Today's coined word: Literothanatophobia

[dianeduane]

Or, "The fear of death in literature."

A British book retailer plans to set up a counseling hotline for all heartbroken fans of Harry Potter, in case he dies in the much awaited next book.

As a former psychiatric professional, I can kind of see the point.  ...But I do start wondering, sometimes... Are human beings actually less robust, more fragile, than they used to be -- or are we just being encouraged to believe we are? 

And I remember clearly the resilience and fortitude of my younger patients as compared to the so-called "adults". The kids were endlessly more pragmatic and better at handling pain than the grownups. Any bets on the percentage of over-eighteens who wind up being counseled, as opposed to the under-eighteens?...

Comments

[telophase.livejournal.com]

If you're evil, then so was my dad, who was a wildlife ecologist and tended to lecture me on chicken anatomy when carving, and butchered Bambi in our kitchen several times. And dragged me and Mom to the Serengeti National Park for two years when I was young so he could do research for his PhD, thus ensuring that I always had a very clear idea exactly where meat comes from, since I saw the kills.

I seem to have survived the horrors reasonably well. :D