Adam was thirty-two, and his life felt like it had slipped out of his hands. He worked a job he never
wanted, but he stayed because it paid bills. Most mornings, he woke up tired, telling himself to
just get through the day. He sat through meetings pretending to care, counting down the hours
until he could go home and switch off his mind. To cope, he leaned on habits he wasn’t proud of.
Alcohol in the evenings. Cigarettes during both day and night. Over time, he became irritable,
snapping at small things. His girlfriend tried to be patient, but eventually, she left. Adam didn’t
chase her. He just watched her go. The apartment felt too quiet, too empty after that. Nights
were the worst. His mind ran through regrets and worries, and at night, his anxiety kept him awake.
Adam wasn’t weak, and he wasn’t a bad person. He was just someone who had
been trying to cope for so long that he forgot what living actually felt like.
One night, sitting on the edge of his bed with a drink he didn’t want, he felt a heaviness
in his chest. His mind wandered to a thought: “Would it matter if I didn’t wake up tomorrow?”
Right after the thought, the room went quiet. Adam looked up and saw someone
standing near the door. The person didn’t look dangerous or dramatic. Just calm.
“Who… who are you?” he asked. “I am the Angel of Death,” the figure said.
“You have been calling for me every night for a year, Adam. With the smoke. With the drink. With
the silence. I am just answering the invite.” Adam froze.
“I don’t want to die,” he said quietly. “Then why do you want to live?” the angel asked.
“I want another chance,” Adam said. “There is a condition," replied the angel. "If you
choose to live, your life will grow when you act honestly and shrink when you go against yourself.”
Adam swallowed. “Yes.” “Then live in a way that keeps you alive.”
A moment later, the angel was gone. The room looked the same, but Adam didn’t
feel the same. He realized he had been given a chance—and this time, he couldn’t ignore it.
Welcome to another Philosophies For Life, I’m Dan and through Adam’ story, we’re going to explore
what happens when you realize your life won’t last forever. OK, so you probably won’t meet
an actual Angel of Death, but we all reach moments where we feel stuck, exhausted, or unsure of where
we’re going. When you understand that your time is limited, you see what you’ve been avoiding,
what you’ve been settling for, and the parts of yourself you’ve pushed aside.
This video is about that moment — how facing your own mortality can
push you toward becoming the person you want to be. Sound good? Good.
1. Why do you want to live?
In the days after meeting the Angel of Death, nothing around Adam had changed — his job was
the same, his apartment was the same but he kept thinking about the question he had been asked:
“Why do you want to live?”
Before life became overwhelming, Adam used to read. One book in particular
had stayed with him — Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Frankl,
a psychologist who survived the concentration camps, wrote about
how people can endure almost anything if they have a reason to live. Logotherapy,
his main idea, was straightforward: when life feels hard, meaning is what keeps you moving.
Remembering that book, Adam decided he needed to look for his own reason to live. He took
out a notebook and wrote down the questions Frankl often encouraged people to explore.
Who actually needs me?
He wrote: My younger brother… my parents… maybe my friends.
What responsibilities have I been avoiding? He wrote: Taking care of my health… finishing
things I promised myself… being honest with people I care about.
Which values do I believe in but don’t follow? He wrote: Patience… honesty… discipline… kindness.
What kind of person am I when no one is watching?
This last question was the hardest. It showed him who he really was when
there was no one to impress and no one to hide from. When he answered it honestly, he wrote:
Someone who avoids responsibility… someone who runs from discomfort… someone I wouldn’t respect.
In the days that followed, when his anxiety showed up or when he
started slipping into old patterns, reading his notes helped steady him.
Over time, these reflections started shaping his daily life.
He spoke more honestly with people around him.
There was finally a sense of forward motion.
Psychologists like Lisa Feldman Barrett and Daniel Siegel have
explained how meaning and purpose affect the brain:
Meaning activates the prefrontal cortex, the part that helps with focus and decision-making.
Purpose reduces anxiety by giving the brain a sense of direction.
Small daily habits shape neural pathways — this is how neuroplasticity works.
In simple terms, your brain becomes more stable when your life has a “why.”
For anyone watching this: when life feels stuck, ask yourself honestly: “Why do you want to live?”
2. Don’t Be Trapped by Your Past
Adam finally understood why he wanted to stay alive,
but he still didn’t know why he felt stuck in his life.
