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Chiminix — Cutting is not selfish.
#cutting #harm #health #mental #selfish #stamp #self
Published: 2015-06-02 22:52:27 +0000 UTC; Views: 3342; Favourites: 63; Downloads: 1
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For the record, I don't endorse cutting, it's just explaining why calling it "selfish" is inaccurate.Mostly inspired by this: www.deviantart.com/art/It-real…
Commenting was disabled so I guess I gotta make a whole stamp now
Selfishness, by definition, is being only or mainly concerned with yourself, particularly at the expense of others. By this logic, any form of coping or self-interest is selfish. That particular stamp explains that it's selfish basically because poor people exist. This is the fallacy of relative privation; the cutter and the poverty-stricken children in Africa have never met each other, and what they do to their own bodies is none of their mutual business. It would only be selfish if a child in Africa magically died every time you cut yourself, or had any negative effect whatsoever on them. Problems aren't erased or invalid because there are more severe ones that may require more attention. Problems in the first world aren't real problems, just like how no true Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge. Even if solving world hunger is in the top of humanity's to-do list, to go as far as to claim your problems are literally nonexistent is ridiculous. It probably started off as a figurative claim that functioned as a reminder of more pressing issues, then it started being taken more literally over the generations.
People who pull the "life could be worse" card are confusing a lack of perspective with selfishness. There's a difference.
And hypothetically, it's possible to be a cutter (although that alone is generally unwise) and be an active anti-poverty activist. Cutting does not indicate that you don't care about other people, it just means that you're battling your own demons like everybody else; albeit in a way that is widely frowned upon due to obvious health risks.
Aside from calling cutters selfish, it's also insensitive. Think: if you were at rock bottom in life and someone came by and told you that you were being selfish, would you feel better about yourself or worse? It will likely make your self-esteem to drop lower than it already is. "Tough love" does not work with this. It won't make them come out of their shell, it's just going to make them want to retreat deeper into it. Being gentle and patient goes a lot further than harsh scrutiny.
My point is that cutting and selflessness are not mutually exclusive. It's easy for people to downplay or overlook mental illness until it's them with the inability to feel joy or regretting their existence altogether. And trying to explain depression to someone who has never had it is like trying to explain color to a blind person, it's one of those things that can't be appropriately understood unless it's been experienced.
Sorry that the only link I have is from Wikipedia, but there is a lot of relevance in that one little paragraph: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallacy_…
Also, don't be afraid to point out if I'm coming off as angry or hostile, because that's not the tone I intended at all. Since I'm just words on a screen and there are no auditory cues, all I can really do is try and use good wording.
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Comments: 66
Let's make one thing clear. We live in a society where people think it's okay to glorify suicide attempts as a source for attention and not for those who struggle. I don't stand for this. At all. As a person who may suffer from depression, I find it very difficult for me to concentrate on my schoolwork sometimes. I even find myself saying "I could be better" or something like that. Fuck, I even call myself out when I'm feeling down in the dumps sometimes! I ended up thinking about cutting myself a couple of times, yeah, big deal, so what? Does that consider me as a selfish prick who should get off the internet and starve to death (I actually ended up not eating for a few days because I thought my mother called me fat one time)?! No, it does not! It shows that I am not alone! There are millions, and I mean MILLIONS of people who suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts. Truth is... I may be one of those. I don't know about the rest of you, but my emotional health is downgrading. The worst part is, I know a few people irl who are suicidal. Depression doesn't care about age or gender, either. And I just wanna throw this out there because I want to tell you the truth, not because I'm seeking attention or because you want me to. I secretly struggle on a day to day basis. I fear that I may never get better. Well, I fear a lot of things about myself, because frankly, I do have Autism, which makes my emotions become more amplified. It's not fair for people who have to suffer from anything to actually SUFFER.
Goodbye for now,
-Tricky
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I'm the exact same, I have Aspergers and get bullied a lot and treated differently, I even embarrass myself in public without meaning to and get weird looks from people, I even have friends and family who suffer and I want to help but there's nothing I can do.
