[net.suicide] Male suicide

gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) (02/12/84)

> From: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
> Organization: Georgia Tech School of ICS, Atlanta

> Botched suicides are cries for help.  They signal that the person
> involved feels they have lost control and they need someone outside to
> help set their lives aright.  That is one reason why (in our society)
> men have a much higher successful suicide rate than women -- it is
> ingrained in the modern American male not to need help with his life
> and so he doesn't cry out for help.  Besides, a male ego suffering from
> feelings of inadequacy certainly does not want to fail in this last,
> final act.

Interestingly, while males attempt suicide less often than females,
they are more successful at it.  One reason maybe that as they are
success-driven then failure to succede at suicide (that is, surviving
the attempt) would be intolerably humiliating.
-- 
Gordon A. Moffett
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