YouTube Material Boy Pressed to Reflect on Suicide: "Be Here Tomorrow" is not bad!

Even Logan Paul, who seems to avoid thinking — whether in himself or when suspected in others — like a contagious rash (ironically, that’s probably a big part of his 19 year winning streak with neither being suicidal nor even knowing anyone else who was...I love how that shocks the expert!), does a really nice job talking about the topic. I’m sure he “had to” make this, but it’s not bad at all and is currently influencing more viewers than the Japanese government’s stupid, absurd, and formulaic response. They have a real problem: huge segments of their population so wish they were dead that they go out and make it happen. That, after all, is the true problem, not suicide: social groups operating in ways that make it nearly impossible for many people to see or feel any reasons to go on living. “Suicide prevention” is a real misnomer; like calling oncology “death prevention”. “Prevention” may occasionally stave off death long enough for an involved person to find happiness or meaning and be glad to go on living. But without cultural narratives that recognize the wonder and value in each and every *individual’s* opportunities to build lives, that strive to nurture and protect those chances; without people who will care, in sustained ways, about those around them who may struggle, there really is no point. Prevention merely traps a person on earth; it does not ultimately help them. Anyway, Paul doesn’t get into that! But I HATE hearing people tweet about how he “has no right” to ever talk about the topic again or “he needs to shut up now, he’s done enough damage”. NO. That’s the last thing he should be doing. NOBODY should ever be told, after saying something stupid, that they should just stop talking; that they’ve lost the game of “sensitivity” forever. How does that contribute to learning or growing or sharing or anything other than vengeance and shame? Is the chance to invalidate Logan worth the lost conversations? No, it is not. I see too many other situations in which the dominant players want nothing more than to control other people’s words rather than have any chance of reaching their hearts. I’d rather see a million other genuine, honest, authentic reactions to death, suicide, or other sensitive issues than one more self-righteous, pompous ass stand up and tell everybody else exactly what PC terms they “should” be using in “real conversations” with each other. If that means I have to start hanging out with the Logan Pauls of the world, so be it. I’m a bit old, but I’ve always wanted to be a celebrity YouTuber! Meanwhile, even Logan’s materialism and cocky humor won’t shield him forever. The world is too screwed up right now. He will face a suicidal crisis — his own or from someone close to him. I’m glad he spent this time learning and sharing with his fans. He won’t do what old people tend to do: pass the “problem” (person) off like a hot potato to a legally certified expert, ostracize them from group activities, cut off all communication, force feed medications, and judge. (BTW, I’ve heard the Golden Gate jumper’s story a hundred times, but it’s ALWAYS moving — worth watching just for that).

Just a reminder: The Golden Gate jumper is very much an exception rather than a rule. Many people who survive intentional, serious risks to their own lives end up shocked to discover that, contrary to what “It’s a Wonderful Life” would have anyone think, your life may not seem better or even tolerable after a suicide attempt. In fact it may seem, though you thought that impossible, worse than it was when you chose to die! I think this can panic quite a few people who wonder “why them”? but they don’t need a magical life-changing survival. They just need to see meaning and potential happiness in life again eventually. That’s where most societies could do a whole lot better. That’s why we see so many lives devolve into multiple attempts to leave it. Though few other people notice or care, I’d call this the major crisis of our era. We can’t even keep each other alive? That’s not a high bar. But knowing that having things get much, much worse does not at all preclude the possibility of a miraculous, meaningful, wonderful happy ending, might be life saving news for somebody, somewhere.

Logan Paul

Suicide: Be Here Tomorrow