Internet Suicides Plague Japan

Internet Suicides Plague Japan

The Japanese seem to have a stronger fascination with suicide than most other cultures...I'm sure this partly stems from their culture and traditions: samurais would perform "hara-kiri" or ritual suicide for an honorable death, or others may commit suicide to simply prove a point or profess their innocence.

I myself have always wondered why people would choose this path. In Taiwan, suicides are also relatively high on average and many of them are committed by students who cannot take the pressure of school, exams, and parents.

The news today that a record 9 people committed suicide in Japan as part of this growing trend of "pact suicides" from meetings on suicide web sites, it got me thinking about the idea of suicide again.

Is it because the difficulties and absurdity of life is just too much to bear, or is it because many of these people have never really examined what it means to really live? I mean in these situations most of the individuals are not "highly troubled" people who are dealing with extreme domestic violence, abuse, physical ailments, psychological disorders, etc.

Granted I often sit back, sigh, and think, "man life is just a joke, what the hell are we doing anyway?" every once in a while, but the thought of suicide has never really entered my mind. Plus I always say that we're all gonna arrive at that stage where we come to the end of the line someday anyway...what's the rush? But on the flipside, I guess if one feels their life is like a crappy movie, why not pull the plug rather than sit through the entire showing?

I don't know but for me it's difficult to pass judgment on this issue anymore. I use to think it's a cop-out, a form of cowardice (and of course in pyschological terms, often a cry for help). But then again in many instances it takes a lot of courage and even peace with oneself to go through with it. It seems the damage is often more profound for the still living (for obvious reasons I guess...).

But my take when all is said and done is that we've all arrived here with this thing called life whether we like it or not. This alone may be the one thing that we all share in common in what is really ours. And I think each life here has the potential to make each other life better, and to learn something we may not otherwise ourselves. So with each senseless death...including the wasted lives in wars that should never have been, and those who decide to take their own lives before their time seems to be really due, it just makes me feel incredibly sad and that we have forever lost a unique piece from this collective thing called life that we all share together.

I only know of one person personally who has committed suicide...my cousin, or the daughter of my father's brother. We were essentially strangers, as we lived in different cities and really never crossed paths...the last time I saw her has got to be over 10 years ago and before that probably only met three or four times. Nor do I know of any people who contemplate it, except for a few girlfriends that once threatened it should we break up (now that was something). So it still largely escapes me the various different reasons that drive one down this route.

But I guess one thing suicide does do is immortalize one from that moment on...as the world continues to spin they will forever be locked to the moment in time.

Comments

[Yovana]

Hola yo tambien he pasado por crisis depresivas tan profundas que uno se pregunta si la vida tiene sentido, yo les sugiero que recurran a la presencia de Dios y le pidan a el su ayuda, Dios los ama, mas de lo que nunca sabrán...

http://www.demonbuster.com/spanishbdm.html

[Yovana]

Hola!!! Yo tambien he pasado por momentos depresivos en donde la vida no parece tener sentido; pero Yo les aconsejo que recurran a Dios, El nunca los abandonará...

http://www.demonbuster.com/spanishbdm.html

[ccs]

hola, veo que hay gente de Chile con el mismo anhelo que yo, que curioso que escriban en este blog ya que esta en ingles, pero como lo hicieron yo igual lo hare, me interesa hacer un suicidio colectivo, soy de concepcion y tengo 19 años. escribanme a mi mail si tienen intenciones serias, no estoy jugando.
viajealgris@gmail.com

[luis yvan trucco olave]

enverdad muy dentro quiero el suicidio no por escapar o miedo al medio sino sentirme yo solamente yo nadie comprende eso tu no eres la esepcion ves, somos una nueva especie empiesen de hay no como enfermedad santiago de chile

[un freak de chile]

A mi gusto es mejor buscar un compañero para salir adelante en vida que para sucidarse.
Y no lo digo sin base, yo el suicidio ronda mi mente muy amenudo. No estoy muy feliz aca, pero siempre esta la esperanza de encontrar tu forma de vivir. Posibilidades de momentos agradables existen muchas, solo hay que encontrar un horizonte.

[emy]

y si kero en realidad dejar de vivir y nesecito alguien ke me acompañe por ke no puedo sola me falta valor.......