X-Message-Number: 6194
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: Re "One life is enough"
Date: Tue, 14 May 96 00:18:07 +0200

In Regards to your letter <>:
> Message #6192
> Date:  Sun, 12 May 96 22:56:13 
> From: Mike Perry <>
> Subject: Re "One life is enough"
> 
[snip]
> stick around even another day? Why do people do this? Why aren't
> there more suicides among the "one life's enough for me" crowd?
> 
> Is it because somehow people feel an 
> *obligation* to remain in the world, at least for their natural 
> lifespan, even though they don't like it? Then there's the afterlife 
> issue. Do they fear hell or some future punishment after all, if they take 
> their own life? Or do they just have a *fear* of death that is not 
> rational but keeps them from hastening their own?
> 
> Any comments are appreciated.


Research has shown that mortality salience increases the tendency
to conform to culturally acceptable systems of thought. See:
Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991).
A terror management theory of social behavior:
The psychological functions of self-esteem and cultural worldviews.
In M. Zanna (Ed.) Advances in Experimental Social Psychology
(Vol. 24, pp. 93-159). New York: Academic Press.

Also of interest:
Pyszczynski, T. et al. (1995).
The liberating and constraining aspects of self:
Why the freed bird finds a new cage.
In the Oosterwegel and Wicklund volume cited in a previous post.

dss


David S. Stodolsky      PGP KeyID: B830DF31       
   Tel.: +45 38 33 03 30   Fax: +45 38 33 88 80 (C)


Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=6194