Platitudes are the fuck yous of condolences. I know you’re thinking “But, Elizabeth, they mean well.” Do not be fooled. They do not mean well. Platitudes pretend to be kind and helpful, but the real purpose of a platitude is to stop your grief in its tracks, and a person who uses them does not have your best interest at heart. They are being completely disrespectful to your very real and valid pain. The platitude giver doesn't want to be bothered with any of your uncomfortable feelings, and they don’t want to be confronted with their own mortality or existential truths.
