The Reports of Terror Management Theory’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Last week I declared the social psychology of death officially dead. I may have also gotten a little carried away accusing my friend Steven Heine of motivated reasoning in the process. You know, just your typical Wednesday of calling out a respected colleague for being blinded by his own theory.

Psychologists Have Been Wrong About Death For 40 Years

Steve could have responded by telling me exactly where I could shove my hot takes. Instead, like the true scientist and mensch he is, he rolled up his sleeves and wrote a thoughtful defense of his position. This is exactly what good science looks like: when smart people disagree, they hash it out with evidence, not Twitter feuds.

So here's Steve's rebuttal. Read what he wrote, then jump into the comments and tell us both who's right, who's wrong, and who's just being a nihilist.