Suicide is caused by a combination of social and personal factors, and to prevent it, society as a whole needs to emphasize the value of life, and individuals need to have a positive attitude and recognize the importance of life. Effective suicide prevention requires a balance of social and individual efforts.
Suicide literally means the act of killing oneself. However, when we add the criterion of “free will” to the definition, the meaning becomes clearer: even if an act appears to be suicidal on the surface, the presence or absence of free will determines whether it is. For example, consider the case of a court lady in Joseon Dynasty who commits a great sin and drinks poison. Even though it is the court lady herself who drinks poison, it cannot be called suicide because it is a punishment under coercion, not free will.
The causes of suicide can be broadly categorized into social and personal factors. Social factors include marginalization from society or overly close social relationships, while personal factors include economic hardship, psychological stress, and depression. It’s important to note that social and personal factors are not completely separate.
For example, in the case of the celebrity who took his own life after being maligned, it was society that marginalized him, but it was he himself who ultimately chose to end his life due to psychological stress. The same is true for the suicidal student who was contemplating suicide due to the stress of the entrance examination and was swept away by the social atmosphere, which is called the Werther effect. Society created the atmosphere that led to the decision to commit suicide, but it was the examinee himself who chose to die due to the pressure of the SAT. In other words, suicide is a combination of social and personal factors, and in order to prevent suicide, we need to make a balanced effort in both social and personal aspects. This is because you can’t effectively prevent suicide by focusing on one or the other.
First, to prevent suicide from a social perspective, society as a whole needs to create an atmosphere where life is not taken lightly, and the seriousness and injustice of suicide needs to be widely recognized. For example, when a celebrity commits suicide, the media is full of stories about the cause of the suicide and the means and methods of suicide. These stories are written without considering the impact on society, which can have serious repercussions, such as leading to copycat suicides. Therefore, the media should be careful when writing about suicide. They should honor the memory of the deceased, but make it clear that suicide is a wrong act that fails to value life and is not a solution to real-world problems.
Societies also need to build effective suicide prevention systems. This requires practical policies, not abstract ones. The suicide prevention structure installed on Dongjak Bridge a few years ago is an example of this. As many people attempted to commit suicide by climbing the steel structure on the bridge, the structure was painted with oil to prevent people from climbing it.
On the other hand, in order to prevent suicide on a personal level, it is important to value the life you have been given. Recognize that suicide is an unethical act, and understand that taking your own life can be very hurtful to your family and those around you.
You should also recognize that no matter how difficult a situation you are facing, you should try to stay positive and work through it. Suicidal thoughts begin with the idea that there is no hope. At this point, positive thinking can change your pessimistic attitude and lead you to live an optimistic life. You need to remind yourself that suicide is never the ultimate solution in any case. Finally, if you suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness, don’t be afraid to ask for help so that you can resist the temptation to commit suicide.
