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A new trend is sweeping TikTok, and users say it\u2019s life-changing.<\/span><\/p>\n TikTok user @hannaheyeager shared <\/span>a video<\/span><\/a> discussing something called the \u201cfuneral theory,\u201d which she says completely shifted her perspective on life.<\/span><\/p>\n In the video, black text reads, \u201cA funeral director once explained the funeral theory, and I didn\u2019t realize it would change my entire outlook and my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The caption dives deeper, adding, \u201cAt the average funeral, only ten people cry. Ten. That\u2019s it. You spend your whole life pushing, striving, breaking your heart open for people, holding it all together \u2026 and in the end, only ten people are emotionally impacted enough to cry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n According to the theory, the number one factor influencing how many people attend your funeral is the weather. If it\u2019s raining, half won\u2019t even bother showing up.<\/span><\/p>\n @hannaheyeager wrote in her caption about the message behind the viral trend. \u201cYou are allowed to want more. You are allowed to pursue what makes you happy. You are allowed to build a life that fulfills you even if it looks nothing like what you expected or doesn\u2019t make sense to others. You don\u2019t have to stick to a plan out of guilt or fear. You\u2019re allowed to pivot. Shake things up. Change your story. Nobody is getting out of here alive anyway.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Online, the theory has sparked reflection and debate. Some TikTok users agreed with Hannah, while others offered a different perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis take on the \u2018funeral theory\u2019 is unfortunate and sad. It says, since only a few people care about you, stop trying. What if, knowing the funeral theory, you actually try harder to have a meaningful impact on as many people as possible?\u201d one user commented.<\/span><\/p>\n Another shared a personal experience, writing, \u201cWhen my son died I was in so much shock I didn\u2019t cry there. But I cried so much everywhere else.\u201d And another user summed it up by writing, \u201cWow! Makes sense. That\u2019s why living your life is more important than worrying about who comes to your funeral.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Jesse M. Gomes<\/b>, executive director of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, spoke to <\/span>TODAY.com<\/span><\/i><\/a> about the theory.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSince grief manifests differently, the number of people crying at a funeral isn\u2019t an indication of a person\u2019s impact,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n