Common Misconceptions about Funeral Directors

Common Misconceptions about Funeral Directors

When it comes to the funeral industry, there are many dated stereotypes that people still cling to. Often times funeral directors are depicted as having a morbid fascination with death and are usually seen as dull or creepy. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. We aim to address these misconceptions and give you a proper sense of what the life of a funeral director entails. These dedicated professionals have dedicated themselves to public service and take their role very seriously. Furthermore, funeral directors overwhelmingly have an incredible sense of compassion and empathy. Their role is to help the family through this difficult time and help them navigate an industry that can be somewhat confusing to the uninitiated.

These lasting stereotypes have no actual basis in reality, instead allowing pop culture to let their imaginations run rampant. Of course, entertainment purposefully exaggerates these topics, but many people unfortunately end up buying into the hype more often than not. We will attempt to address and clarify some of the more common misconceptions relating to the funeral industry in general.

To begin with, funeral directors do not have a morbid obsession with death. In reality, this is absolutely not the case. Funeral directors are required to approach every situation with empathy and also carefully consider and choose how they address the friends and family of the deceased. Having a stable personality and sound mind are very important here. During such an emotional time, funeral directors are supposed to remain cool, calm, collected, and sympathetic to the issues of their clients. If one were to have an unhealthy obsession with death, this professional engagement would not take place. Furthermore, many people think that funeral directors get into the industry because they can’t relate well to people, instead preferring the company of corpses. A lot of us assume, additionally, that the entirety of a funeral director’s day is spent around dead bodies. This is, once again, completely untrue. Funeral directors are excellent communicators and most chose their current profession precisely because it allows them to interact with the land of the living on a constant basis. Building relationships is an important step for all funeral home directors and one that they overwhelmingly look forward to during their daily responsibilities. While their job ensures that they are not uncomfortable around corpses, the suggestion that it is where they prefer to spend their time is absolutely unfounded in reality. 

People do tend to buy into stereotypes to easily, especially if they are long-standing, such as those surrounding the funeral industry. Instead of being dull, awkward, and fascinated with death, funeral directors are, for the most part, cheerful, friendly, attentive, and, most importantly, sympathetic to your struggle. Funeral directors want nothing more than to help you through this difficult time and will happily lend you their ear or a shoulder if needed. At the end of the day, their job is to ensure that this transition is as painless as possible for the living. Funerals can be hard on everyone involved, but a good funeral director will help share your burden and help you get back to where you need to be after tragedy strikes. 

If you have any further questions that you would like answered, please do not hesitate to contact Jerry Spears Funeral Home. 

Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be more than happy to point you in the right direction or clear up any further misconceptions you may have.