On Ancient and Modern Suicide
On Ancient and Modern Suicide
Throughout history, suicide has consistently presenced our human story. For many reasons, a human being can take a line of thought that ends in their own intentional self-killing. We cannot answer every reason for suicide, but by comparing some plausible societal catalysis in both our contemporary and Ancient Greek societies, specifically social pressure to conform and general promises of true love, we can gain further insight into suicide and how to help those in danger.
The Ancient Greeks had an advanced, cultured society. In perhaps an analogy to today’s dreams of moving up in life via “the hustle”, Ancient Greeks could similarly move up in the ranks of society by great courage on the battlefield. If a young man fought diligently and survived, he was greatly respected and awarded with the spoils of the war. Naturally, this reward incentivized all potential warriors to strive for this; they likely started from a young age hoping to be the superman of their day. Failure to accomplish caused stress.
A classic example of this is Ajax the Great. After failing in his attempt to kill Greek leaders, he sees that the only way to restore honor to his namesake is to take his own life (Cohen, David). This desire to have honor is not an internal one; it stems from the existence of society and the external expectation to be something good.
On the other hand, the Ancient Greek had strong hopes of love and family. To have a spouse and family was seen as an essential part of life. So in a different sense there was also great social pressure to find a match in true love. Such desires were often stirred and strengthened across society by exaggerated love fables of the Gods. We see that this is both similar to the warrior aspirations in that there was societal pressure and inner desire to be happy, and different in the sense that societal pressure was not necessary to exert a strong desire to find true love.
An example of a suicide perhaps attributable to the desire to find true love was that of Dido. Dido found love in Aeneas and this love consumed her. In their society, to love and marry was a great thing (as it is today!). However, when Aeneas left her to keep his duty to his country, Dido felt hopeless; that her chance at love had gone. Although the story is not recognized widely as truthful (Stump, Donald), the fact that this was portrayed this way in Greek society means that the messages were at least plausible. Thus, an expectation of finding true love, and finding rejection in that quest, can lead to a sense of hopelessness and suicide.
How do these societal structures exist in contemporary society? Specifically, in Utah, the case for their existence is strong. In the Beehive state the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the dominating religious denomination. The Church teaches many things that are traditional Christian teachings. In addition, members of the Church believe that there are commandments, or rules, that must be obeyed. Those who obey will be rewarded in this life or in the afterlife. The Church institutes these rules by excluding those who do not observe and obey a core set of rules from select ceremonies, such as attending a Church-sponsored marriage, participating in Church baptisms or serving in the Church lay clergy.
It is perfectly fine to have rules, and to enforce them. However, because of the great prevalence of the Church in Utah, these rules and the local culture mix such that they are nearly inseparable. A statement of unworthiness from the Church generates a fear of being imperfect in the sinner. It requires someone of a mature mind to be able to step outside and handle that fear. Because the culture is prevalent even from a young age, many young minds are inevitably affected by this fear, which later presents itself across the state as a higher incidence of suicide amongst teenagers (“Utah Health Status Update: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Suicide”).
In a different sense, similar to Dido, the Church culture also suggests strongly that every person has a match, and that they should do all they can to find that loving relationship in this life. This isn’t necessarily public societal pressure, although that exists, but an extension of the natural desire to find a match. Because children are taught that they will find a “happily ever after”, they grow up expecting this until they find that ending or recieve a reality check. This phenomenon is more similar to Dido’s case when we consider the homosexual people of Utah. Because of the aforementioned Church culture, which prohibits homosexual marriage, and the increased sense that they will find a soulmate, many homosexual teenagers are left with a feeling of hopelessness. They cannot change their attractions, yet in their societal bubble they will never be able to find that true love in this lifetime. This could be another factor in Utahn suicides, as LGBTQ people that are celibate or are in mixed-orientation relationships likely don’t live as happy a life. (Dehlin, et al).
External societal pressures and internal fixations on love can both be factors in a person's decision to commit suicide. We see this in both cultures as an artifact of a society of productive people. We must take care as we participate in society to not exasperate the expectations and internal fixations of future generations so that they can live happier lifestyles.
Sources
Cohen, David. “The Imagery of Sophocles: A Study of Ajax's Suicide.” Greece & Rome, vol. 25, no. 1, 1978, pp. 24–36. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/642269.
John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, William S. Bradshaw & Katherine A. Crowell (2014) Psychosocial Correlates of Religious Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction: A Mormon Perspective, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 18:3, 284-311, DOI: 10.1080/19359705.2014.912970
Stump, Donald. "Marlowe's Travesty of Virgil: Dido and Elizabethan Dreams of Empire." Comparative Drama, vol. 34 no. 1, 2000, pp. 79-107. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cdr.2000.0035
Utah Health Status Update: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Suicide. Utah Department of Health, February 2015. health.utah.gov/opha/publications/hsu/1502_Suicide.pdf.
