I’m astounded that some people have lived such prolific noteworthy lives, were world-famous for decades, contributed so much, made life-changing inventions that the whole world benefitted from …

Yet the only words on their headstone are like “Dad, Brother, Son, We love you.”

Like WHAT?? He invented the xyz and had the leading role in 300 Hollywood films & 20 Guinness world records & discovered the cure for xyz and on & on …

Why not mention any of that on their headstone?

  • Tudsamfa@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    Funerals are for the living, not the dead. Grieving family members care about the person as a dad, brother or son, not as the hollywood record breaking super scientist.

  • communism@lemmy.ml
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    6 days ago

    Because the purpose is not to be a biography or obituary. The purpose is to say something brief and poignant/emotional. People write actual obituaries/eulogies/biographies for that purpose.

  • Lemuria@lemmy.ml
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    7 days ago

    Last I checked it costs too much to engrave wikipedia articles into headstones.

  • Blurntout@lemmy.ca
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    7 days ago

    Ah death the great humbler, but really headstones imo are more for the people close to you left behind than testament of a life well lived😅

    Personally burn me and spread some ashes somewhere that makes you - people left behind happy remembering me

    • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 days ago

      I like this idea a lot! Because walking through graveyards we get curious and we want to know about these people. Especially celebrities, and we would be fascinated to know the cause of death too because of course that’s never written on the epitaph either. I wish cause of death would be written on epitaphs. I know that would be dark & morbid & in poor taste but honestly that’s what everybody’s interested to know!