshatua.
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na kawaida huja kwa hatua.
01:06
Our ideawazo of deathkifo developshuendelea as we growkukua olderwakubwa.
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Mawazo yetu kuhusu kifo yanakua kadiri tunavyozidi kuzeeka.
01:10
And if you reachfikia back into the darkgiza cornerspembe
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Na kama ukifika katika kona za giza
01:12
of your memorykumbukumbu,
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za kumbukumbu yako,
01:14
you mightnguvu rememberkumbuka something like what I feltwalihisi
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utakumbuka kitu fulani kama nilichohisi mimi
01:17
when my grandfatherbabu diedalikufa and when I realizedgundua
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wakati babu yangu alipofariki na nilipogundua
01:20
it could happenkutokea to me too,
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inaweza kunitokea na mimi pia,
01:22
that sensehisia that behindnyuma all of this
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hiyo maana iliyopo nyuma ya haya yote
01:25
the voidutupu is waitingkusubiri.
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ubatili unangojea.
01:28
And this developmentmaendeleo in childhoodutoto
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Na haya maendeleo katika utoto
01:31
reflectsHuonyesha the developmentmaendeleo of our speciesaina.
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yanaakisi maendeleo ya aina yetu.
01:33
Just as there was a pointuhakika in your developmentmaendeleo
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Kama kulivyokuwa na alama katika maendeleo yako
01:37
as a childmtoto when your sensehisia of selfbinafsi and of time
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kama mtoto wakati utambuzi wako wa nafsi na muda
01:40
becameikawa sophisticatedkisasa enoughkutosha
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ulivyokuja kuchanganyika vya kutosha
01:42
for you to realizekutambua you were mortalkufa,
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kiasi cha wewe kutambua haitaishi milele,
01:46
so at some pointuhakika in the evolutionmageuzi of our speciesaina,
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kwa hiyo katika hali fulani ya mabadiliko yetu,
01:50
some earlymapema human'sya binadamu sensehisia of selfbinafsi and of time
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baadhi ya utambuzi wa binadamu wa nafsi na muda
01:53
becameikawa sophisticatedkisasa enoughkutosha
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ukaja jichanganya vya kutosha.
01:55
for them to becomekuwa the first humanbinadamu to realizekutambua,
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kwa wao kuja kuwa binadamu wa kwanza kutambua,
01:58
"I'm going to diekufa."
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"naelekea kufa"
02:02
This is, if you like, our curselaana.
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Kama unapenda,laana yetu.
02:04
It's the pricebei we paykulipa for beingkuwa so damndamn cleverwajanja.
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Ni gharama tunayolipa kwa kuwa werevu wajinga.
02:08
We have to livekuishi in the knowledgeujuzi
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Tunatakiwa kuishi katika maarifa
02:10
that the worstmbaya zaidi thing that can possiblylabda happenkutokea
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hicho ni kitu kibaya kinachoweza kutokea
02:13
one day surelyhakika will,
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siku moja kwa uhakika,
02:14
the endmwisho of all our projectsmiradi,
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mwisho wa miradi yetu,
02:16
our hopesmatumaini, our dreamsndoto, of our individualmtu binafsi worldulimwengu.
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matumaini yetu,ndoto zetu,katika dunia ya kila mmoja.
02:19
We eachkila mmoja livekuishi in the shadowKivuli of a personalbinafsi
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Tunaishi katika kivuli cha
02:23
apocalypseapocalypse.
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kuwaza mwisho wa dunia.
02:25
And that's frighteninghofu. It's terrifyingkutisha.
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Na inaogopesha.Na kutisha.
02:27
And so we look for a way out.
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Kwa hiyo tunatafuta njia ya kujinasua.
02:29
And in my casekesi, as I was about fivetano yearsmiaka oldzamani,
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Kwa upande wangu,nilipokuwa na miaka mitano,
02:33
this meantmaana yake askingkuuliza my mummama.
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hii ilimaanisha kumuuliza mama yangu.
02:36
Now when I first startedilianza askingkuuliza
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Sasa nilipoanza kuuliza
02:38
what happenshutokea when we diekufa,
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kipi kinatokea tukifarikia,
02:40
the grown-upsgrown-ups around me at the time
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watu wazima waliokuwa wananizunguka wakati huo
02:42
answeredakajibu with a typicalkawaida EnglishKiingereza mixchanganya of awkwardnesskutokuwa miepesi
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walijibu katika mchanganyiko wa kiingereza na ulio mgumu kuelewa.
02:45
and half-heartedkubala ChristianityUkristo,
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na mkristo mwenye nusu moyo,
02:48
and the phrasemaneno I heardkusikia mostwengi oftenmara nyingi
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na kipande cha sentensi ninachosikia mara nyingi
02:50
was that granddadgranddad was now
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ilikuwa kwamba babu kwa sasa
02:52
"up there looking down on us,"
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"yuko juu akituangalia sisi"
02:54
and if I should diekufa too, whichambayo
wouldn'thakutaka happenkutokea of coursebila shaka,
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na kama nikifa pia,
02:57
then I too would go up there,
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na mimi pia nitaenda juu,
03:00
whichambayo madealifanya deathkifo soundsauti a lot like
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hiki kinafanya kifo kionekane kama
03:02
an existentialexistential elevatorlifti.
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lifti isiyoonekana kwa macho lakini inafanya kazi.
03:05
Now this didn't soundsauti very plausibleuwezekano.
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Lakini hii haikuonekana kama ina ukweli sana.
