This chapter investigates why the prospect of dementia makes us so afraid. It reflects on our cultural emphasis on an identity based on rational thought and personal independence, and how this leaves us vulnerable to an existential dread in the face of dementia. It then considers how this fear is amplified in the imagery and language used in our popular media. The chapter goes on to consider how we might respond to our collective fear by attention to the language and imagery that we use for people living with dementia; by developing more and different social opportunities; and by attending to the stories of people who have, in different ways, learned to ‘live well’ with dementia. It argues that, when we can see the humanity in people living with dementia, we will lose our existential dread.