Recode Decode: Why thinking about your death five times a day is good for you

Mortality Awareness

Hansa Bergwall, co-founder of WeCroak, emphasizes the importance of mortality awareness in daily life. He believes that acknowledging our mortality can help us prioritize what truly matters and make more courageous decisions. Kara Swisher and Hansa discuss how the WeCroak app, which sends reminders of death five times a day, serves as a tool to cut through life's distractions and focus on what is important 1 2.

It's just like, tell you something that's always true and always relevant, you are going to die. And if you like what you're doing in that moment, then great. Pat yourself on the back. It's your choice.

--- Hansa Bergwall

This approach encourages users to reflect on their current state and make necessary adjustments if they are not satisfied with their life's direction 3.

   

Mindfulness Approach

The WeCroak app integrates mindfulness with the contemplation of death, drawing inspiration from Bhutanese traditions that suggest thinking about death five times daily leads to happiness. Hansa Bergwall shares that this practice helps individuals avoid getting caught up in trivial matters and focus on what truly matters 4.

One of the things that makes us most unhappy is we tend to get caught up in things that don't matter.

--- Hansa Bergwall

He explains that the app is designed without ads or social media hooks to maintain its focus on mindfulness and self-reflection, resisting the distractions of modern technology 5 6.

   

Design Choices

WeCroak's design intentionally omits ads and social media integration to preserve the app's purpose of fostering genuine reflection on mortality. Hansa Bergwall and Kara Swisher7.

We resisted every other bell or whistle we could possibly add.

--- Hansa Bergwall

The app charges a nominal fee to ensure users consciously choose to engage with its content, reinforcing its commitment to meaningful interaction rather than superficial engagement 8 9.