03:08
I used to watch a children'swatoto
newshabari programprogramu at the time,
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Nilizoea kuangalia habari za watoto wakati huo,
03:11
and this was the erazama of spacenafasi explorationutafutaji.
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na huu ulikuwa wakati wa kujifunza kuhusu unajimu.
03:13
There were always rocketsmakombora going up into the skyanga,
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Kulikuwa na roketi zinakwenda juu angani,
03:15
up into spacenafasi, going up there.
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zinakwenda huko.
03:18
But nonehakuna of the astronautswataalamu when they camealikuja back
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Hamna mnajimu ambaye alirudi
03:20
ever mentionedzilizotajwa havingkuwa na metalikutana my granddadgranddad
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na akasema kwamba amekutana na babu yangu
03:24
or any other deadwamekufa people.
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au mtu yoyote aliyekufa.
03:26
But I was scaredhofu,
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Lakini nilikuwa naogopa,
03:27
and the ideawazo of takingkuchukua the existentialexistential elevatorlifti
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wazo la kupanda lifti ya kifo
03:30
to see my granddadgranddad
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kumuona babu yangu
03:31
soundedilipigwa a lot better than beingkuwa swallowedimemeza
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naona ni bora zaidi kuliko kwenda kumezwa
03:33
by the voidutupu while I sleptakalala.
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wakati nimelala.
03:36
And so I believedaliamini it anywayhata hivyo,
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na nikaamini,
03:38
even thoughingawa it didn't make much sensehisia.
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pamoja haikuleta maana sana.
03:41
And this thought processmchakato that I wentakaenda throughkupitia
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Na hili wazo nililokuwa nalo
03:43
as a childmtoto, and have been throughkupitia manywengi timesnyakati sincetangu,
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wakati nikiwa mtoto,nimekuwa nalo kwa muda sana
03:46
includingikiwa ni pamoja na as a grown-upmkubwa anakiuka,
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hadi nikiwa mtu mzima,
03:48
is a productbidhaa of what psychologistswanasaikolojia call
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ni zao ambalo wanasaikolojia wanaita
03:50
a biaskupendeza.
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upendeleo.
03:51
Now a biaskupendeza is a way in whichambayo we systematicallykiutaratibu
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Sasa upendeleo ni njia ambayo
03:55
get things wrongsi sawa,
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hufanya vitu kimakosa,
03:56
waysnjia in whichambayo we miscalculatemiscalculate, misjudgemisjudge,
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njia ambazo tunakosea kukokotoa,kutoa maamuzi,
03:59
distortkupotosha realityukweli, or see what we want to see,
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kuharibu uhalisia,au kuona tunachotaka kuona,
04:03
and the biaskupendeza I'm talkingkuzungumza about
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na upendeleo ninaoongelea
04:05
worksinafanya kazi like this:
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unafanya kazi kama hivi:
04:06
ConfrontKukabiliana na someonemtu with the factukweli
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Kumfata mtu na ukweli
04:09
that they are going to diekufa
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kwamba atakufa
04:10
and they will believe just about any storyhadithi
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na wataamini kuhusu hadithi yoyote
04:13
that tellsanasema them it isn't truekweli
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ambayo inawaambia sio kweli
04:15
and they can, insteadbadala yake, livekuishi forevermilele,
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na badala yake,wanaweza kuishi milele,
04:17
even if it meansina maana takingkuchukua the existentialexistential elevatorlifti.
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hata kama inamaanisha watapanda lifti.
04:22
Now we can see this as the biggestkubwa biaskupendeza of all.
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Sasa tunaweza kuona huu ni upendeleo kupita wote.
04:26
It has been demonstratedimeonyeshwa in over 400
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Imeelezew katika zaidi ya masomo 400
04:29
empiricalkitaalamu studiestafiti.
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ya undani.
04:31
Now these studiestafiti are ingeniouswenye ujuzi, but they're simplerahisi.
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masomo haya ni ya werevu,lakini ni rahisi.
04:33
They work like this.
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Yanafanya kazi kama hivi.
04:35
You take two groupsvikundi of people
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Unachukua makundi mawili ya watu
04:36
who are similarsawa in all relevanthusika respectsheshima,
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ambao wako sawasawa katika kila kitu,
04:39
and you remindkukumbusha one groupkikundi that they're going to diekufa
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na unawaambia kundi moja kwamba watafariki
04:42
but not the other, then you comparekulinganisha theirwao behaviortabia.
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wengine huwaambii,unalinganisha tabia zao.
04:45
So you're observingkuangalia how it biasesunapendelea behaviortabia
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Kwa hiyo unaangalia jinsi gani unafanya tabia zao kuwa
04:48
when people becomekuwa awarekufahamu of theirwao mortalityvifo.
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watu wanapoanza kugundua kuhusu vifo vyao.
04:52
And everykila time, you get the samesawa resultmatokeo:
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Na kila wakati,unapata matokeo yaleyale:
04:55
People who are madealifanya awarekufahamu of theirwao mortalityvifo
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Watu ambao tayari washatambua kuhusu vifo vyao
04:58
are more willingtayari to believe storieshadithi
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wako tayari kuamini hadithi
05:00
that tell them they can escapekutoroka deathkifo
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ambazo zinawaambia wanaweza kukwepa kifo
05:02
and livekuishi forevermilele.
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na kuishi milele.
