4 - The Denial of Death and Its Sequelae

Summary

A highly unscientific empirical analysis of one week’s obituaries in my local newspaper revealed the following data: of the ninety-four individuals featured that week, only sixteen died (this includes those who died, died peacefully, or died suddenly). The rest passed away (peacefully or without elaboration), were called safely home, were taken too soon, entered into eternal rest, were reunited with loved ones, came to the end of his or her life adventure, or otherwise departed. Euphemism certainly has its place, and it is understandable that many people will opt for euphemism in obituaries. Nevertheless, it is striking how few of the authors of these announcements chose the most concise and descriptive word for the event.