Since why not hope when that time comes to die al kiddush Hashem they leave you alone and you can go on living.
The point he is making is that when it’s time anyhow, one should hope to die al kiddush Hashem.
R’ Akiva said he was always waiting for the opportunity to give his life for kiddush Hashem. He actually tried to run away from the Romans, though. There is a seeming contradiction, but it really isn’t. We don’t try to die, we try to live, yet we (should) hope to die al kiddush Hashem. There is indeedba dichotomy between what we put efforts towards and what we desire, but that is what Hashem wants from us.
I don’t really think Joseph said anything incorrect; the arguments and examples brought against him are all against what seems to be implicated in his words, (but really isn’t), but not against what he actually said, which is basically the gemara.