Humans manage existential terror by embracing cultural worldviews that afford a sense of meaning and value, and hope of immortality. Efforts to transcend death underlie our most noble achievements; however, they also foster our most ignominious proclivities, including: disdain for and hostility toward people with different beliefs; indifference to, or contempt for, the natural environment; and, the mindless pursuit of money and stuff—which, if unchecked, may render we humans the first lifeform to prune their own branch from The Tree of Life. Prospects for the future of our species will be considered in light of these ideas.

Sheldon Solomon is Professor of Psychology at Skidmore College. His studies of the effects of the uniquely human awareness of death on behavior have been supported by the National Science Foundation and Ernest Becker Foundation, and were featured in the award winning documentary film Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality. He is coauthor of In the Wake of 9/11: The Psychology of Terror; and The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx