The Meaning Behind Popular Myths about Suicide

Abstract

The realization that another person chooses to end his life is both horrifying and mysterious to most human beings, because suicide defies the prime law of nature (i.e., survival) and raises doubts about the worth of living. In order to reduce psychological perturbation, we develop a set of myths (or false beliefs) about suicide which serve to deflect us from facing basic issues about life and death and thus maintain a sense of inner comfort. Several common human-serving fallacies about suicide are examined as to their validity and are discussed in terms of how they operate to reduce anxiety about questions of life and death.