05:04
So here'shapa an examplemfano: One recenthivi karibuni studykujifunza
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Huu ni mfano:Tafiti moja ya hivi karibuni
05:06
tookalichukua two groupsvikundi of agnosticswaagnostiki,
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ilichukua makundi mawili ya wapagani,
05:09
that is people who are undecidedwamegawanywa
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hao ni watu ambao hawana maamuzi
05:10
in theirwao religiouskidini beliefsimani.
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katika kuamini dini.
05:13
Now, one groupkikundi was askedaliuliza to think about beingkuwa deadwamekufa.
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Sasa,kundi moja liliambiwa kufikiria kuhusu kufa.
05:17
The other groupkikundi was askedaliuliza to think about
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Kundi lingine likaambiwa kufikiria kuhusu
05:18
beingkuwa lonelypeke yake.
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kuwa mpweke.
05:20
They were then askedaliuliza again
about theirwao religiouskidini beliefsimani.
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Waliulizwa tena kuhusu imani zao za kidini.
05:23
Those who had been askedaliuliza
to think about beingkuwa deadwamekufa
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Wale walioambiwa kufikiria kuhusu kifo
05:26
were afterwardsbaadaye twicemara mbili as likelyuwezekano to expressonyesha faithimani
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walikuwa wakielezea mara mbili zaidi hisia zao
05:29
in God and JesusYesu.
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kuhusu Mungu na Yesu.
05:31
TwiceMara mbili as likelyuwezekano.
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Mara mbili zaidi.
05:33
Even thoughingawa the before they
were all equallysawa agnosticAgnostiki.
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Pamoja na kwamba wote walikuwa wapagani.
05:35
But put the fearhofu of deathkifo in them,
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Lakini weka uoga wa kifo ndani yao,
05:37
and they runkukimbia to JesusYesu.
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watakimbila kwa Yesu.
05:41
Now, this showsinaonyesha that remindingkuwakumbusha people of deathkifo
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Sasa,hii inaonesha kwamba kuwakumbusha watu kuhusu kifo
05:45
biasesunapendelea them to believe, regardlessbila kujali of the evidenceushahidi,
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inawachochea kuamini,bila kujali ukweli,
05:48
and it worksinafanya kazi not just for religiondini,
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na sio kwa dini tu,
05:50
but for any kindaina of beliefimani systemmfumo
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katika imani yoyote ile
05:52
that promisesahadi immortalitykutokufa in some formfomu,
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ambayo inaeleza kifo katika njia tofauti tofauti,
05:56
whetherkama it's becomingkuwa famousmaarufu
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haijalishi kama inakuwa maarufu
05:57
or havingkuwa na childrenwatoto
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au kuwa na watoto
05:59
or even nationalismutaifa,
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au utaifa,
06:00
whichambayo promisesahadi you can livekuishi
on as partsehemu of a greaterzaidi wholeyote.
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ambayo inasema utaishi siku zote.
06:03
This is a biaskupendeza that has shapedumbo
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Huu ni upendeleo uliotengeneza umbile
06:05
the coursebila shaka of humanbinadamu historyhistoria.
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na historia y binadamu.
06:09
Now, the theorynadharia behindnyuma this biaskupendeza
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Sasa,fikra iliyopo katika upendeleo huu
06:11
in the over 400 studiestafiti
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katika tafiti 400
06:13
is calledaitwaye terrorhofu managementusimamizi theorynadharia,
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inaitwa fikra ya usimamizi wa uoga,
06:15
and the ideawazo is simplerahisi. It's just this.
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na wazo ni rahisi.Ni hivi.
06:17
We developkuendeleza our worldviewsuoga,
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Tunakuza mawazo yetu kuhusu dunia,
06:20
that is, the storieshadithi we tell ourselvessisi wenyewe
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hivyo,hadithi tunazoambia nafsi zetu
06:22
about the worldulimwengu and our placemahali in it,
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kuhusu dunia na sehemu yetu
06:25
in orderamri to help us managekusimamia
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ili kusaidia kusimamia
06:27
the terrorhofu of deathkifo.
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hofu ya kifo.
06:30
And these immortalitykutokufa storieshadithi
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Na hizi hadithi za kifo
06:32
have thousandsmaelfu of differenttofauti manifestationsmaonyesho,
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zina maelfu ya shuhuda tofauti tofauti,
06:35
but I believe that behindnyuma the apparentdhahiri diversityutofauti
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lakini naamini nyuma ya utofauti uliopo
06:38
there are actuallykwa kweli just fournne basicmsingi formsfomu
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kuna aina nne za muhimu
06:41
that these immortalitykutokufa storieshadithi can take.
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ambazo hizi hadithi za vifo zinahusiana.
06:44
And we can see them repeatingkurudia themselveswenyewe
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Na tunaweza kuona zinajirudia
06:46
throughoutkote historyhistoria, just with slightkidogo variationstofauti
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katika historia,na utofauti mdogo sana
06:49
to reflectkutafakari the vocabularyMsamiati of the day.
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kuakisi msamiati wa siku.
06:52
Now I'm going to brieflykwa ufupi introducekuanzisha these fournne
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Sasa nitatoa muhtasari wa hizi aina nne
06:55
basicmsingi formsfomu of immortalitykutokufa storyhadithi,
155
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kuu za hadithi za kifo,
06:57
and I want to try to give you some sensehisia
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na ninataka kujaribu kukuonesha maana
06:58
of the way in whichambayo they're retoldilivyoelezwa tena by eachkila mmoja cultureutamaduni
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ni jinsi gani vinaelezewa kwa kuirudia katika kila utamaduni
07:01
or generationkizazi
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au kizazi
07:03
usingkutumia the vocabularyMsamiati of theirwao day.
