Why do we respect the dead more than the living?

Actually, this question arose in the head, when almost all my friends mourned for a politician and an artist who passed away recently. He was an immensely corrupt politician and he had several accusations against him. And he did a few good deeds as well. But when he died, all those people who criticized him and threw his name in the gutter when he was alive, started appreciating his good work. Suddenly he shone as a hero who was a great artist and a good politician. Now even though he's no more, even his enemies are respecting him. Why not do that when he was alive and good?

Why is that we start respecting the dead a lot more than the alive ones?

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Originally Posted by Shana

Actually, this question arose in the head, when almost all my friends mourned for a politician and an artist who passed away recently. He was an immensely corrupt politician and he had several accusations against him. And he did a few good deeds as well. But when he died, all those people who criticized him and threw his name in the gutter when he was alive, started appreciating his good work. Suddenly he shone as a hero who was a great artist and a good politician. Now even though he's no more, even his enemies are respecting him. Why not do that when he was alive and good?

Why is that we start respecting the dead a lot more than the alive ones?

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I have the same question in my mind, when I tried to find the answer I came to this conclusion.When a person is alive we use to see him/her as a competitor or threat and when he/she died we get a relief that there is no more competition or threat from him/her. So we started to acknowledge their good deeds after their death.Hope this answer make some sense.