Why Are You Afraid to Write a Will — Fear of Death, Fear of Bad Luck, or Fear of Facing Yourself?
TimeWill Editorial · Updated 2026-06-24
The common psychology behind not daring to write a will is the fear of "bad luck" or a reluctance to face the topic of death, but research and practical experience both show that planning ahead makes life feel calmer and close relationships feel more secure. Start small: list your most important accounts, write a thank-you letter to your family, record what you want to leave for your children. You don't have to finish it all at once — recording arrangements in stages feels more like organizing your life than saying goodbye. Turning uncertainty into certainty is, in itself, a form of psychological protection.
Whenever writing a will comes up, most people react with three words: "bad luck." This is a common psychological defense — when faced with death anxiety, the easiest response is simply not to face it. But the cost of putting it off is high: the money in your WeChat, the coins on the exchange, the letter to your child — none of it flies into your family's hands on its own. Writing a will isn't cursing yourself; it's lightening the load for the people still alive.
Three Psychological Barriers — How Many Apply to You?
- "Writing one means I'm wishing for my own death." — No. Writing a will is like buying insurance — buying car insurance doesn't mean you are hoping to crash. It is being responsible to your family.
- "I'm still young, there's no rush." — Sudden cardiac death doesn't care about age. There are about 540,000 cases a year, and a sizable share are under 30.
- "I don't have much money, so there's nothing to pass on." — A will isn't only about money. Are there things you want to say to your parents, things you want your child to know? Those matter more than money.
Feeling Relieved After Writing — It Is a Real Experience
For a lot of people, the first reaction after finishing a will isn't fear — it's relief. Because the things they wanted to say are written down, the passwords are stored, and the contacts are set. Once that's done, the anxiety actually drops. It's like going to the gym: the worst part is not wanting to go; once you're there, it isn't that hard. Writing a will is the same — beforehand it feels heavy and unlucky, and afterwards there's just one feeling: settled.
Where to Start — You Don't Have to Do It All at Once
Don't try to write a "complete will" right from the start. Do one small thing: open TimeWill and store three passwords in the password vault — WeChat, Alipay, and your phone lock screen. That's a solid start. Add the exchange, the private keys, and the will content later, bit by bit. Trying to do it all at once feels oppressive; doing it in batches gets easier as you go.
FAQ
Q: Does writing a will "invite" something bad to happen?
This is a common psychological barrier, but there is no evidence to support it. In fact, studies show that people who plan ahead for end-of-life matters have lower anxiety, higher life satisfaction, and more stable close relationships. Treat it as "life organization" rather than "farewell" — the same kind of thing as making an annual plan or keeping a journal.
Q: What if I don't know where to start?
Start with the smallest thing: list your five most important accounts (WeChat, Alipay, email, primary phone, and the cloud drive you use most); leave one sentence of thanks for your family; and write down how you would want your social accounts handled if an accident happened (keep them as a memorial, or delete them outright). That is your first "will," and it is not as heavy as you imagined.
Q: After I finish, do I need to pull it out and review it from time to time?
No need. Treat it like insurance or a contract: write it, store it safely, and update it once a year or whenever something major changes (marriage, a child, moving, a job change). You don't need to think about it every day — it just sits there, ready when needed. That sense of "knowing it is taken care of" is the biggest hidden value of writing a will.