A few days later, instead of going to work after his alarm rang, he walked around aimlessly and
ended up in a quiet café. He ordered a coffee and sat alone. As he rested there,
he overheard a young woman talking to her friend at the next table.
She was recommending a book called The Courage to Be Disliked. She explained
that the book was based on the ideas of Alfred Adler, one of the three founding
figures of modern psychology, along with Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung.
Adam had heard of Freud and Jung, but not Adler. The woman explained that while Freud focused on
past trauma and Jung explored the unconscious, Adler believed that people are not controlled
by cause and effect. In other words, your past does not force your future. Instead,
people act according to the goals they set right now - Often without realizing it!
To make it clearer, she gave an example.
She described a man who was abused as a child. Back then,
he stayed in his room to protect himself. That made sense during childhood. But now,
after 10 years, he is an adult. The danger is gone. Yet he still refuses to leave his room.
According to Adler, the reason he stays inside as an adult is not because of the past itself—it
is because he now has a goal of staying in the room. That goal gives him a sense of safety,
so he will find any explanations to support the goal of staying inside the room. He may say,
“My parents ruined my life,” or “I can’t function because of what happened to me.” He may blame
others or feel like a victim, but all of these statements help him justify staying inside.
In Adler’s view, this is how people use their past:
as a way to support a present goal, even if the goal keeps them stuck.
Furthermore, Adler believed that life isn’t a straight line determined by childhood or
your past. Instead, he said life is a series of small “dots” — moments where
you can choose what to do next. And in each moment, it’s possible to set a new goal.
If the man changed his goal from “stay inside because it’s safe”
to “build a life outside the room,” his behavior would begin to change
too. The old excuses would no longer fit the new direction he wanted to go.
As Adam listened, he started thinking about his own life. His parents had been
strict and emotionally distant. Mistakes were punished. Feelings were discouraged.
Approval had to be earned. So, he grew up believing he wasn’t enough
and that it was safer to avoid conflict and hide how he felt.
These beliefs followed him into adulthood. In his teens, he stayed quiet. In his twenties,
he distracted himself with drinking and avoidance. And now, in his current age,
these habits shaped a life that felt heavy and unfulfilling.
Sitting in that café, he realized he had been living as if his past
dictated everything. His inner story had been: “This is who I am because of what happened.”
Later that day, he passed a bookstore and bought the book the woman mentioned. As he read it,
he tried to adjust his life. He also made an effort to stop blaming his past for
everything. Whenever he caught himself thinking, “This is how I am because of
what happened,” he paused. He reminded himself that his past didn’t get to choose
his next action. He could choose what he did now, even if it was something small.
He cut down his drinking and smoking. Took short walks each morning. He tried going to
bed a bit earlier. He cleaned one part of his room instead of feeling overwhelmed by the whole space.
He couldn’t erase his past, but he could choose new goals — each
step becoming a move towards a life that felt more manageable.
3. Focus on the present
Adam knew why he wanted to live.
He understood his past without being imprisoned by it.
But emotionally, he still felt something was off.
Psychologists like Martin Seligman and Ed Diener say that purpose helps you navigate life,
but emotional well-being comes from the small moments you actually experience each day.
One evening, while eating reheated leftovers,
he opened his laptop and let YouTube play in the background.
After a while, a video started auto-playing. It was a video of french philosopher, Albert Camus.
For some reason, Adam didn’t skip it. He leaned back and let it run.
The video explained a simple idea: the universe doesn’t owe anyone
meaning. Life doesn’t promise clarity or purpose. But even in an uncertain world,
there are small moments you can appreciate if you pay attention.
As the video continued, it talked about noticing the present moment. The warmth
of the sun on your skin. The taste of your morning coffee. The quiet before the world
wakes up. The feeling of finishing even a small task. Being present,
even for a few seconds at a time, can shift your entire emotional state.
Adam paused the video and sat still for a moment.
Maybe noticing the present was enough to soften the weight he carried.
He walked to his balcony, something he usually ignored, and leaned against the railing. The
air outside was cool. He could hear distant traffic and a neighbor closing their window.
It wasn’t special, but it felt real. And for a few quiet seconds, he felt okay.
