<p>In short, no.</p>

<p>In psychoanalysis you analyze two drives death and pleasure, both are in permanent conflict, so they must be equally strong producing jouissance which is the reason for existence itself.</p>

<p>The function of the pleasure principle is to maintain life, It's opposite, or what it fears, if you like is death. Not fearing it would make your psyche not only weak, but inexistant.</p>

<p>The movie is a good subject for psychoanalytical film criticism.</p>

<p>This is a cool text about the links between fear of death, jouissance, Lacanian psychoanalysis and more philosophy:</p>

<p><a href="http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0823228754" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Derrida-Vis-%C3%A0-vis-Lacan-Deconstruction-Psychoanalysis/dp/0823228754/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-07T09:42:33.940Z
2013-07-07T09:42:33.940Z
Jaibuu
<p>Here is an iconic dialogue from The Dark Knight Rises:</p>

<pre><code>Blind Prisoner: You do not fear death. 
                You think this makes you strong. It makes you weak.
Bruce Wayne:    Why?
Blind Prisoner: How can you move faster than possible, fight longer 
                than possible without the most powerful impulse of the 
                spirit: the fear of death.
Bruce Wayne:    I do fear death. I fear dying in here, while my city burns, 
                and there's no one there to save it.
Blind Prisoner: Then make the climb.
Bruce Wayne:    How?
Blind Prisoner: As the child did. Without the rope. 
                Then fear will find you again.
</code></pre>

<h3>Questions:</h3>

<ul>
<li>How can this dialogue be interpreted in scientific terms?</li>
<li>Is there any scientific support and explanation for this or is it just literary freedom for dramatic effect?</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-14T19:09:40.280Z
If monks can voluntarily set themselves on fire and samurai can commit seppuku I'm going to go with no.
anon
<emotion><motivation>
Is the "fear of death" the most powerful impulse of the spirit?
KharoBangdo
# Is the "fear of death" the most powerful impulse of the spirit?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-04)

Here is an iconic dialogue from The Dark Knight Rises:
Blind Prisoner: You do not fear death. 
                You think this makes you strong. It makes you weak.
Bruce Wayne:    Why?
Blind Prisoner: How can you move faster than possible, fight longer 
                than possible without the most powerful impulse of the 
                spirit: the fear of death.
Bruce Wayne:    I do fear death. I fear dying in here, while my city burns, 
                and there's no one there to save it.
Blind Prisoner: Then make the climb.
Bruce Wayne:    How?
Blind Prisoner: As the child did. Without the rope. 
                Then fear will find you again.

Questions:

How can this dialogue be interpreted in scientific terms?
Is there any scientific support and explanation for this or is it just literary freedom for dramatic effect?

**Tags:** emotion, motivation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If monks can voluntarily set themselves on fire and samurai can commit seppuku I'm going to go with no.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-07-07. Score: 0

In short, no.

In psychoanalysis you analyze two drives death and pleasure, both are in permanent conflict, so they must be equally strong producing jouissance which is the reason for existence itself.

The function of the pleasure principle is to maintain life, It's opposite, or what it fears, if you like is death. Not fearing it would make your psyche not only weak, but inexistant.

The movie is a good subject for psychoanalytical film criticism.

This is a cool text about the links between fear of death, jouissance, Lacanian psychoanalysis and more philosophy:

[http://www.amazon.com/Derrida-Vis-%C3%A0-vis-Lacan-Deconstruction-Psychoanalysis/dp/0823228754/ref=cm\_cr\_pr\_product\_top](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0823228754)


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