--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our society has tried to make death…" description: "\"“Our society has tried to make death invisible, thinking that if we ignore it long enough it will go away. Often we as family and loved ones are so afr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megory-anderson-35857_afraid-of-death_our-society-has-tried-to-make-death-invi_3218462.jpg" --- # Our society has tried to make death invisible, thinking… ![“Our society has tried to make death invisible, thinking that if we ignore it long enough it will go away. Often we as family and loved ones are so afraid of death that even mentioning the word to terminal patients is taboo. We think the dying are oblivious to what is happening to them. Sadly, a…” quote by Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megory-anderson-35857_afraid-of-death_our-society-has-tried-to-make-death-invi_3218462.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megory-anderson-35857_afraid-of-death_our-society-has-tried-to-make-death-invi_3218462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bd/megory-anderson-35857_afraid-of-death_our-society-has-tried-to-make-death-invi_3218462.jpg) > ““Our society has tried to make death invisible, thinking that if we ignore it long enough it will go away. Often we as family and loved ones are so afraid of death that even mentioning the word to terminal patients is taboo. We think the dying are oblivious to what is happening to them. Sadly, a dying person frequently feels afraid to bring it up him or herself. When I enter a hospital room I often hear a sigh of relief. At last, someone is here to help the family come to terms with what is playing out before them. Death has too long been the elephant in the living room, while everyone awkwardly discusses the weather.”” [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that society avoids discussing death, creating fear and isolation for the dying and their families. **In simple terms:** Death is hidden, causing distress. Key Takeaway Open conversations about death to ease fear. Themes mortality family dynamics communication Mood empathetic reflective Type narrative thought‑provoking When to use this quote - hospital care - end‑of‑life planning - grief counseling Key Concepts Taboos psychological coping Questions to Reflect On - How can we normalize death talk? - What practices help families address mortality? A Different Perspective Cultural norms may resist frank discussions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-of-death/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Living room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-room/) [Loved ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-ones/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Sigh of relief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sigh-of-relief/) ## Related quotes > [“The Angel of Death is the invisible Angel of Life. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mills-alden/the-angel-of-death-is-the-invisible-angel-of-life/) Henry Mills Alden > [“Back then death was invisible for children like me, who went outside, running fearlessly along those fantastical streets, safe from history. The night of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-zambra/back-then-death-was-invisible-for-children-like-me-who-went-outside/) [Alejandro Zambra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-zambra/) > [“The journey into death is such an important one that I believe each person deserves as much support as possible. The loved ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/the-journey-into-death-is-such-an-important-one-that-i-believe-each/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“There is a moment when the body is about to cease its natural functions, when it is important to accept that death is happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/there-is-a-moment-when-the-body-is-about-to-cease-its-natural/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“I hear you." Angry words get louder when people do not listen. When a person is ill and dying, it seems as if no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/i-hear-you-angry-words-get-louder-when-people-do-not-listen-when-a/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“The reality of the dying person is very different from that of the living. She is experiencing we cannot fully understand or enter into.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/the-reality-of-the-dying-person-is-very-different-from-that-of-the/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [Sometimes the media gives us the impression that we are terminal patients, because of problems of global warmth or the ozone layer. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaime-lerner/sometimes-the-media-gives-us-the-impression-that-we-are-terminal/) [Jaime Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaime-lerner/) > [Write as if you were dying. At the same time, assume you write for an audience consisting solely of terminal patients. 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Qasim Ali > [“What if the most courageous thing you do is hold a dying person's hand? That would be enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-salcedo/what-if-the-most-courageous-thing-you-do-is-hold-a-dying-person-s/) [Nicki Salcedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-salcedo/) > [There is a difference between a person who is dying and a person who is suicidal. I do not want to die. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-maynard/there-is-a-difference-between-a-person-who-is-dying-and-a-person-who/) [Brittany Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-maynard/) > [“We could only pay attention to one dying person at a time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kimball/we-could-only-pay-attention-to-one-dying-person-at-a-time/) [Michael Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kimball/) > [“This way of behaving, this way of feeling, so hysterical, so sad, when someone has died, I don't like at all and would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/this-way-of-behaving-this-way-of-feeling-so-hysterical-so-sad-when/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) ## More by Megory Anderson > [“There is such a tremendous need for spiritual guidance for those who are facing death, as a patient or with a loved one. Emotions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/there-is-such-a-tremendous-need-for-spiritual-guidance-for-those-who/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“As I work with people who are new to being present with the dying, I ask them to remember two things. (1)Stepping back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/as-i-work-with-people-who-are-new-to-being-present-with-the-dying-i/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“There is a moment when the body is about to cease its natural functions, when it is important to accept that death is happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/there-is-a-moment-when-the-body-is-about-to-cease-its-natural/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“I hear you." Angry words get louder when people do not listen. 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It is hard to know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/i-have-often-been-asked-to-help-pray-in-life-and-death-situations/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“The journey into death is such an important one that I believe each person deserves as much support as possible. The loved ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/the-journey-into-death-is-such-an-important-one-that-i-believe-each/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) > [“Sacred dying rituals are primarily and notably for the person dying. It takes great strength and courage to face death and to begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megory-anderson/sacred-dying-rituals-are-primarily-and-notably-for-the-person-dying/) [Megory Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) [Explore all 13 Megory Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megory-anderson/) ## More Afraid of death quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [To me, man means awareness of death. I am not saying become afraid of death; that is not awareness. 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So dying really terrifies me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rea/i-am-afraid-of-death-scared-by-it-i-already-don-t-know-whether-i/) [Stephen Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rea/) > [“I'm not afraid of death…I'm afraid of life without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-woon/i-m-not-afraid-of-death-i-m-afraid-of-life-without-you/) [Yvonne Woon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-woon/) > [Atheism is a fairy story for people afraid of the Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennox/atheism-is-a-fairy-story-for-people-afraid-of-the-light/) [John Lennox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennox/) > [ “Dear Mr. Fraser, I write to inform you that I shall not visit Helwater this quarter; official affairs detain me. \[…\] These affairs concern… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/dear-mr-fraser-i-write-to-inform-you-that-i-shall-not-visit-helwater/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [It is important that our relationship with farm animals is reciprocal. We owe animals a decent life and a painless death. I have observed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/it-is-important-that-our-relationship-with-farm-animals-is-reciprocal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Do you have any coffee?'...'It stunts my growth, and I'm afraid of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/do-you-have-any-coffee-it-stunts-my-growth-and-i-m-afraid-of-death/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Once you are afraid of death you are bound to be afraid of life. That's why I am talking about this Hasidic approach. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-you-are-afraid-of-death-you-are-bound-to-be-afraid-of-life-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“the less a man is acquainted with the sweets of life, the less reason he has to be afraid of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavius-vegetius-renatus/the-less-a-man-is-acquainted-with-the-sweets-of-life-the-less-reason/) [Flavius Vegetius Renatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavius-vegetius-renatus/) > [“I am not afraid of death, which after all can't be far away. 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