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There’s nothing wrong with trying to your best ability to help them.
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Yeah, at least my mother told me I make my aunt happy, if I can make her happy than I am happy.
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Well, that's good that you're making someone happy~
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This actually happened to me one day.
I told that I needed help on youtube, but 2 of my friends said this.
"We try to help you, but you cutting yourself is so selfish!"
Like???? I stopped cutting because I found happiness and help,
but like???? I was confused, since I actually helped them once, and they
just give me that? Kind of messed up, tbh, but I got over it, since I
actually got better. I did use their help.
Kind of messed up, just in my opinion.
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Lmao my brother thinks ANYONE who cuts themselves is automatically an emo. Fucking pathetic. -_-
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It's a little like drinking/smoking/drugs/what have you, it's hard to stop even when you know you should...
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unless theyre one of those pesky tumblrinas im assuming
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I've never cut on purpose, only when I honestly didn't see the line.
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THANK. YOU.
Plus, do people REALLY think that a suicidal person wants to hear "UR BEING SELFISH!!!!!11"
No, they do not. It's not HELPING them.
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I wonder how many people have decided not to end their life because somebody called them selfish at the last minute
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Some people say you're sent to Hell if you commit suicide, so maybe that stops at least the Christians.
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I don't know I haven't met anybody like that.
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Honestly, I don't see cutting as selfish; however, I do see something such as suicide selfish in a way. As someone who suffers with severe depression, and contemplated killing myself a few times, the one thing that got me through that pain and those dark thoughts was realizing that I would be acting on a selfish impulse. By killing myself, I destroy the lives of my friends and family who loved me. The people that cared for me and trusted me to stay safe. That's how I look at things, because at this point, I consider the feelings of my friends and family very important to me for helping me get through what I've suffered from.
That's why I consider cutting not to be selfish; killing yourself and ruining the lives of those closest to you, is. I hope that makes sense.
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How are you benefiting yourself by committing suicide when there's no benefit from it? Sorry, but that's not selfish either. In fact, it's actually just as, if not more heartless to say because you're disrespecting a the dead, including children and bullying victims in general. Not only to mention that non-human animals have also been witnessed committing suicide. An animal can't be selfish because they don't have the mentality for self benefit.
What is selfish is claiming that you're better than someone because you aren't depressed, dying, mentally ill and cutting out of medical insanity, etc. and therefore not cutting. That kind of stuck up behavior shows that you benefit from the fact that you're making fun of people suffering with the above and taking advantage of the fact that you aren't hurting. That's selfish.
By the way, not everyone who commits suicide is "ruining the lives of those closest to them" because not everyone who commits suicide has a family.
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Yeah I can see why suicide might be selfish, depending on the circumstances. Like if someone killed themselves while they were a parent, that would be pretty bad.
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Exactly. I guess that's why I look at it as cutting = not selfish and suicide = selfish. Even though you may be hurting yourself while cutting, you aren't destroying lives like you would if you killed yourself.
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Anything that involves yourself IS self based.
You wouldn't cut another person when you're filled with sorrow/pain.
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So would any other coping method, as long as you're the one with the issues.
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I live in NYC,in a middleclass income,at the age of twenty,with a girl,in a five year long relationship with,I have my health and drink in moderation beer n booze,with no need for drugs,live inside my income with no worries of becoming a Father nor getting married.If I have issues,they must be lost in the mail.
People that wanna 'end it' have too much free time on their hands because they made their life that way.They blame everyone but themselves.Rotten kids come from rotten parents.I'd rather end up in Prison for life than 'end it all' like some chickenshit,cry baby.
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Are you kidding me
A lot of the people who cut have severe depression and are suicidal for actual reasons. And, honestly, it's not your business what those opinions are.
And a lot of the people who do it have disorders. (anxiety, depression, etc) and have no clue of what to do and they cut themselves to release chemicals through the body that will make them feel better.
And it also realeases dopamine, causing them to become addicted to it.
