I'm not afraid of death. How can you be afraid of something

When Lemmy Kilmister, the wild-hearted frontman of Motörhead, declared, “I’m not afraid of death. How can you be afraid of something that’s inevitable?” he spoke not as a poet or philosopher, but as one who had lived on the very edge of existence and looked upon the abyss without flinching. His words, though rough and simple, carry the ancient wisdom of those who have made peace with the unchangeable. In them is the courage of a man who has wrestled with life’s chaos, tasted its fleeting pleasures, and accepted that all paths, no matter how bright or brutal, lead to the same horizon. To fear death, he reminds us, is to waste the time granted to live — for fear changes nothing, and the inevitable bows to no man.

Lemmy, whose life was a storm of music, rebellion, and unapologetic authenticity, did not arrive at this truth by chance. He lived knowing his body was mortal and his habits dangerous, yet he refused to live timidly or hypocritically. To him, death was not an enemy lurking in the dark, but a traveler walking beside him — constant, silent, and certain. When he said he was not afraid, it was not bravado but acceptance. He knew that denying death is like denying the sunset: you may turn your back on it, but it will still come, whether you are ready or not.

The meaning of his words runs deeper than defiance. They speak of freedom — the freedom that comes when one accepts the truth of impermanence. Fear chains the spirit; it makes men hoard, hide, and tremble, while the fearless live open-handed and open-hearted. The one who accepts death’s certainty is the one who begins to live fully, for he no longer bargains with time. He laughs louder, loves harder, and creates boldly, knowing that every heartbeat is borrowed light. In this way, Lemmy stands among the ancient philosophers who taught that mortality is not a curse but a mirror, reminding us to cherish the brief fire of life while it burns.

The Stoics of old — men like Seneca and Epictetus — would have nodded at Lemmy’s words. They taught that death is part of nature, neither good nor evil, merely the completion of a cycle. “No man can lose what he never owns,” Seneca said, meaning that life itself is a gift on loan from the universe, and death is the moment it is returned. So why fear it? Even the great Socrates, when condemned to die, drank the cup of poison calmly, saying that no one knows whether death is not a blessing. Lemmy, in his own raw, unpolished way, voiced the same truth: that fear of death blinds us to the beauty of the living moment. To reject fear is to walk in step with wisdom itself.

Throughout history, many have found strength in this acceptance. Think of Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, who each night reminded himself, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” He ruled the mightiest empire of his age, yet he lived humbly, knowing that death levels kings and beggars alike. Like Lemmy, he saw that fear of the inevitable is folly. The wise do not tremble before death; they prepare their hearts to meet it honorably.

To live unafraid of death is not to seek it, but to respect it — to recognize its power and yet refuse to let it steal your peace. Those who fear death often end up fearing life as well, clinging to comfort, avoiding risk, and silencing their own desires. But the fearless — the Lemmys, the Socrateses, the Aureliuses of the world — embrace both life and death as twin halves of the same truth. They understand that every sunrise carries within it the promise of night, and every birth whispers of the grave. To love life deeply, one must make peace with its ending.

So take this lesson, traveler of days: look upon death not as a monster, but as a teacher. Let its inevitability sharpen your purpose, not dull your joy. Do not run from it, for in fleeing, you waste the very moments it allows. Instead, walk beside it as a companion — not in dread, but in gratitude. Speak your truth, love without hesitation, live boldly, and let the fear fall away. For as Lemmy knew and lived, to accept the inevitability of death is to be truly alive, and the man who is unafraid of dying has finally learned what it means to live.