Why are we so weird about death? Bringing death more visibly into the cultural fold.

Let’s face it—the American death culture is dysfunctional. Just this month I attended a wellness event in Los Angeles where Bryan Johnson, founder of Don’t Die, promised his eager audience that biological aging and dying are outright unnecessary. It’s as if acknowledging mortality is an act of treason against the preferred “live forever” mindset. 

When death does arrive, it’s too often treated like a medical failure with its spiritual significance neglected. American funerals are traditionally somber, hurried affairs of dry-eyed propriety, with the deceased cremated or tucked away in a sealed coffin. There’s little room for lingering, grieving, or celebrating the life that was. Contrast this with other countries, where death is woven into the fabric of life.