This range of dispositions, from longing to disdaining, demonstrates the larger point: our recognition of the limited time we are allotted has driven an artistically vibrant engagement with the concept of eternity. The examined life examines death. And for some, to examine death is to free the imagination to challenge its dominance, dispute its eminence, and conjure realms that lie beyond its reach. However intently researchers argue about their evolutionary utility, their role in building social cohesion, their necessity for innovative thinking, and their standing in the pantheon of primal
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