Death makes us feel different feelings – along with sadness and sadness, it can also cause reverence. Why do we perceive it so differently and what does it depend on?
To be face to face with her
85% of survey participants in Russia and 83% in France met with death, as they say, face to face. Death remains an integral part of life: we pay the last tribute to the dead and mourn for them.
The results of the survey show that the vast majority of people at least once mourned the loss of a loved one, came for the last time to see and say goodbye to him.
Reverence or fear
Death is often viewed as a transition to another dimension of being, as a natural end to life’s journey, or as an individual tragedy. Attitude towards death depends not only on culture, traditions, religious values, but also on other social and psychological factors. It is closely connected with our attitude to life and to the people around us – near and far.
Comparing the survey results obtained in Russia and in France is suggestive. The experience of acquaintance with the death of loved ones is approximately the same for us, and for both the French and Russians it is accompanied by a feeling of sadness.
But the reactions of the French seem more personal and at the same time more directed towards others. Death causes a feeling of respect in 47% of the French and only in 6% of Russians (8 times difference), a feeling of grief – in 34 and 18%, respectively, sympathy – in 28 and 11%, calmness – in 17 and 5%. Fear and anxiety are expressed almost equally: 22% versus 18%. On the other hand, egocentric denial of the event, unwillingness to believe what happened was noted only by 4% of the French and 17% of the Russians.
What explains these differences? Quite possibly, the point is not at all that we are less emotional, but in our cultural characteristics.
The question of the meaning of death (where and why are we going?) historically precedes the question of the meaning of life.
Traditional cultures free people from the fear of death through the idea of immortality or the transmigration of the soul, but at the same time cultivate reverence for it. Other civilizational models highlight the value of the life of each individual person, death becomes a tragedy, which, however, is softened by the consciousness of the continuity of life.
It has been proven that both in the history of mankind and in the development of an individual, the question of the meaning of death (where and why do we go?) historically precedes the question of the meaning of life (why and for what am I living?).
The Soviet government undermined the traditional peasant-patriarchal reverence for death as the result of a life lived, but did not replace it with the philosophy of individualism. Moreover, she was implacably hostile to such an approach. In the world of “cogs” there are no irreplaceable ones, so their departure causes more regret than respect.
Have you ever seen a dead person?
Russia: “Yes” – 85%, “No” – 12%, refused to answer – 3%.
France: “Yes” – 83% “No” – 16%, refused to answer -1%.
What word (phrase) can describe the feeling that you experienced at the sight of the deceased? (We asked only those who had already faced death to answer this question. Several answers could be given)
Russia:
Revered – 6%
Sorrow – 18%
Empathy – 11%
Fear, anxiety – 18%
Calmness – 5%
Embarrassment – 9%
Horror – 7%
Unwillingness to believe – 17%
Disgust – 7%
None of the above – 4%
Refused to answer – 3%
France:
Revered – 47%
Sorrow – 34%
Empathy – 28%
Fear, anxiety – 22%
Calmness – 17%
Embarrassment – 10%
Horror – 7%
Unwillingness to believe – 4%
Disgust – 4%
None of the above – 2%
Refused to answer – 1%
Who was the deceased to you? (We asked only those who had already faced death to answer this question. Several answers could be given)
Russia:
Father or mother – 11%
Grandfather or grandmother – 25%
Another family member – 17%
Friend or acquaintances – 12%
Stranger – 23%
Spouse – 4%
Your child – 4%
Refused to answer – 4%
France:
Father or mother – 53%
Grandfather or grandmother – 38%
Another family member – 39%
Friend or acquaintances – 30%
Stranger – 23%
Spouse – 6%
Your child – 5%
Refused to answer – 0%
In Russia, the survey was conducted on the website of the journal Psychologies, and 6120 people took part in it, in France – by the Institute of Public Opinion CSA, 1003 people answered questions from sociologists.