If its any consolation, suicide is a subject that all deep thinkers consider...either intelectually or literally. Superficial people don't normally consider it on any level. It is either conciously or subconsciously at the very core of recognizing your existence. Look at any school of philosophical thought...from existentialism/absurdism, nihilism, classical liberalism, judeo/christian, budhism, islamic, yadadadad...you name it...suicide is addressed. Some, Like Sartre suggest it is the oinly free choice man can make solely on his own, while others contend it is the ulimate affront to god/society/self.

Bottom line, its probably not entirely unhealthy to have such thoughts as long as you're still here to contemplate your own existence, purpose, choices. Well, at least most of you anyway;)

Interesting...no offense but in suicide studies men tend to commit suicide by violent, disfiguring means whereas women try to preserve their appearance. Men blow their heads off with shotguns whereas women tend to doll up and take overdoses while making sure the house is clean. Women who do shoot themselves more often do it in the chest/abdomen whereas men go straight to the head.

Showing your feminine side, Rocket...not that there's anything wrong with that:D

Sup,

I have the same feelings about jumping. Maybe we need to take up sky diving. That should conquer our fear/desire to jump???

I've thought about skydiving. I've heard people say they'd like to try it. When they say that, they're standing on terra firma. My suspicion is that perspective is everything. Standing at the door of an airplane at 9,000 feet, I'm guessing they'd not talk so bravely.

Would I have the guts to step out of the airplane? Only one way to answer that.

Scott & Jim:

See post #36. :cool:

(oh, and it's more like 14k ft. for a tandem)

No offense taken, Sugar. ;)

Ironically,after my last post, I decided that the second story gutters need to be cleaned. I've been meaning to do this for a couple of weeks but it's a PIA getting the extension ladder out.

I climbed up and did the job with no thoughts of jumping.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1272931108.jpg


this used to be where i worked 105' above the floor. never any isues with being high

I'm the leader of our dept's High Angle Rescue Team. I have no issue with hanging off a building or structure, ten stories up on a 1/2" rope. I'll scurry up a radio tower to do a rescue, No problem

I rock and ice climb.

I'm scared shyte of ladders!

When I was a kid, I used to jump off things. I finally jumped off something tall enough to know what it feels like to jump too far down.

I lost the desire about the second after the impact. It was not fun anymore. I expect I was a lucky kid.

In my life, I have met a few individuals who have always seemed to skirt the consequences of the risky stupid things they have done. This I think has shaped their personalities, much as has my life, which has been full of consequences has shaped me.

Moving to the the edge for the purpose of seeing whats out there is the behavior of a normal thrill seeker but contemplating the plunge signifies a mental disorder. You can be comforted in knowing that the urge to jump into the unknown is shared by every liberal I know. Of course they lack the courage to jump so they usually just throw someone else.

um, jim, i know supe started the thread, but try and keep the politics out of it. it'll only end badly. just saying.

werd

For a minute there I thought I was going to hear you say you play a fretless. Who is that in the youtube clip doing the lead?

I understand the feelings that allot of people are expressing here it's not about wanting to kill yourself it's (at least for me) about the what if factor. I constantly while driving get that urge to swerve into oncoming traffic or put the car into a spin on the highway. But the jumping thing i used to have allot until i started cliff diving (into water) around here...The highest i've jumped from is said to be between 45-50 ft (i've never actually measured it). while your falling it's such a rush... But i also have a slight fear of heights.

I hear you... I used to be a fairly serious mountaineer and would deal with precipitous drops with regularity. For whatever reason, a 60 foot drop can give me the heebie jeebies but a 1,000 foot drop, no problem.

Supe, what you describe is classic, in that anxiety is often more about how one might react to the 'fear' rather than the phobia itself.

btw, always obey the laws of physics. - you're not superman.

An interesting and related documentary worth watching...

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I hear ya. I fell off a 40 ft ladder, landed on my feet and walked away uninjured.

I was extremely lucky (I was only on the second rung).

looking up
at the jagged line
at the bottom
of the sky,
he climbed to see
but not to die

and saw another
jagged line
at the bottom
of the sky
and somehow pined
but not to die

He stood then
on that jagged line
between the two
just the abyss
he pined for bliss
but not to die

he breathed the air
as shivers ran
down his spine
mournfully yearning
on that jagged line
but not to die

he turned his back
on the jagged line
and the abyss
that tempted him
to know the unknown
but not to die