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kwa kutumia msamiati wa siku.
07:05
Now, the first storyhadithi is the simplestrahisi.
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Sasa,hadithi ya kwanza ni rahisi sana.
07:07
We want to avoidkuepuka deathkifo,
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Tunataka kukwepa kifo,
07:09
and the dreamndoto of doing that in this bodymwili
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na ndoto ya kufanya hicho katika mwili huu
07:12
in this worldulimwengu forevermilele
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katika hii dunia milele
07:13
is the first and simplestrahisi kindaina of immortalitykutokufa storyhadithi,
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ni hadithi ya kwanza na rahisi ya kifo,
07:17
and it mightnguvu at first soundsauti implausibleimplausible,
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na inaweza kuonekana isiyo na maana kwa mara ya kwanza,
07:19
but actuallykwa kweli, almostkaribu everykila cultureutamaduni in humanbinadamu historyhistoria
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lakini kiukweli,karibia kila tamaduni katika historia ya binadamu
07:23
has had some mythhadithi or legendhadithi
167
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2062
ilikuwa na mzimu au kiongozi mkongwe
07:25
of an elixirelixir of life or a fountainchemchemi of youthvijana
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2761
wa kutupa maisha au kurudisha wazee katika ujana
07:28
or something that promisesahadi to keep us going
169
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au kitu kinachotuahidi sisi kuendelea mbele
07:31
forevermilele.
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3137
milele.
07:34
AncientKale EgyptMisri had suchvile mythshadithi,
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1593
Wahenga wa Kimisri walikuwa na huo mzimu,
07:36
ancientkale BabylonBabeli, ancientkale IndiaIndia.
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Wahenga wa Babylon,wa India.
07:38
ThroughoutKote EuropeanUlaya historyhistoria, we find them
in the work of the alchemistsalchemists,
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Katika historia ya ulaya,tunawaona katika kazi ya wanakemia wa kizamani,
07:41
and of coursebila shaka we still believe this todayleo,
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2794
na mpaka leo tunaamini,
07:44
only we tell this storyhadithi usingkutumia the vocabularyMsamiati
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tunahdithia hizi hadithi kwa kutumia msamiati
07:46
of sciencesayansi.
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1656
wa sayansi.
07:48
So 100 yearsmiaka agoiliyopita,
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1606
Miaka 100 iliyopita,
07:49
hormoneshomoni had just been discoveredaligundua,
178
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1819
homoni zilikuwa zimegunduliwa,
07:51
and people hopedmatumaini that hormonehomoni treatmentsmatibabu
179
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1652
na watu wakatumaini kwamba matibabu ya homoni
07:53
were going to curetiba agingkuzeeka and diseaseugonjwa,
180
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2699
yatatibu uzee na magonjwa,
07:56
and now insteadbadala yake we setkuweka our hopesmatumaini on stemshina cellsseli,
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2853
na sasa tunaweka matumaini yetu katika kiini shina
07:58
geneticmaumbile engineeringuhandisi, and nanotechnologynanoteknolojia.
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2295
uhandisi wa gene,na teknolojia ya nano.
08:01
But the ideawazo that sciencesayansi can curetiba deathkifo
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Lakini wazo kwamba sayansi inaweza kuponya kifo
08:05
is just one more chaptersura in the storyhadithi
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2341
liko sura moja mbele zaidi katika hadithi
08:07
of the magicalkichawi elixirelixir,
185
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2233
ya maajabu ya kuweza kuishi milele,
08:09
a storyhadithi that is as oldzamani as civilizationustaarabu.
186
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4436
hadithi ambayo ni ya zamani kama ulivyo ustaarabu.
08:14
But bettingbetting everything on the ideawazo of findingkutafuta the elixirelixir
187
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2780
Lakini kuweka mawazo yote katika kufikiria kutafuta kuishi milele
08:16
and stayingkukaa alivehai forevermilele
188
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1403
na kukaa wazima siku zote
08:18
is a riskyhatari strategymkakati.
189
486354
1801
ni mkakati wenye hatari sana.
08:20
When we look back throughkupitia historyhistoria
190
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2240
Tukiangalia nyuma katika historia
08:22
at all those who have soughtwalitaka an elixirelixir in the pastzilizopita,
191
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2784
wale waliotafuta kuishi milele huko nyuma,
08:25
the one thing they now have in commonkawaida
192
493179
1829
kitu kimoja ambacho wote wanacho
08:27
is that they're all deadwamekufa.
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2630
ni kwamba wote wameshakufa.
08:29
So we need a backupBackup planMpango,
and exactlyhasa this kindaina of planMpango B
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497638
3738
Kwa hiyo tunahitaji mpango wa kutukomboa,na mpango huu mbadala
08:33
is what the secondpili kindaina of immortalitykutokufa storyhadithi offersinatoa,
195
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3571
ni ambao aina ya pili ya kifo inaelezea,
08:36
and that's resurrectionufufuo.
196
504947
1755
ni kufufuka.
08:38
And it staysanakaa with the ideawazo that I am this bodymwili,
197
506702
2374
Na hiyo inakuwa ni wazo kwamba mimi ni huu mwili,
08:41
I am this physicalkimwili organismviumbe.
198
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1975
Ni kiumbe kamili.
