2016-08-18 at 2:16 AM UTC
1) Seeing a stranger shoot themself in the head right in front of you.
2) Hearing about a close friend or acquaintance committing suicide in a non-gruesome way.
2016-08-18 at 2:19 AM UTC
Number two
If someone killed themselves right in front of me I'd probably just steal the gun with gloves on, and bury it somewhere just to fuck with everyone investigating the case
2016-08-18 at 3:19 AM UTC
Number two sucks more on a deep emotional level but i've never had anyone kill themselves in front of me so...
2016-08-18 at 6:03 AM UTC
Think it's going to be the latter for everyone.
I think everyone here has seen their fair share of graphic violence. It can still make a much stronger impact in person but it's still fundamentally of the same kind. Loss of a friend is actually a tangible personal loss (presumably if a person is considered "close" they're also of subjective value) and it raises all sorts of questions about personal ability to provide for the emotional needs of others.
Sophatron: The implication seems to be that you've experienced a close friend killing themselves. Obviously a sensitive subject so I understand not wanting to post about it, but if you're comfortable with it, what was it like? Between the mentioned "was I such a shitty friend that this person killed themselves" and "I have one less friend now" which was the greater impact (realizing human emotion is nuanced and those are just obvious characterizations of more subtle feelings)? Was there some other emotion which was stronger than either?
2016-08-18 at 7:28 AM UTC
I only say two because I've seen lots of violence and done it myself, I've seen people shot and stabbed or beat half to death, or hit by a car. I've never seen a dead body but I don't think it would bother me all that much.
2016-08-18 at 7:29 AM UTC
2 if it's an acquaintance. But if it's a close friend instead, then 1 would affect me more.
