Most death happens in hospitals and nursing homes, whereas it used to happen at home.
Young people die far more rarely than they used to, and when they do, it’s usually in the hospital.
And this doesn’t even consider that people in the past would have witnessed far more death in the form of slaughtering animals for food, or witnessing drought or famine.
Obviously death comes for us all, but I would bet we don’t see as much of it first hand as we used to.
>Obviously death comes for us all, but I would bet we don’t see as much of it first hand as we used to.
What do you mean by 'we'?
I don't know what you are trying to say. A very large percentage of the population encounters death on a regular basis.
Don't take this the wrong way, but your odd view on the subject evidences an amusing self-centeredness. Enjoy your youth. But, keep in mind that your conception of 'we' is hilariously far narrower than you realize.
I just spent the last month caring for my dying father. It was obvious from interactions with everyone, from friends and acquaintances to medical professionals, that people in the US are incredibly uncomfortable with the topic of death.
Granted, I only have experience with the US, and I'm sure it doesn't extrapolate.
I would have expected medical professionals (who I understand witness death daily, despite my hilarious narrow mindedness) to be far more candid about my father's impending death. They were not. The way they talked about physical therapy and treatment just days before he died approached ridiculousness.
The oncologist didn't once mention hospice, even though it seemed obvious from looking at my father that he was, at most, weeks from death.
When we talked about the shape my father was in to friends and acquaintances, they offered facile encouragement, "Hopefully he'll start feeling better soon."
As people find out about his death, even people who knew the state he was in are shocked.
We're not shocked, we're apparently the only people who understood how bad it was, besides a few doctors who went to great lengths to avoid having a conversation about death with us.
What conclusion am I supposed to draw from this other than that our (US) society contains a lot of people who have no idea how to deal with death. They just pretend it doesn't exist or that it won't happen. They relegate it to hospital rooms and in the hospitals they try not to talk about it. They don't think about what it means to die well or what it means to have a good quality of life, especially at the end.
In any case, I don't think I was wrong that the the average person in the average developed country witnesses far less death than they would have 100 years ago. Fewer babies dying in cribs, fewer mothers dying in childbirth. Fewer grandparents dying at home in bed.
A few months ago, I would have been chastened by your statement that a large percentage of the population encounters death on a regular basis, but I interacted with lots of those people in the hospital while my father was dying, and I can't say it was impressed upon me that they deal with death any better than the patients they treat who certainly have much less experience.
Granted, I only have experience with the US, and
I'm sure it doesn't extrapolate.
Just to share an anecdote, since you mentioned the above: In Israel when my father was in a hospital after complications from surgery, the doctor told my mother that it is only a matter of time until he dies & that if anyone should see him before that happens now's the time.
I think when pressed she said something like "he probably has a few weeks to a few months to live", and he died about 4 weeks later. I'm glad that I got the chance to fly to visit him before his passing which I wouldn't have had if she had the same attitude as your father's doctor.
Young people die far more rarely than they used to, and when they do, it’s usually in the hospital.
And this doesn’t even consider that people in the past would have witnessed far more death in the form of slaughtering animals for food, or witnessing drought or famine.
Obviously death comes for us all, but I would bet we don’t see as much of it first hand as we used to.