08:43
It acceptshukubali that I'm going to have to diekufa
199
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2168
Kinakubali kwamba kitakufa
08:45
but saysanasema, despitelicha ya that,
200
513219
1374
lakini kinasema,pamoja na hilo,
08:46
I can risekupanda up and I can livekuishi again.
201
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Ninaweza amka na nikaishi tena.
08:49
In other wordsmaneno, I can do what JesusYesu did.
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Katika maneno mengine,naweza fanya kama alichofanya Yesu.
08:51
JesusYesu diedalikufa, he was threetatu dayssiku in the [tombkaburi],
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2045
Yesu alikufa,akakaa siku tatu kaburini,
08:53
and then he roseakaondoka up and livedaliishi again.
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na baada ya hapo akafufuka na kuamka tena.
08:56
And the ideawazo that we can all be
resurrectedkufufuliwa to livekuishi again
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3119
Na wazo ambalo tunaishi nalo ni kwamba wote sisi tunaweza fufuka na kuishi tena
08:59
is orthodoxOrthodox believe, not just for ChristiansWakristo
206
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2288
hata waimani ya Orthodox wanaamini,si kwa wakristo tu
09:02
but alsopia JewsWayahudi and MuslimsWaislamu.
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2703
hata Wayahudi na Waislamu.
09:04
But our desirehamu to believe this storyhadithi
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2164
Lakini tamaa yetu katika kuamini hizi hadithi
09:07
is so deeplykwa undani embeddediliyoingia
209
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2010
imefungamana kiundani sana
09:09
that we are reinventingkuimarisha tena it again
210
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2098
kwamba tunaivumbua tena
09:11
for the scientifickisayansi ageumri,
211
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1492
kwa enzi za kisayansi,
09:12
for examplemfano, with the ideawazo of cryonicscryonics.
212
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2823
kwa mfano,kwa kutumia wazo la kutumia mazingira ya joto dogo sana ili kuweza kutunza kiumbe kirudi katika uhai
09:15
That's the ideawazo that when you diekufa,
213
543567
1590
Wazo ni kwamba ukifa,
09:17
you can have yourselfwewe mwenyewe frozenwaliohifadhiwa,
214
545157
1999
unaweza kujigandisha mwenyewe,
09:19
and then, at some pointuhakika when technologyteknolojia
215
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2389
na baadaye,katika namna fulani teknolojia
09:21
has advancedya juu enoughkutosha,
216
549545
1211
imekua vya kutosha,
09:22
you can be thawedthawed out and repairedumeandaliwa and revivedrevived
217
550756
2120
unaweza kutengenezwa na tena kurudi katika uhai
09:24
and so resurrectedkufufuliwa.
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552876
1289
kwa kufufuka.
09:26
And so some people believe an omnipotentMwenyezi god
219
554165
2848
Na watu wanaamini Mungu wa nguvu zote
09:29
will resurrectkumfufua them to livekuishi again,
220
557013
1879
atawafufua na wataishi tena,
09:30
and other people believe an
omnipotentMwenyezi scientistmwanasayansi will do it.
221
558892
4143
na wengine wanaamini wanasayansci wenye nguvu na maarifa watawafufua nao pia.
09:35
But for otherswengine, the wholeyote ideawazo of resurrectionufufuo,
222
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2714
Lakini kwa wengine,wazo zima ni kuhusu kufufuka,
09:37
of climbingkupanda out of the gravekaburi,
223
565749
2003
kwa kutoka nje ya kaburi,
09:39
it's just too much like a badmbaya zombiezombie moviemovie.
224
567752
2719
ni kama zile sinema z kutisha za zombies.
09:42
They find the bodymwili too messyhutumiwa, too unreliableuhakika
225
570471
2791
Mwili unakuwa mchafu sana,usiotamanika
09:45
to guaranteedhamana eternalmilele life,
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2148
kwa kuwezesha maisha ya milele,
09:47
and so they setkuweka theirwao hopesmatumaini on the thirdtatu,
227
575410
3091
Watu wanaweka matumaini yao katika hili swala la tatu,
09:50
more spiritualkiroho immortalitykutokufa storyhadithi,
228
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2117
hadithi ya kifo iliyokaa kiroho zaidi,
09:52
the ideawazo that we can leaveshika our bodymwili behindnyuma
229
580618
2336
wazo kwamba tutaiacha miili yetu nyuma
09:54
and livekuishi on as a soulnafsi.
230
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2297
na kuishi kama roho.
09:57
Now, the majoritywengi of people on EarthDunia
231
585251
1989
Sasa,watu wengi katika dunia
09:59
believe they have a soulnafsi,
232
587240
1773
wanaamini wana roho,
10:01
and the ideawazo is centralkati to manywengi religionsdini.
233
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2410
na wazo hili ni kuu kwa dini nyingi.
10:03
But even thoughingawa, in its currentsasa formfomu,
234
591423
2314
Lakini hata hivyo,katika mfumo wa sasa,
10:05
in its traditionaljadi formfomu,
235
593737
1915
katika utamaduni wake,
10:07
the ideawazo of the soulnafsi is still hugelysana popularmaarufu,
236
595652
2163
wazo la roho ni maarufu sana,
10:09
nonethelesshata hivyo we are again
237
597815
1432
achilia yote hayo tunakuja tena
10:11
reinventingkuimarisha tena it for the digitaldigital ageumri,
238
599247
2224
kuvumbua wazo hili katika nyakati za kidigitali,
10:13
for examplemfano with the ideawazo
239
601471
1477
kwa mfano
10:14
that you can leaveshika your bodymwili behindnyuma
240
602948
1990
unaweza kuacha mwili wako nyuma
10:16
by uploadingInapakia your mindakili, your essencekiini,
241
604938
2246
kwa kuwezesha akili yako,uhalisia wako,
10:19
the realhalisi you, ontokuingia a computerkompyuta,
242
607184
1956
wewe halisi,kwenye kompyuta,
10:21
and so livekuishi on as an avataravatar in the etherEtheri.
