I see why the idea of living on through your children and living on through some lasting achievement appears to be false. When you die, your soul/spirit/self is no longer here on earth. Depending on what you believe in, "you" have moved onto a higher plane of existence or perhaps been reincarnated or perhaps are in heaven or hell. In essence, the only way to "live on" is to stay alive in the here and now. Leaving behind children or artwork or some sort of humanitarian accomplishment is all well and good. You are leaving behind memories that you have experienced with others, but those memories you've left behind in others may or may not endure forever, leaving you forgotten. Not saying that memories are a way to "live on", they are merely a way to be remembered when you were living.
This class is thought provoking and I had not thought of these as false concepts until now. It's very interesting how we as humans tend to cling onto these false ideas, thinking we can still live after life has been extinguished. Hmm, food for thought for me anyway.
Mary Riggs
riggsmary@earthlink.net