I came across an interesting poster at the Taipei Main Station last weekend:
A don’t-commit-suicide poster: Regardless of what problems you have, there are other ways to resolve it…
I found this poster quite interesting because back in the Philippines, you don’t see such posters around. You have posters targeted towards the youth that tells them to say no to drugs, but not too many big posters telling them NOT to commit suicide.
It may be safe to assume that it’s because suicide isn’t very common back home. Or if ever, there are other more pressing issues than people committing suicide (e.g., teenage pregnancies, teen violence, importance of education, etc.).
Funny how the more developed a country is, the more “desperate and unhappy” people are…
Taiwan is just the same. Coming from a country where the poorest people lived on top of garbage, it’s so frustrating to see people here complain that they have no money! After hearing them complain about not being able to afford a NT$90,000 LV bag, you’d just have to stop yourself from smacking them!
Stop the complaining! There are people who can’t even afford to buy lunch, for goodness sakes!!! 🙁
Some people are just so ungrateful.
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But really, regardless of the fact that the Philippines is one of the poorest countries ever, a Reader’s Digest survey said that Pinoys are one of the happier races in Asia.
Don’t you find this ironic?
Here in Taiwan, it’s ridiculous how many people commit suicide (Hence, the poster)! They would call my generation, zao3 mei2 zu2, which means a strawberry-hearted generation — at the first gust of trouble, people are too soft-hearted to handle it. Thus, a lot of people just take the easiest way out — suicide.
Geez, that’s so stupid.
And so selfish.
They don’t really think far, do they? If they commit suicide, will that resolve anything? If they die, how about their parents and loved ones? For a country that boasts of the highest educational level in their population, Taiwanese people can be so stupid sometimes.
What’s more, jumping off the buildings seem to be the suicide method of choice.
Ouch. That should hurt.
A lot.
If I was to commit suicide, I’d take the easiest and least painless way out.
Maybe inject myself with a lethal drug, or shoot myself in the head.
Quick, and painless.
But jumping off buildings…
… what if you don’t succeed?
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There was actually one news reporting of a college student who was jilted by his girlfriend. Turned out she was playing around and left him for someone else.
Being very creative, that young man tried the most popular suicide method in Taiwan. He jumped off the building.
Course, the smart man jumped off the 4th floor. Least to say, he landed on a tent or something (Lesson here: Look down before you jump!) and BAM! Didn’t die when he hit the cement.
Of course, when he realized he didn’t die, he was so bent on dying (Sigh, some people don’t ever learn. He surely believes in the saying, try and try until you succeed), and so, he limpingly went to the highest floor and jumped again.
This time, he succeeded.
Geez.
Some people are just determined.
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He’s the exception to the rule though. Most people here, when they want to jump off buildings, they wait for the media first before jumping.
As they say, if you want to go, go with a BANG!
Of course, I think they don’t really want to die anyway… they just want the publicity (hopefully, in making their exes feel so guilty that they’d be pushed to reconcile with them), but still…
If you want to jump, JUMP! Don’t go babble about wanting to die and making other people feel bad. Don’t waste our time. That’s so hypocritical! Jump already!
I think it’s because here in Taiwan, most people commit suicide because of love-related issues. Someone broke up with them, or cheated on them, and they think of commiting suicide.
As if that would help.
So maybe, in their bout of insanity, they’re hoping that by attempting to jump, they can persuade the other person to change their minds and run back to them.
*roll eyes*
Personally, I think it’s a sign of psychosis and mental instability.
But that’s just me.
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Of course, don’t think that I don’t empathize with them.
I do.
Really, I do.
When my ex and I broke up, there was a moment when I felt sooooo bad that I seriously thought about jumping off the building.
That was merely for a split second though.
But yes, yes… it did cross my mind.
Guilty as charged.
So yes! Love can make you stupid things!
But mine ended quite well. A girl-friend gave me a call and made me realize that life is still worth living. Sanity returned.
But on hindsight, really, if I was to go, jumping off the building ain’t the best idea. It’s painful and it’s messy. Also didn’t help that I live only in the 5th floor…
Besides, you’ve got to get it right the first time.
It sucks to be paralyzed.
How about you? Ever thought about committing suicide?
here in the philippines it’s a different story. sometimes they jumped from Overpass, or Billboard signages, on top of water tanks and worst, they jumped from bridges carrying their 2 to 3 yrs. old babies. Take note, this is live via local satelite. Sensational!
I’m not suicidal (i think). But when when me ang my ex-broke up, my mom and my brother keeps on calling me everyday just to check on me if i’m still alive…”anak buhay ka pa bah?”. 🙂 funny but it’s true!
Abe, thanks for visiting again. It’s nice to read all your comments. I’ll post a “Moving On” entry soon.
Wish I know the story of u and ur ex, but all I can say is, you simply weren’t compatible. She was a great girl, but she just wasn’t the best girl for you. Now, would you want to realize this now, or when you’re married later with kids? Always good to look at the big picture.
teen suicides are also high in japan and korea. weird huh. and most of the time the reasons why they take their lives away can be of the simplest things like failing grades or unrequited love.
i used to think about ‘sana mamatay na lang ako’ when i got into arguements with my aunts and mom back in my hs and college days. but now i realize, suicide is stupid. be grateful of the things you have. i think now that iam blessed than most people and problems pass and get solved, eventually.
It’s crazy ain’t it? The teen suicide rate is just unbelievable.
Now, I thought about death a lot when I was younger (the Gothic phase, you understand), but not suicide, and I have to disagree with you and say that jumping off the building is probably the best way to die provided that you land head first from a high place and succeed the first time. See, the brain works as long as there is still oxygen, so unless your brain goes splat, you’d always be conscious while waiting to die.
Of course, there are other ways to deprive oxygen to the brain, but most are probably way too painful. :p
Anyways, your jumping off the building comments reminded me of a story I heard 20 years ago before I moved to kiwi land, so I thought I’d share.
The story goes that some girl had a hard break up and decided to jump off a building, but instead of falling to her death, she landed on an old man pushing one of them food carts commonly seen in the night markets. The poor guy died immediately but the girl only had a broken leg or something minor.
Don’t know why I’m reminded of this one, but it was a funny story when I was a kid, and now.. I just feel sad for the old guy. Anyways, just sharing some thoughts. 🙂
LazyDude, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yeah, that sounds like a sad story. You jump to your death, and don’t succeed… and in turn, bring more pain to others. 🙁
But if I can help it, won’t jump off the building. Maybe a bullet’s better and faster. I’m not really good with pain…
I thought that in Japan, the method of choice was to jump off the train platform and be run over by the train?
I don’t know if its just me, but I find some hilarity with your posts about suicide 🙂