yeah, 'cos really most suicidal people are so outward looking and concerned about everyone around them. The amount of empathy residing in a person determines how they view a person who does something like this. Some see a selfish person, some see a person not worthy of respect, and some have compassion and empathy and see a person in pain (or having a drug-induced experience).LoneStar wrote:Khmers are fascinated by death. If that is bothersome, you might consider living someplace else. No reason to let cultural differences get under your skin.
It appears this guy chose to take his life in a public setting without regard for anyone else. I don't think he deserves any respect.
By the nature of a suicidal mind, a suicidal individual is fighting to keep a grip and is focussed inward. That can be thought of as selfish, but that isn't looking at the full picture.
What drives a person to do this in a public place that may harm others? Perhaps the suicidal person is making a last desperate attempt to be seen by the world. Perhaps they felt alone in their darkness, cut off from everyone around them, and that people weren't seeing their pain. It could also be that he felt anger at not being seen/heard, but the emotion behind anger is pain. So, personally, I don't see selfishness as the core element here, but desperate pain.
Sometimes, all that keeps a person from actually committing suicide is the very fact they are not selfish.... they don't want to bring pain to someone left behind. I think another word should be used in the place of selfish to describe the state of mind of a person who is in such a painful place that they choose to go against the human instinct to survive at all costs, and kill themselves. maybe such a word exists, maybe we could do with coming up with a word for it.
Maybe this guy was making a last attempt to be seen by the world he felt cut off from, or maybe he was just freaking out on drugs and thought he could fly or that he had to flee some unknown pursuer.
either way. RIP