Jun 24, 2026 · 29 min · 10 segments
Who would have thought that reading obituaries on social media could be so informative, moving, funny, and insightful?? Mary McGreevy tried it and found a solid audience. First, she shared obits she…
Mary McGreevyGuest
Diane HullettHost
You know, I think there's something about, there's some way that your personality, your voice, your kind of commentary on these obituaries just really rings for people.
It's got that kind of like, I don't know, girl next door kind of quality to it.
But I think it also has the kind of nosy, like you said, you kind of got into it for the nosy gossip and that shines through, but in the best possible way, right? Yes.
But on a deeper level, I think... why this feels so kind of urgently important to me is that despite having a whole series of really good jobs in my life and feeling like I did well, I never was one of those people who felt like they quote unquote found their passion, which is career advice that I hate.
And I would say don't give that kind of advice to young people because it's a pressure.
If you're the kind of person who hasn't found a passion, you already feel at 22 like you're behind.
And no matter what you do, If it's not that thing that when you were a kid, what do you want to be? I want to be a doctor.
If you don't have that thing, if you're more of a generalist, it always feels like you're kind of on the outside looking in.
And so I think there's a deeper reason why these stories resonate so much with me, because I feel like I was probably unconsciously looking at these stories and saying, were they happy? What were their choices? Should I copy those choices? Clearly they did the right thing or the wrong thing.
And reading now over 10,000 obituaries has actually changed my brain as to what matters in life, which I know is a topic near and dear to you.
Whereas this whole idea, especially an American idea that everybody should be on this progress narrative, this success narrative, and we all kind of know what success means.
That what you thought was going to be the path to success, which then leads to happiness is almost never the case.
And I think there's probably an authenticity to what I'm saying, because this isn't just a cliche.
I feel like it can change our perception of death for sure, but also change our perception about life, what matters, what has meaning, and conversely, what doesn't.
You know, I think there's something about, there's some way that your personality, your voice, your kind of commentary on these obituaries just really rings for people.
It's got that kind of like, I don't know, girl next door kind of quality to it.
But I think it also has the kind of nosy, like you said, you kind of got into it for the nosy gossip and that shines through, but in the best possible way, right? Yes.
But on a deeper level, I think... why this feels so kind of urgently important to me is that despite having a whole series of really good jobs in my life and feeling like I did well, I never was one of those people who felt like they quote unquote found their passion, which is career advice that I hate.
And I would say don't give that kind of advice to young people because it's a pressure.
If you're the kind of person who hasn't found a passion, you already feel at 22 like you're behind.
And no matter what you do, If it's not that thing that when you were a kid, what do you want to be? I want to be a doctor.
If you don't have that thing, if you're more of a generalist, it always feels like you're kind of on the outside looking in.
And so I think there's a deeper reason why these stories resonate so much with me, because I feel like I was probably unconsciously looking at these stories and saying, were they happy? What were their choices? Should I copy those choices? Clearly they did the right thing or the wrong thing.
And reading now over 10,000 obituaries has actually changed my brain as to what matters in life, which I know is a topic near and dear to you.
Whereas this whole idea, especially an American idea that everybody should be on this progress narrative, this success narrative, and we all kind of know what success means.
That what you thought was going to be the path to success, which then leads to happiness is almost never the case.
And I think there's probably an authenticity to what I'm saying, because this isn't just a cliche.
I feel like it can change our perception of death for sure, but also change our perception about life, what matters, what has meaning, and conversely, what doesn't.
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