Throughout history, suicide has consistently presenced our human story. For many reasons, a human being can take a line of thought that ends in their own intentional self-killing. We cannot answer every reason for suicide, but by comparing some plausible societal catalysis in both our contemporary and Ancient Greek societies, specifically social pressure to conform and general promises of true love, we can gain further insight into suicide and how to help those in danger.
The Ancient Greeks had an advanced, cultured society. In perhaps an analogy to today’s dreams of moving up in life via “the hustle”, Ancient Greeks could similarly move up in the ranks of society by great courage on the battlefield. If a young man fought diligently and survived, he was greatly respected and awarded with the spoils of the war. Naturally, this reward incentivized all potential warriors to strive for this; they likely started from a young age hoping to be the superman of their day. Failure to accomplish caused stress.
A classic example of this is Ajax the Great. After failing in his attempt to kill Greek leaders, he sees that the only way to restore honor to his namesake is to take his own life (Cohen, David). This desire to have honor is not an internal one; it stems from the existence of society and the external expectation to be something good.
On the other hand, the Ancient Greek had strong hopes of love and family. To have a spouse and family was seen as an essential part of life. So in a different sense there was also great social pressure to find a match in true love. Such desires were often stirred and strengthened across society by exaggerated love fables of the Gods. We see that this is both similar to the warrior aspirations in that there was societal pressure and inner desire to be happy, and different in the sense that societal pressure was not necessary to exert a strong desire to find true love.
An example of a suicide perhaps attributable to the desire to find true love was that of Dido. Dido found love in Aeneas and this love consumed her. In their society, to love and marry was a great thing (as it is today!). However, when Aeneas left her to keep his duty to his country, Dido felt hopeless; that her chance at love had gone. Although the story is not recognized widely as truthful (Stump, Donald), the fact that this was portrayed this way in Greek society means that the messages were at least plausible. Thus, an expectation of finding true love, and finding rejection in that quest, can lead to a sense of hopelessness and suicide.
How do these societal structures exist in contemporary society? Specifically, in Utah, the case for their existence is strong. In the Beehive state the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the dominating religious denomination. The Church teaches many things that are traditional Christian teachings. In addition, members of the Church believe that there are commandments, or rules, that must be obeyed. Those who obey will be rewarded in this life or in the afterlife. The Church institutes these rules by excluding those who do not observe and obey a core set of rules from select ceremonies, such as attending a Church-sponsored marriage, participating in Church baptisms or serving in the Church lay clergy.
It is perfectly fine to have rules, and to enforce them. However, because of the great prevalence of the Church in Utah, these rules and the local culture mix such that they are nearly inseparable. A statement of unworthiness from the Church generates a fear of being imperfect in the sinner. It requires someone of a mature mind to be able to step outside and handle that fear. Because the culture is prevalent even from a young age, many young minds are inevitably affected by this fear, which later presents itself across the state as a higher incidence of suicide amongst teenagers (“Utah Health Status Update: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Suicide”).
In a different sense, similar to Dido, the Church culture also suggests strongly that every person has a match, and that they should do all they can to find that loving relationship in this life. This isn’t necessarily public societal pressure, although that exists, but an extension of the natural desire to find a match. Because children are taught that they will find a “happily ever after”, they grow up expecting this until they find that ending or recieve a reality check. This phenomenon is more similar to Dido’s case when we consider the homosexual people of Utah. Because of the aforementioned Church culture, which prohibits homosexual marriage, and the increased sense that they will find a soulmate, many homosexual teenagers are left with a feeling of hopelessness. They cannot change their attractions, yet in their societal bubble they will never be able to find that true love in this lifetime. This could be another factor in Utahn suicides, as LGBTQ people that are celibate or are in mixed-orientation relationships likely don’t live as happy a life. (Dehlin, et al).
External societal pressures and internal fixations on love can both be factors in a person's decision to commit suicide. We see this in both cultures as an artifact of a society of productive people. We must take care as we participate in society to not exasperate the expectations and internal fixations of future generations so that they can live happier lifestyles.
Sources
Cohen, David. “The Imagery of Sophocles: A Study of Ajax's Suicide.” Greece & Rome, vol. 25, no. 1, 1978, pp. 24–36. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/642269.
John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, William S. Bradshaw & Katherine A. Crowell (2014) Psychosocial Correlates of Religious Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction: A Mormon Perspective, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 18:3, 284-311, DOI: 10.1080/19359705.2014.912970
Stump, Donald. "Marlowe's Travesty of Virgil: Dido and Elizabethan Dreams of Empire." Comparative Drama, vol. 34 no. 1, 2000, pp. 79-107. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cdr.2000.0035
Utah Health Status Update: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Suicide. Utah Department of Health, February 2015. health.utah.gov/opha/publications/hsu/1502_Suicide.pdf.
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