When I first heard about Robin Williams suicide, I was shocked and sad. And like many other people, I felt a sense of loss. As I processed this news, I imagined the much greater sense of loss and grief, and perhaps even of guilt, that Robins family is feeling. Then I became angry. My admiration for Robin turned to contempt. I inwardly reviled him for his selfishness and cowardice. But even as I judged him, a part of me knew that my judgment could not be fair because I believe that in order to judge a person fairly, one must know everything there is to know about them; their history, and their circumstances. I cannot know all of those things. So, if I judge another person, my judgment is far more a reflection of my own inner processes than it is a fair evaluation of the other persons actions or reasons. There are situations where it is necessary to judge a person according to whatever limited facts we can discover, but those situations involve correction and protection. It is too late for that kind of judgment when someone commits suicide, but on the other hand, we should also be careful not to glorify or venerate suicide perpetrators, even if we love them, lest by so doing we encourage that behavior in others. So as far as I am concerned, I am sad that Robin killed himself. He was one of us and we are diminished by his loss. But he is diminished more. His loss is greater than ours. I will try not to judge him, but neither will I excuse his action because excuse is also a judgment. There may have been a better solution for his problem, but he will never find it. I only hope that his death will help mankind as a whole to search for and discover that better solution.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:28:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015