243
609140
4612
na kuishi kama avatar.
10:25
But of coursebila shaka there are skepticswasiwasi who say
244
613752
2023
Lakini kuna wabishi ambao wanasema
10:27
if we look at the evidenceushahidi of sciencesayansi,
245
615775
1844
tukiangalia katika ukweli wa sayansi,
10:29
particularlyhasa neuroscienceneuroscience,
246
617619
1644
hasa sayansi ya mishipa ya fahamu,
10:31
it suggestsinashauri that your mindakili,
247
619263
1829
inadokeza kwamba,akili yako
10:33
your essencekiini, the realhalisi you,
248
621092
1580
uhalisi wako,
10:34
is very much dependenttegemezi on a particularhasa partsehemu
249
622672
2413
vinategemea sana upande fulani
10:37
of your bodymwili, that is, your brainubongo.
250
625085
2221
wa mwili wako,ambao ni ubongo.
10:39
And suchvile skepticswasiwasi can find comfortfaraja
251
627306
2521
Na aho wenye wasiwasi wanaweza pata faraja
10:41
in the fourthnne kindaina of immortalitykutokufa storyhadithi,
252
629827
2258
katika aina ya nne ya hadithi ya kifo,
10:44
and that is legacyurithi,
253
632085
2357
na huo ni urithi,
10:46
the ideawazo that you can livekuishi on
254
634442
1480
wazo kwamba unaweza ishi
10:47
throughkupitia the echoecho you leaveshika in the worldulimwengu,
255
635922
2251
mpaka kwenye mwangi unaiacha dunia,
10:50
like the great GreekKigiriki warriorshujaa AchillesKupitia Achillis,
256
638173
2349
kama mwanajeshi hodari wa Kigiriki Achilles,
10:52
who sacrificedkafara his life fightingmapigano at TroyTroy
257
640522
2629
aliyetoa sadaka ya maisha yake kwa Troy
10:55
so that he mightnguvu winkushinda immortalhaiwezi fameumaarufu.
258
643151
3053
ili kupata umaarufu wa kifo.
10:58
And the pursuitkutekeleza of fameumaarufu is as widespreadkuenea
259
646204
2266
Na umaarufu ulisambaa
11:00
and popularmaarufu now as it ever was,
260
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2141
na ni maarufu kama ilivyokuwa zamani,
11:02
and in our digitaldigital ageumri,
261
650611
1579
na katika nyakati hizi za kidigitali,
11:04
it's even easierrahisi to achievekufikia.
262
652190
1528
ni rahisi sana kufanikiwa.
11:05
You don't need to be a great warriorshujaa like AchillesKupitia Achillis
263
653718
2324
Huitaji kuwa kama mwanajeshi hodari kama Achilles
11:08
or a great kingmfalme or heroshujaa.
264
656042
1693
au kuwa mfalme hodari au shujaa.
11:09
All you need is an InternetTovuti connectionuhusiano
and a funnyfunny catpaka. (LaughterKicheko)
265
657735
4823
Unachohitaji ni mtandao wa intaneti na paka anayefurahisha(Vicheko)
11:14
But some people preferunapendelea to leaveshika a more tangibleinayoonekana,
266
662558
2463
Lakini watu wengi wanapendelea kuacha vile vionekanavyo,
11:17
biologicalbiolojia legacyurithi -- childrenwatoto, for examplemfano.
267
665021
2844
urithi wa kibiolojia--watoto,kwa mfano.
11:19
Or they like, they hopetumaini, to livekuishi on
268
667865
2276
Au wapo hivi,wana imani,kuishi
11:22
as partsehemu of some greaterzaidi wholeyote,
269
670141
1717
katika nafasi ya maisha yote,
11:23
a nationtaifa or a familyfamilia or a tribekabila,
270
671858
2449
taifa au familia au kabila,
11:26
theirwao genejeni poolbwawa.
271
674307
2466
gene zao.
11:28
But again, there are skepticswasiwasi
272
676773
1513
Lakini tena,wanakuwa na wasiwasi
11:30
who doubtshaka whetherkama legacyurithi
273
678286
1713
wana wasiwasi kwamba urithi
11:31
really is immortalitykutokufa.
274
679999
1975
kiuhalisia ni kuhusu kifo.
11:33
WoodyMiaka AllenAllen, for examplemfano, who said,
275
681974
2077
Kwa mfano,Woody Allen alisema,
11:36
"I don't want to livekuishi on in
the heartsmioyo of my countrymenwananchi.
276
684051
2496
"Sitaki kuishi katika mioyo ya watu wa nchi yangu.
11:38
I want to livekuishi on in my apartmentghorofa."
277
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2197
Nataka kuishi katika nyumba yangu"
11:40
So those are the fournne
278
688744
1767
Hizo ni
11:42
basicmsingi kindsaina of immortalitykutokufa storieshadithi,
279
690511
2183
aina nne kuu za hadithi za kifo,
11:44
and I've triedwalijaribu to give just some sensehisia
280
692694
1642
na nimejaribu kuonesha maana
11:46
of how they're retoldilivyoelezwa tena by eachkila mmoja generationkizazi
281
694336
2293
ni jinsi zinasemwa na kila jamii
11:48
with just slightkidogo variationstofauti
282
696629
1587
na utofauti mdogo sana
11:50
to fitinafaa the fashionsfashions of the day.
