Is it really wrong to NOT say death?

Aug 19

By Miles Gloetzner

For the last couple years, I've just gone with the flow of this narrative in deathcare - that we must use these words, and we should work to normalize them.

Why? Why such pressure? Are they really that important?

There is absolutely a place for them, don't get me wrong. And there are certainly more proper spaces and places to use them than in a hospital or lecture hall.

I'm no expert but when I look at human history and diverse cultures, I see a pattern over thousands of years of using poetry, symbols, and imagery when speaking of death. Is this really a bad thing that needs to be countered?

The more I think about it, the more it seems like this way of thinking comes from a Western & medical mentality. The words Death and Dying are very direct, even medical terms with associations with brain function, the cessation of bodily and neural activity, diagnosis, and even the legal system.

Does every nation, tribe, language, and people need to accept this way of thinking?

How far should push these English words and ways of thinking about death into non-Western cultures, including those Indigenous nations native to the land where I live?

And even among Western nations and cultures, there's always been mystical language used, including in (should I say it?) Christianity. Must we get everyone to start using the same dead-words? And should we close the door to the poetic, story-telling, and cultural richness by saying that everything else is "just euphemism" or "denial"?

You can probably tell that I'm having doubts about whether it's as important as I've been told it is.

What do you think: Is it still ok to talk about death with words that are more associated with mystery, wonder, art, symbols, and poetry?

And I'm “dying” to know your honest comments!