Pete, there is a book called "Denial of Death" by Ernest Becker that you might be interested in reading.
Most of what we humans spend our time doing is designed to keep us from thinking about the reality that we are all destined to die.
The book won the pulitzer prize in 1974.
Actually, a large percentage of we humans spend our time doing things that are designed to keep us thinking about the reality that we are all destined to die.
Ah, yes. 1974. What better topic for a book to garner a pulitzer prize in 1974?