What is the concept that defines a 'fulfilling life' that was discovered by analyzing 38 million American obituaries?

A research team from Arizona State University and Michigan State University used language data from the online platform Legacy.com to analyze 38 million American obituaries published between 1998 and 2024. The study explored the values families emphasized when commemorating the deceased, arguing that obituaries act as a window into the traditions and moral values of the time.

An exploration of basic human values in 38 million obituaries over 30 years | PNAS
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2510318122

What 38 million obituaries reveal about how Americans define a 'life well lived'
https://theconversation.com/what-38-million-obituaries-reveal-about-how-americans-define-a-life-well-lived-263880

Analysis of the data revealed that the most frequently used words were those related to 'tradition,' such as religious participation and observance of customs, and 'philanthropy,' which is concern for the welfare of others. These two values were included in over 70% of condolences, demonstrating their consistent importance in American society. Meanwhile, words related to personal achievement and power were used very rarely.

Significant historical events also influenced the expression of values. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, expressions emphasizing tradition and philanthropy increased, particularly in New York, and this trend continued for at least a year. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, philanthropic-related words such as love, family, and compassion fell sharply and have not returned to their previous levels since. Tradition-related words also fell early, but rose above baseline levels later in the pandemic.

Furthermore, the values expressed in condolence messages also reflect gender and age stereotypes. Men's condolence messages tend to use more words related to achievement, conformity, and power, while women's condolence messages tend to use more words related to philanthropy and enjoying life. Furthermore, while the values emphasized by men change significantly throughout their lives, women's value profiles tend to remain relatively stable regardless of age.

There are also notable differences between age groups: older people are often remembered as people who value tradition, while younger people tend to be portrayed as people who care about the welfare of all humanity and nature, and who think and act independently.

The research team stated that the results of this analysis will help to scientifically elucidate the actual state of 'legacy,' or how people are actually remembered, and hopes that future research will examine differences by race, occupation, and region, as well as compare values with those of older times using past newspaper archives. Furthermore, the research team argued that spreading the expressions of kindness found in condolence messages to the public could serve as an opportunity to encourage compassionate behavior in the everyday lives of people living today.