I still remember reading the headline 'French Teen sets himself on fire and starts a revolution' and wondering what a mankind as selfish as ours gains in ending life than silently carrying on with it. I didn't understand the problem back then, I agree. Perhaps, the problem isn't suicide here. Perhaps, the problem is communication, or should I say, lack of it.
According to some, the teenager's last words were 'I've had enough.' The teenager who set himself on fire, his last words were 'I've had enough.' Sure, people listened to him when he uttered those words, but what about the words he might have wanted to speak before them, did we hear those? Who knows...
Let's go back to the roots, isn't it human for me to think... If I am talking, re you listening? If not, do you care? If you do, do you understand my feelings? If there's a gap in understanding, do you bother to ask me questions?
The problem doesn't start with suicide, rather, it ends there. It is a progression of events, misunderstandings, communication gaps, rejection, dejection, which leads to someone taking a step as grave and serious as ending their life. If someone chooses to be mute and without a voice forever, the seriousness of the matter again lies in the power of voice and the suffering when this power is denied. The issue starts when someone feels they don't have a voice, when they are unheard -- by their people - friends, family, or anybody forming the support system for them. To summarize, it's when a person gets to know they have no voice, and therefore, no identity or place/niche in the society.
Manifestations of this aren't easy to tell, but I feel we sure can help. The way I look at it, one step at a time that I take can add up to saving one life maybe? It can start with as simple a step as hearing people out! Listening to them, asking questions, talking to them.
People stop talking when others stop listening. Nobody wakes up to a bright beautiful day deciding to end their life. Who wants to leave and run away from a beautiful happy place ever? Isn't it simple that people want to run away from places they'd rather not return to, walk the sad terrains only once, never to return again, end their life only when the alternate seems more beautiful and worthy to them.
When they'd be gone, we'd want to listen. So, why not listen when they can talk. That's the nature of mankind, we have a need to be heard. Accepting it, let's try our best to listen to people -- make them strong.
PS: This blog was written in peaceful state of mind. Had I been angrier, it would read something like:
According to some, the teenager's last words were 'I've had enough.' The teenager who set himself on fire, his last words were 'I've had enough.' Sure, people listened to him when he uttered those words, but what about the words he might have wanted to speak before them, did we hear those? Who knows...
Let's go back to the roots, isn't it human for me to think... If I am talking, re you listening? If not, do you care? If you do, do you understand my feelings? If there's a gap in understanding, do you bother to ask me questions?
The problem doesn't start with suicide, rather, it ends there. It is a progression of events, misunderstandings, communication gaps, rejection, dejection, which leads to someone taking a step as grave and serious as ending their life. If someone chooses to be mute and without a voice forever, the seriousness of the matter again lies in the power of voice and the suffering when this power is denied. The issue starts when someone feels they don't have a voice, when they are unheard -- by their people - friends, family, or anybody forming the support system for them. To summarize, it's when a person gets to know they have no voice, and therefore, no identity or place/niche in the society.
Manifestations of this aren't easy to tell, but I feel we sure can help. The way I look at it, one step at a time that I take can add up to saving one life maybe? It can start with as simple a step as hearing people out! Listening to them, asking questions, talking to them.
People stop talking when others stop listening. Nobody wakes up to a bright beautiful day deciding to end their life. Who wants to leave and run away from a beautiful happy place ever? Isn't it simple that people want to run away from places they'd rather not return to, walk the sad terrains only once, never to return again, end their life only when the alternate seems more beautiful and worthy to them.
When they'd be gone, we'd want to listen. So, why not listen when they can talk. That's the nature of mankind, we have a need to be heard. Accepting it, let's try our best to listen to people -- make them strong.
PS: This blog was written in peaceful state of mind. Had I been angrier, it would read something like:
Why can't we listen to people when they're crying for help, when we know they're in need of a friend, when we can actually do something, why do we even give someone a chance to reach that phase when they have to face issues with their identity, when people begin to see their role in the larger scheme of things, why can't we tell them they're important piece of this big puzzle!