
Originally Posted by
FoxyBunny
I think the concept of "romantic" suicides is actually one borne of selfishness. There is probably a small bit of all of us that would be flattered to feel that someone loves us so deeply that they cannot go on with life without us. In a movie or book or other escapist fantasy, that's fine to play to that small part.
I think, in reality, it's a terrible burden to place upon someone you supposedly care for. If you REALLY loved them, would you want them to live the rest of their lives feeling guilt over your death?
I feel the same way about people who commit so-called "honor suicides". They are selfish, not noble. A person finds they cannot face whatever life has handed them, whether it be dishonor or bankruptcy or some other humiliation. They convince themselves that their loved ones would be better off without them. I wonder if any of them truly think it through. Would it be better to have a family member who, say, went to jail for a crime? Or a family member who committed a crime and then killed themselves? Isn't that a double-whammy for those left behind?
I've had postpartum depression, and several friends also have suffered from this. The one mantra we kept repeating to each other in whispered midnight telephone calls, random emails, etc. was "If you love your family enough to die for them, then SURELY you love them enough to LIVE for them."
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