Death.
It’s the one thing we still rarely talk about. Sure, we discuss it in broad terms, or nervously joke about it to keep it at a distance.
But rarely do we truly face it.
Our culture has turned death into something abstract, distant – even clinical. Yet by keeping death at arm’s length, we also distance ourselves from life itself.
As the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote¹:
“Death says: I’m here.
If you want to learn from me, come closer.”
Because death isn’t just an end – it’s a mirror.
It shows you clearly what’s truly valuable, what genuinely deserves your time and attention.
When you dare to face it openly, even briefly, you immediately see what matters – and what doesn’t.
It helps you cut through the noise, through the distractions, through the superficiality that often dominates our daily lives.
It brings you back to you.
To the person you are beneath all the layers.
That’s why death, in a strange way, can be the ultimate wake-up call.
Are you ready to listen?
¹ Kierkegaard (1845), 2011, p.91.
