What 38 million obituaries reveal about how Americans define a ‘life well lived’

By: Stylianos Syropoulos, Arizona State University; David Markowitz, Michigan State University, and Kyle Fiore Law, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: December 8, 2025

Words: 939

Last Updated: 1 month ago

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By Stylianos Syropoulos, Arizona State University; David Markowitz, Michigan State University, and Kyle Fiore Law, Arizona State University

Obituaries preserve what families most want remembered about the people they cherish most. Across time, they also reveal the values each era chose to honor.

In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we analyzed 38 million obituaries of Americans published from 1998 to 2024. We identified the values families most …

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