Read the Obits

Obits as a creativity tool

• Supporters see obituaries as compact, well-edited mini-biographies that expose readers to unexpected lives, careers, and historical contexts.
• They’re praised as raw material for fiction characters and as a way to encounter “quiet lives,” not just famous ones.
• Specific praise goes to obits in outlets like The Economist and major newspapers, which are seen as especially rich and well-written.

Critique of the “creativity hack” claim

• Several commenters object to calling this a “creativity hack” without any evidence or even a single concrete anecdote of creative output sparked by obits.
• They compare it to overhyped fads (“Mozart for babies,” chess to raise IQ) that promised instrumental benefits and later disappointed.
• Some argue that if you market something as a creativity booster, you should at least provide examples or reference the existing research on creativity.
• Others counter that creativity advice rarely has strong data anyway, and that “read obits, you might get interesting ideas” is harmless and plausibly helpful.

Alternative ways to cultivate creativity

• Suggestions include: reading full biographies, using curated book lists (e.g., topic-based lists, famous people’s reading logs), random browsing in large libraries, and consuming historical interviews or academic-author podcasts.
• Some emphasize spending time with people from very different backgrounds as a more direct route to “distant associations.”

Other uses and benefits of obituaries

• Genealogy: one detailed account describes reconstructing a hidden family lineage primarily through obituary archives, noting obits often list surviving relatives more accurately than older official records.
• Investing and business: obits can serve as an “opportunity radar” (e.g., leadership transitions, community changes).
• Personal and cultural value: obits help memorialize ordinary lives and remind readers of “normal goodness” in the world.

Preservation, privacy, and data concerns

• Worries about “obituary rot” as digital-only obits vanish; proposals include archiving via the Internet Archive or national archives.
• Counterpoint: genealogy sites and data brokers aggressively scrape obits, likely ensuring long-term survival—but also propagating errors and intentional omissions.
• Some argue for the importance of historical records; others stress a “right to die” or at least not be indefinitely exposed online.