For anyone watching this, sometimes meaning isn’t found in big achievements or major life
changes. Sometimes it’s in the moment you’re living right now. The mind needs
purpose for direction, but it needs presence for peace. For Adam, this became his lesson:
life may not always feel meaningful, but the present moment can still be lived.
4. Live in good faith
One afternoon, while scrolling through his phone during a lunch break, he came across
a short article about Jean-Paul Sartre. The article explained one of Sartre’s main ideas:
living in “bad faith.” It meant lying to yourself, pretending you have no control,
and avoiding responsibility by acting powerless.
Reading it, Adam recognized himself. Much of his suffering came from avoiding
responsibility for his own life. He had stayed in a job he disliked
because change felt too hard. He had kept his feelings to himself to avoid conflict.
Sartre argued that living honestly—living in “good faith”—starts with one truth:
your life is shaped by your choices. Whether you like it or not, responsibility is always there.
Adam realized how often he had been watching his life from the
outside instead of living it. He began making real changes.
He updated his résumé and applied for jobs he actually wanted. He set clearer boundaries with
people. He built small habits to take care of his health. And as soon as he admitted what mattered
to him—without pretending otherwise—he felt more in control of his life again.
Psychologists like Albert Bandura explain this in terms of self-efficacy:
when you take responsibility for your choices, you increase your sense of control over life,
which reduces anxiety and increases confidence.
He finally understood the angel’s condition. When he avoided the truth, his life felt smaller. When
he was honest, it felt bigger. Lying pushed him away from himself; honesty brought him back.
For anyone watching, living in good faith can start small. Notice where
you’re avoiding responsibility, admit what you really feel,
and make one choice today that reflects your true values.
5. Suffering will always exist
As Adam kept making small changes—applying for jobs, setting boundaries,
paying attention to his days—he felt himself moving forward. For the first time in months,
he could see his choices shaping his life. Feeling better, he reached out to his ex,
hoping to reconnect. She gently said no. She had moved on. There was nothing left to rebuild.
The rejection hurt, and for the first time in weeks Adam felt a weight settle in his
chest again. He saw that he hadn’t just been holding on to her—he had been holding on to
the version of life he wished he still had. The pain wasn’t from her leaving. It came
from his own attachment, from the part of him that refused to accept things as they were.
That evening, while browsing YouTube, a recommended video caught his attention:
How To Deal With Suffering In Your Life from Buddha. The video explained that suffering is
inevitable. No matter what changes you make, no matter how well you live, life will always
involve pain, loss, and disappointment. This is the first of the Four Noble Truths.
The second truth is that suffering comes from attachment and clinging—wanting life
to be different than it is. The third truth is that there is a way to reduce suffering,
and the fourth shows the path: mindful living, acceptance, and letting go.
As he watched, Adam realized he had been resisting reality and holding on to how he wished things
had been. Buddhism didn’t see suffering as punishment. It was a teacher. It was normal,
and it could guide him—but only if he stopped fighting it and allowed himself to experience it.
He finally decided to put this into practice. He started meditating for a few minutes each
day—just sitting quietly, noticing whatever came up without reacting or labeling it.
When sadness showed up, he let it be there. When he wanted something he couldn’t have,
he watched the feeling rise and fall instead of chasing it.
Little by little, the weight loosened.
He understood that life will always involve suffering. People will leave,
plans will fail, and disappointment will happen. No matter how well he lived,
no matter the changes he made, suffering was part of life.
But when he accepted reality as it was, he could feel the sadness
without being consumed by it. And that acceptance can free you too,
if you stop holding on too tightly and learn to live in the present.
6. Focus on What You Can Control
After a few weeks of practicing acceptance, life kept moving for Adam, with all its uncertainties.
Problems at work still appeared out of nowhere. Plans still changed. People still
misunderstood him. Even small inconveniences could shake him more than he wanted to admit.
One evening, after a stressful day, he sat down for dinner and opened YouTube and this time,
the algorithm suggested a video from Roman Philosopher-King Marcus Aurelius
on thinking clearly. Ironically, he clicked it without thinking much.
The video explained a simple idea: most things in life are outside your
control. You can’t control other people, outcomes, timing, the past, or the future.
Marcus Aurelius saw it differently. Peace comes from taking responsibility for your
own actions and letting go of everything else.
Adam thought about his job. He couldn’t control his manager’s decisions or team issues,
but he could control the effort he put in. He thought about his ex-girlfriend.
