London Real Stephen Jenkinson - Die Wise: How to Understand the Meaning of Death
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Jun 9, 2019 
Stephen Jenkinson, a storyteller and palliative care expert, discusses the transformative power of embracing mortality and societal avoidance of death. He explores the chaos of urban environments, off-the-grid living, and agriculture as a public service. Reflecting on personal experiences with death, he challenges cultural norms and emphasizes the importance of accepting death as a natural part of life for personal growth and renewal.
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Death-Phobic Culture Corrupts Living
- Stephen Jenkinson identifies modern North American culture as death-phobic and avoiding endings.
- This avoidance corrupts how people live and prepares them to die poorly, affecting future generations.
Life Is Rooted In Death
- Life depends on death; life is 'life-taking' while death grants life continuity.
- Understanding death as foundational reframes living and responsibility toward endings.
Denial Praised As Strength
- Jenkinson recounts meeting a 28-year-old woman with terminal cancer whose family praised her denial.
- Her mother celebrated that she 'doesn't let it be a big part of my life,' illustrating cultural refusal to inhabit dying.