Monkeys have opposible thumbs, so they could do it the same way we do...

[jackofallgeeks]

So, right... I'm sitting here, minding my own business, taking a break from reading Plato, and not one, not two, but three people rather close to me casually remark on suicide. Like, their own suicide. The first was less-casual, just a simple "yeah, I've thought about it, but it always seemed to selfish." The second was a bit more confused, as it was in the middle of a long, emotionally-charged rant about loneliness. But the third was rather off-handedly "yeah, I guess everyone thinks about killing themselves."

I've never thought about it. I guess it's natural human folly to imagine oneself is indicative of the majority, but I'd at least assume that rational self-preservation would stand up to all-but the bleakest of emotional despairs. Maybe that's just me; I do tend to eschew emotion over reason whenever and wherever I can. I wouldn't ask for confessions, but I think now I may be shocked by the number of friends I hold dear who would have considered That Way.

If I think about it too long, I think I could get very sad.

Comments

[thismortalquill.livejournal.com]

I believe the third person was referring to the process by which we eliminate options in any situation. The media has wittingly and unwittingly bombarded us with images of suicide as an option that even those who would never seriously consider it might bring it up (even if it's just to say "well, *that* is CERTAINLY not an option).

Granted, the person could believe that there comes a time in every human's life where we all sit around and seriously contemplate offing ourselves, but the probability of that is highly unlikely.

And don't be sad. Even if some of us have contemplated/attempted... we're still here, right?

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

Due to context on the third, I would disagree -- they pretty clearly seemed to mean more the second possibility you list there.

And yeah, even those who have thought about it and even attempted it, assuming there ARE still here, are still here. But what if they weren't? And what about the ones who aren't? On a less-sad, more-philosophical note, the implications of people we might have met are simply astounding. "If anything were different, everything would be different."

I didnt mean anything by it but....

[whtepckupprncss.livejournal.com]

Im guessing I was that second one?

Re: I didnt mean anything by it but....

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

*waves hand* Don't worry about it. It's not as big a deal as it may sound. Iy's just, you know... I don't know. Suicide is such an awful thing, and such and stuff and the like. -shrugs- I just can't concieve of what would, you know, drive someone to that.

Re: I didnt mean anything by it but....

[metis2be.livejournal.com]

Actually most of the motivation is just teenage angst. Alot of the reasons people want to kill themselves aren't reasons as much as excuses, and some people don't even have excuses.

My friend Eddie once got rather annoyed at a friend of mine answering "I don't plan on making it to thirty" when asked about their future plans. He went off on a tangent about how many people say they won't make it past 18 or 21 or 25 or whatever, and it's extremely rare someone doesn't, yet the amount of people who say that is startling.

Even if someone would never ever attempt anything suicidal, thinking about it or thinking they won't make it to a certain age is really common from what I've seen of people.

[shibatim.livejournal.com]

I agree that the miedia has plantde horrible thoughts in peoples minds, but its also the weak nature of humans now and days. Well al have little things that drive us, and when those things ceace to be or we lose intrest, then most people give up rather then try and find a new motivation. Hm...mabe not most, but atleast some.

Spelchek

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

I agree that the media has planted horrible thoughts in peoples' minds, but its also the weak nature of humans nowadays. We all have little things that drive us, and when those things cease to be or we lose interest, then most people give up rather than try and find a new motivation. Hm... maybe not most, but at least some.

For my part, I think it would be folly to blame the media in this case; yeah, the media generally doesn't do much to encourage healthy growth in children, but I'm not so sure it encourages "kill yourself" as a solution to life's troubles, either. Not sure who you're agreeing with; no one so far mentioned the media.

As Jenny said above, and as I've said before, I can understand the loneliness; those we have known me well enough long enough can verify this. What bothers me, though, and what I don't understand, is the now-apparent phenomenon of suicidal thinking -- which I can't pass of to the Fiend of Media, and so my circular comment ends.