283
698216
2305
kutosha fasheni ya siku.
11:52
And the factukweli that they recurkujirudia in this way,
284
700521
3489
Na ukweli kwamba zinajirudia katika hii njia,
11:56
in suchvile a similarsawa formfomu but
in suchvile differenttofauti beliefimani systemsmifumo,
285
704010
2988
katika mfumo uleule lakini katika aina tofauti za kuamini,
11:58
suggestsinashauri, I think,
286
706998
1578
Nadhani,
12:00
that we should be skepticalwasiwasi of the truthukweli
287
708576
2402
tunatakiwa kuwa na wasiwasi wa ukweli
12:02
of any particularhasa versiontoleo of these storieshadithi.
288
710978
3761
katika aina yoyote ya hadithi hizi.
12:06
The factukweli that some people believe
289
714739
2111
Ukweli kwamba watu wanaamini
12:08
an omnipotentMwenyezi god will resurrectkumfufua them to livekuishi again
290
716850
2665
mungu mwenye nguvu atawafufua na kuishi tena
12:11
and otherswengine believe an omnipotentMwenyezi scientistmwanasayansi will do it
291
719515
3701
na wengine wanaamini wanasayansi wenye nguvu watawafufua na kuishi tena.
12:15
suggestsinashauri that neitherwala are really believingkuamini this
292
723216
3038
inasema kwamba hamna anayeamini hili
12:18
on the strengthnguvu of the evidenceushahidi.
293
726254
2670
au nguvu ya ukweli.
12:20
RatherBadala yake, we believe these storieshadithi
294
728924
2426
ila,tunaamini hadithi hizi
12:23
because we are biasedupendeleo to believe them,
295
731350
1983
kwa sababu tunachochewa kuziamini,
12:25
and we are biasedupendeleo to believe them
296
733333
1828
na tunachochewa kuziamini
12:27
because we are so afraidhofu of deathkifo.
297
735161
4270
kwa sababu tunaogopa kifo.
12:31
So the questionswali is,
298
739431
2055
Kwa hiyo swali ni,
12:33
are we doomedkuteswa to leadkuongoza the one life we have
299
741486
3472
je,tunapotoshwa kuongoza maisha tuliyonayo
12:36
in a way that is shapedumbo by fearhofu and denialkukataa,
300
744958
3693
katika njia ya uoga na kupotosha ukweli?
12:40
or can we overcomekushinda this biaskupendeza?
301
748651
3075
au tunaweza kushinda huu uchochezi?
12:43
Well the GreekKigiriki philosophermwanafalsafa EpicurusEpicurus
302
751726
2467
Mphilosophia wa kigiriki Epicurus
12:46
thought we could.
303
754193
1728
alifikiri tunaweza.
12:47
He arguedalisema that the fearhofu of deathkifo is naturalasili,
304
755921
3548
Alihoji kwamba uoga wa kifo ni kitu cha asili,
12:51
but it is not rationalbusara.
305
759469
2415
lakini sio cha mantiki.
12:53
"DeathKifo," he said, "is nothing to us,
306
761884
2658
"kifo",alisema,"si kitu kwetu,
12:56
because when we are here, deathkifo is not,
307
764542
2850
kwa sababu tuko hapa,kifo hakipo,
12:59
and when deathkifo is here, we are gonewamekwenda."
308
767392
3753
na wakati kifo kikiwa hapa,na sisi tunakuwa hatupo"
13:03
Now this is oftenmara nyingi quotedalinukuu, but it's difficultvigumu
309
771145
1798
Mara nyingi kauli hii huwa inanukuliwa,lakini ni vigumu
13:04
to really graspkufahamu, to really internalizekuuingiza moyoni,
310
772943
2322
kuielewa,kiundani zaidi,
13:07
because exactlyhasa this ideawazo of beingkuwa gonewamekwenda
311
775265
2163
kwa sababu kiuhakika wazo hili la kuondoka
13:09
is so difficultvigumu to imaginefikiria.
312
777428
2139
ni gumu sana kulifikiria.
13:11
So 2,000 yearsmiaka laterbaadae, anothermwingine philosophermwanafalsafa,
313
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2231
Miaka 2000 baadaye,mphilosophia mwingine,
13:13
LudwigLudwig WittgensteinWittgenstein, put it like this:
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Ludwig Wittgenstein,alisema:
13:17
"DeathKifo is not an eventtukio in life:
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"Kifo sio tukio la maisha:
13:20
We do not livekuishi to experienceuzoefu deathkifo.
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Hatuishi ili kuzoea kifo.
13:23
And so," he addedaliongeza,
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Akaongeza kwa kusema,
13:25
"in this sensehisia, life has no endmwisho."
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"katika maana hii,maisha hayana mwisho"
13:27
So it was naturalasili for me as a childmtoto
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Kwa hiyo ilikuwa halisi kwa mimi kama mtoto
13:31
to fearhofu beingkuwa swallowedimemeza by the voidutupu,
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kuogopa kumezwa na shimo la kifo,
13:33
but it wasn'thaikuwa rationalbusara,
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lakini haikuwa na mantiki,
13:35
because beingkuwa swallowedimemeza by the voidutupu
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kwa sababu kumezwa na shimo la kifo
13:37
is not something that any of us
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sio kitu ambacho mtu yoyote kati yetu
13:39
will ever livekuishi to experienceuzoefu.
