If we were at a party and everybody had two beers,

and then I asked, what do you do for a living?

Like, what do you actually say in social settings?

It depends how quickly I need to leave.

If I need to leave soon, I'll usually say I teach sociology, which isn't really true, but I know it's really boring sounding.

So then everyone's like, okay, bye.

However, if it looks like I've got some time, and I know the person will want to talk to me, I'll say I'm director of the Center for Deaf and Society, and I do research on death dying in the dead body and interdisciplinary studies around everything to do with death and dying.

That is Dr. John Troyer, who lectures at the University of Bath in England and is the MVP of every party. I am Dessa, host of Deeply Human, and Deeply Human is the podcast you are listening

to. And a podcast is like a balsamic reduction of pure knowledge drizzled in through your ears to season your brain.

Today's episode is about dying and why you shouldn't put off talking about it until you're dead.

So part your hair down the middle in your best Wednesday atoms and stretch out for a rigorous conversation about death activism, the guillotine, and the

ferocity of human love.

Love of mine, someday you will die, but I'll be close behind.

I'll follow you into the dark.

No blinding life.

Okay, so back to the party scene.

How does John introduce himself when he's off the clock?

In that scenario where you give him the long, interesting answer,

do you know what they're going to say next?

Yeah, usually, this is actually almost always the way it happens.

I'll say, oh, God, wow, I don't know.

Okay, I have to ask you this question.

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