gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) (03/01/84)
~
I am somewhat annoyed by these pseudo-psychological/Romanticist ideas
about why people commit suicide ("fear", "courage", "not caring
about other people", etc). If you'd just bother to look up some
psychological references on the subject rather than philosophize
about behavior we might get somewhere here.
From "Psychology and Life" by Phillip Zimbardo (an introductory
college psych text), p 547:
"...Without question, the single most outstanding characteristic
of those who attempt suicide is depression.
"A study of 384 suicide attempters clearly indicates that hopelessness
is the catalytic agent in suicidal behavior....
"Any sudden and radical change that removes an individual's basic
sources of security and predictability can make that person more
susceptible to suicide...."
It would be most interesting to discuss the causes of suicide
and the behavior of suicidal people, but if you want to philosophize
we do have a net.philosophy.