He couldn’t control whether she chose to return, but he could control the
kind of person he became moving forward. He thought about all the mistakes he had
made in his life. He couldn’t control the past, but he could choose what he did next.
He began applying this. When someone snapped at him, he paused before responding. When plans
changed, he reminded himself he couldn’t control everything. He felt more balanced,
and less at the mercy of everything around him.
For anyone watching this, this philosophy of Stoicism isn’t about being emotionless. It’s
about giving your energy only to what you can influence and accepting the rest as part of life.
7. Connect with the world
Months had passed since Adam’s encounter with the Angel of Death. His life had changed in
ways that mattered. He had a new job—one that challenged him, but also allowed him to feel
capable and valued. His mornings no longer began with dread, and his evenings weren’t
consumed by restless anxiety. Stability had become a quiet companion in his life.
One afternoon, while scrolling through articles during a lunch break, a title
caught his attention: “The Power of Community and Connection.” Intrigued, he clicked.
The video introduced a philosophy called Ubuntu, an idea from Southern Africa:
“I am because we are.” It emphasized that humans find meaning not only in themselves, but through
their relationships and contributions to others. Helping others, being part of a community,
and sharing what you can give—time, care, or skill—creates purpose and fulfillment.
Adam realized how inward-focused he had been for years. Healing himself, understanding his past,
practicing honesty, and learning to be present had been essential. But now he saw that life
could feel richer when it extended beyond the self. Contribution, he realized, could become
another series of “dots”—moments where his actions created meaning not just for him, but for others.
He thought of volunteering at a local community center. Offering support to colleagues. Checking
in on friends without expectations. Each act didn’t solve all the world’s problems, but it made
his life feel expansive. With every small gesture he felt more connected to the world around him.
What the Angel Meant by Death
Adam had come a long way. For months, he had been living with more clarity than ever before. He
woke up with intention, stayed present during the day, acted honestly, let go of old frustrations,
and even started giving back to others. Life felt steady. Not perfect, but steady.
But life doesn’t pause its tests just because you’re doing well.
One afternoon, Adam’s manager called him in and told him the company was cutting jobs. His
position was gone. It wasn’t personal, but it felt personal. The ground beneath him felt shaky again.
That night, he bought a bottle. “Just this once,” he said.
The next night, he drank again. Then again.
Soon he was slipping back into late nights,
avoidance, and telling himself he’d fix everything “tomorrow.” But tomorrow never
came. He drifted back into the version of himself he thought he had left behind.
Then one night, as he sat on the edge of his bed with a drink in his hand,
the room grew very still. The air felt heavy in a way he recognized. When he looked up,
the Angel of Death stood quietly near the door.
Adam’s voice shook. “I… messed up. I don’t know why I’m doing this again.”
The angel stepped closer. “Adam, I didn’t come because you fell.”
Adam stared at the floor.
“I came because you stopped choosing,” the angel said.
Adam looked up, confused.
“When we first met,” the angel continued, “I gave you a condition. Your life would grow when
you acted honestly, and shrink when you acted against yourself. That condition forced you
to look at your life seriously. You fought for yourself. You made changes. You learned to live.
If you hadn’t made those choices, you wouldn’t be here now—not as the person you’ve become.”
Adam swallowed. “So… am I dying again?”
The angel shook his head gently. “Not in the way you think.”
He stepped closer, his voice calm and steady.
“Physical death is only one kind of death,” he said.
Adam looked down at the drink in his hand. He could feel the truth of the angel’s words.
“You fought for your life once,” the angel said. “And you can fight again.”
The room slowly returned to normal. The angel’s presence faded. Silence remained.
Adam sat for a moment, breathing deeply. Then he stood, walked to the sink, and poured the
drink out. He wasn’t starting over. He was continuing the life he had chosen months ago.
The next morning, still unsettled by how much he’d tied his identity to his job,
Adam searched for a philosophy that could help him let go. That search led him to
Taoism. And with each new perspective, he kept growing—step by step, choice by choice.
For anyone watching this: You will slip. You will break
your own promises. You will fall back into old habits. That doesn’t erase your progress.
The real danger isn’t failure—it’s refusing to choose again.
As long as you can make the next choice honest, your life can expand again.
And that is what it truly means to live.
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