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When Robin Williams died, people were putting out images with "Genie, you're free" on it. This sort of behavior paints suicide as a valid means of escaping suff
by bjt2n3904 5y ago
When Robin Williams died, people were putting out images with "Genie, you're free" on it. This sort of behavior paints suicide as a valid means of escaping suffering.
When "13 Reasons Why" was released, it was criticized for romanticizing suicide as a tool to get people to listen to you "beyond the grave" or have some sort of impact.
While nothing has been confirmed by authorities, the behavior in this letter is extremely troubling, and seems to be the manifestation of how our society views suicide.
Instead of suicide being understood as a harmful decision that wouldn't be made in a better frame of mind, it's being portrayed as a valid decision -- and attempts at intervention are a violation of the person's autonomy. Or something to that extent.
There are other things I want to say and write, but I don't think it's appropriate until an official statement has been released from authorities.
- to11mtm 5y ago> This sort of behavior paints suicide as a valid means of escaping suffering. It's your typical person's way of trying to excuse their own action or lack of inaction, by making a statement that provides them some comfort, rather than face the way that their own inaction/belittling/bullying towards depressed people in their lives, might be part of the problem.
- bjt2n3904 5y agoPerhaps, but the statement is wrong because of how it portrays suicide, not because of the motivations for making it. Furthermore, I believe trying to understand suicide as driven by a single cause is detrimental. Suicide is a complicated issue, and is driven by numerous factors. Trying to reduce any complex issue to a single factor sets anyone who wants to help at a disadvantage, and may contribute to the problem.