“Other outlooks,” the Dalai Lama repeated. “Yes, another factor that is relevant here that can influence people’s response to a looming threat is the degree to which they are aware of their own impermanence. Generally, in our day-to-day life, most people become so engrossed in their everyday activities that they do not give much thought to the idea that one day we may die. So, without much reflection on this fact, we tend to have an underlying sense that our life will go on and on, that we will be around forever. The stronger you cling to this notion, the more intense the fear will be when
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