"There is no permanence"

We know we are going to die. This, however, is never a sudden realization. Our parents do not sit us down at age five to tell us that we will one day go to sleep and never wake up. We may grasp the meaning of death when loved ones and pets die when we are young, but likely no one has a memory of grasping the idea of death in relation to his- or herself. Grasping the idea of death is coming to an understanding about life.
When we are young, death doesn't seem to be an immediate threat. We go on with life, not concerned with what seems so far, far away. There are even stereotypes related to how different age groups perceive death- all to do with the permanence of it. Children are supposed to not realize death is forever. When people or pets in their lives die, they may ask the next day where this person is, not realizing they are gone forever. Teenagers are supposed to believe they are immortal. That's why they are reckless and do dangerous things- they "don't think it will happen to them." Once past their prime, people usually fear aging. Once over the hill, its all downhill from there, and that's a scary thought. No one can stop aging, but people spend billions of dollars each year trying. However, at some point, some people embrace their age, while others get more depressed. When I see my grandfather and ask him how his day has been, he tells me every single time, "Well any day I wake up is a good day, I suppose." He tells me he visits more people in graveyards than in houses now. He certainly understands death is inevitable, but at the same time, he has forgotten how to enjoy life. This is especially hard since he is quite healthy and could easily live another twenty years. People come to different understandings about death. We all know it is happening, but we all don't feel the same about it. However, the understanding of death, like death itself, is a common experience among all humans.
The idea of death for oneself probably isn't terribly frightening. If I personally think of my own death, what else is there to think about but my family and friends? If that is the end, so be it. If it isn't, well then that's wonderful. Either way, death happens to everyone. We know it happens to everyone, so it can't be some dark, scary thing.What makes death frightening is the idea of loved ones dying. The idea of my own death isn't too horrifying- it doesn't even seem quite real yet. I am, after all, an immortal teenager. I know that I will likely live to see my parents and even my brothers die, and that is terrifying. Even after my last dog died, I was hesitant to get another one, because I knew I would have to go through that all over again. I know that this dog will die, too. Death is terrifying because when these people die, they are at peace, but we are left here, grieving.
Gilgamesh, like many others since, sought eternal life. Utnapishtim explains, "There is no permanence." Nothing in life is forever, and life itself is not forever. We don't expect anything to last for eternity, so why would we expect this of life? Gilgamesh may have been seeking this immortality for himself, but it is much more likely he is seeking to reverse the death of Enkidu. Gilgamesh, like any human, is crushed by the death of his loved one. It is this version of death that he fears, and this is the one we all fear.
Even though we all know we are destined to die, that doesn't mean we stop fighting to live. What other option do we have. Life is good, so why shouldn't we enjoy it? Just because we know a party is going to end doesn't mean we sit and sulk the whole way through. Also, people behavior in the manner in which they have been taught. We are not raised to obsess over death; therefore, we don't obsess over death. Most of us are taught to enjoy life and to strive for our goals. It is animal instinct to fight for survival, and humans, after all, are animals.