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> As a culture, we really have a misguided attitude about suicide A lot of it is religious. It is considered a great sin in popular religions. Even though many
by rdtsc 10y ago
> As a culture, we really have a misguided attitude about suicide
A lot of it is religious. It is considered a great sin in popular religions. Even though many don't follow religion it left this ingrained idea in the culture.
Also perhaps is seen as shameful. Part of the desire to censor the images was probably not purely to respect the victims, but also to hide the act, because it is shameful ("don't show this to the children" type thing)
The reason it is shameful is that it is seen as the most radical act of "giving up". And that doesn't jive with the "you can overcome anything with hard work" culture.
You can read this in how people talked about it -- "they were forced out" instead of "they decided to jump". Both are correct at some level. But first seems more appropriate in our culture.
One other level, perhaps even unconsciously we understand there is a possibility of contagion. It has happened and actually has been observed (someone in a high school does, and then usually a string of suicided might follow, the more talk and media coverage the more suicides follow etc). Maybe at some point in that past that fear of contagion got codified as a taboo...
- gaius 10y agoA lot of it is religious. It is considered a great sin in popular religions. Well partially, but there is also that in ancient times it was considered that you would be depriving the emperor/king/state of his rightful property (or hers obv). Infact in North Korea today if you commit suicide your family will be sent to a slave labour camp for that same reason.
- sullyj3 10y agoI think that the just world fallacy is an enormous contributor to the existence of religion in the first place.
- merpnderp 10y agoI was under the impression most religions don't believe the world is just or fair and that it is people's jobs to attempt to make it more so.
- jessaustin 10y agoThe religions I've endured attempt to tiptoe the line. They admit to life's unfairness, but they still pretend that by praying in the right way or donating to the right televangelist one can make it a little more "fair" for oneself. Also there's the whole heaven thing, which has been a great distraction from the ills of this world since its invention. Really, 'sullyj3 has it exactly right.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]