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ataishi na kukutana nacho.
13:42
Now, overcomingkushinda this biaskupendeza is not easyrahisi because
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Sasa,kukwepa uchochezi huu sio kitu rahisi kwa sababu
13:45
the fearhofu of deathkifo is so deeplykwa undani embeddediliyoingia in us,
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hofu ya kifo imo ndani yetu,
13:48
yetbado when we see that the fearhofu itselfyenyewe is not rationalbusara,
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wakati huohuo tunaona uoga huna mantiki,
13:52
and when we bringkuleta out into the openkufungua
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na tunapoonyesha uoga
13:54
the waysnjia in whichambayo it can unconsciouslyunconsciously biaskupendeza us,
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katika njia ambazo tunachochewa bila kujitambua,
13:57
then we can at leastangalau startkuanza
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angalau tunaweza kuanza
13:59
to try to minimizekupunguza the influenceushawishi it has
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kupunguza ule msukumo ulionao
14:02
on our livesanaishi.
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katika maisha yetu.
14:03
Now, I find it helpshusaidia to see life
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Sasa,naona inasaidia kuona maisha
14:06
as beingkuwa like a bookkitabu:
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ykifanana na kama kitabu:
14:08
Just as a bookkitabu is boundedimepakana by its coversinashughulikia,
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Kama kilivyozungukwa na kava,
14:11
by beginningmwanzo and endmwisho,
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mwanzoni na mwishoni,
14:12
so our livesanaishi are boundedimepakana by birthkuzaliwa and deathkifo,
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kwa hiyo maisha yetu yamezungukwa kwa kuzaliwa na kifo,
14:16
and even thoughingawa a bookkitabu is
limitedmdogo by beginningmwanzo and endmwisho,
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na hata kama kitabu kina mipaka mwanzoni na mwishoni,
14:19
it can encompassjumuisha distantmbali landscapesMandhari,
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inaweza jumuisha mazingira ya mbali,
14:21
exotickigeni figurestakwimu, fantasticfantastic adventuresAdventures.
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maumbile ya kusisimua,matukio mazuri sana.
14:24
And even thoughingawa a bookkitabu is
limitedmdogo by beginningmwanzo and endmwisho,
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Na hata kama kitabu kina mipaka mwanzoni na mwishoni,
14:28
the characterswahusika withinndani it
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wahusika ndani yake
14:30
know no horizonshorizons.
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hawajui mwisho wa upeo wa macho.
14:32
They only know the momentswakati
that make up theirwao storyhadithi,
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Wanajua nyakati zinazohusu hadithi zao,
14:36
even when the bookkitabu is closedimefungwa.
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hata kama kitabu kikifungwa.
14:39
And so the characterswahusika of a bookkitabu
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kwa wahusika katika kitabu
14:41
are not afraidhofu of reachingkufikia the last pageukurasa.
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hawaogopi kufika ukurasa wa mwisho.
14:44
Long JohnYohana SilverFedha is not afraidhofu of you
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Long John Silver hakuogopi
14:46
finishingkumaliza your copynakala of "TreasureHazina IslandKisiwa cha."
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kumalizia nakala yako ya "Treasure Island"
14:49
And so it should be with us.
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na itakuwa na sisi.
14:51
ImagineKufikiria the bookkitabu of your life,
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Fikiria kitabu cha maisha yako,
14:53
its coversinashughulikia, its beginningmwanzo and endmwisho,
and your birthkuzaliwa and your deathkifo.
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inakava,mwanzoni na mwishoni,kuzaliwa kwako na kufa kwako.
14:56
You can only know the momentswakati in betweenkati,
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Unaweza kujua nyakati,
14:58
the momentswakati that make up your life.
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zinazofanya maisha yako.
15:00
It makeshufanya no sensehisia for you to fearhofu
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Haileti maana kwa wewe kuogopa
15:02
what is outsidenje of those coversinashughulikia,
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kilicho nje ya kava,
15:04
whetherkama before your birthkuzaliwa
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kama ni kabla ya kuzaliwa
15:06
or after your deathkifo.
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au baada ya kifo chako.
15:07
And you needn'thaja worrywasiwasi how long the bookkitabu is,
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Na hautakiwi kuwa na wasiwasi kitabu ni kirefu kiasi gani,
15:10
or whetherkama it's a comiccomic stripmstari or an epicEpic.
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au ni cha kichekesho au kinaelezea ukubwa wa kitu.
15:13
The only thing that mattersmambo
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Kitu kimoja cha msingi
15:15
is that you make it a good storyhadithi.
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ni kwamba unaifanya iwe hadithi nzuri.
15:19
Thank you.
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Asante.
15:21
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
Translated by Nelson Simfukwe
Reviewed by Joachim Mangilima

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Stephen Cave - Philosopher
Philosopher Stephen Cave wants to know: Why is humanity so obsessed with living forever?

Why you should listen

Stephen Cave is a writer and philosopher who is obsessed with our obsession with immortality. In 2012 he published Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization, an inquiry into humanity's rather irrational resistance to the inevitability of death. Cave moves across time and history's major civilizations and religions to explore just what drives this instinct -- and what that means for the future. Cave writes for The Financial Times and contributes to The New York Times, The Guardian and Wired.

More profile about the speaker
Stephen Cave | Speaker | TED.com