Have YOU ever suffered from Depression? Anxiety? No? I didn't think so.
For a twenty year old you're quite immature and don't know much about depression. How about educating yourself first?
If you knew what it felt like, you'd understand.
But you don't know what it feels like.
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They could have mental issues and not see the world properly. Some do have very hard lives that they did not inflict upon themselves, and others, may have it easy except that they are not mentally well and don't see anything as it is. We don't know why one may feel like this but we cannot make assumptions, that would be presumptuous and unhelpful. Things are not as clear cut as would make sense. Some people are wronged but hate themselves for the injustices against them. Others blame and might harm innocents when they themselves started the problem.
I'm glad you are happy with life and are doing well. I hope this year of yours and all the others will be filled with good events and strong morale and health.
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I don't believe in having standards.
Morality is for people that like being a stereo type.
Crazy people should be killed before they infected the masses with their infection.
Nature has no place for fucked up beings,nature weeds out the feeble and weak minded.
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Oh, so you're one of those people.
You know nothing about mental illness.
So to your logic, I should be killed?
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So you are a person who thinks it should be "each person for themselves" ?
Mental illness doesn't work like that, spreading around to others. I've never heard of a contagious mental illness.
It must be too bad for you we live in a society where we must learn empathy and how to work together. Your strategy would make sense in the wilderness but it is good to have some willingness to sympathise in this sort of world. Things would be more efficient that way. As frustrating as it is, it is a good skill to gain or we won't succeed in social communications and things will be hard. I'm bad at that stuff myself, but I want to gain a greater understanding and succeed in things so I take some time to look at the situation.
I thought having some perspective might sooth you. You used words that made me think you were upset. I feel mad when a situation that I cannot understand and is irrational to me presents itself. Having a good perspective of the thing makes me feel better. Of course we are very different people, I see that, so my solution was likely unneeded and unsuccessful.
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When a nut blows up a crowd,shoots up a gathering,it does spread.
When a Bum shoves a person off the subway platform onto the third rail,its time for crazy people,young or old to be killed off,on the spot.
I live in NYC where crazy people walk the streets and are really dangerous.
I don't wanna comfort the insane I want'em DEAD.
People wanna protect their kids and yet they wanna turn a blind eye to the fact that crazy,insane people are the ones that explode bombs and shoot up school.
A single 45 cal. bullet cost $3.20,how much does it cost the masses to care for the insane?
I'll take the $3.20.
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Thank you for clarifying that statement.
There is a difference between an ill person, and a murderer. Certainly, there are horribly ill people who cause pain and violence. Sane people cause suffering and violence also. Not all ill people are violent. If there could be an end to all that, the world would not be as horrible. I don't know how to end violence, but I think a sense of care and compassion would still the hand of violence, had only the violent had that in their heart. I see so many people filled with hate and all they talk about I see you advocate mass killing, of the mentally ill? As nice as it would be to have an end to ill violence, I don't think devaluation of a large group of people, ending countless lives and brewing hate in your heart, will put an end to violence. Some mentally ill people would never hurt a fly, and they have lives and loves and are loved and efforts and families and make a contribution to this world, it would be a most cruel and wicked murder to kill them just because they got unlucky and are now struggling. Or are you referring to just ones with violent tendencies? I see people full of hate killing for their own twisted morals and people killing for selfish gain. If only an end to such twisted beliefs like racism and hurting others for selfish gain would. Perhaps that could end some violence, though try as we might, neo-Nazis, drugs, violent misogyny, untreated illness, anger and all those other things associated with murder continue, even with efforts. Are these efforts not enough and what would be?
Oh well, let's end conversation here. To talk further seems irrational. You had your ideas, which I misinterpreted as frustration and so tried to assist. That was futile as I had misinterpreted your tone and imputed the incorrect interaction. Oh, well, I suppose I simply have to practice interpretation of words more, which I find disappointing but the rewards of study will serve me well. Bye.
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Keep politics out of this,government doesn't do well when controlling the mentally sick.
They close asylums and shove the sick people in the prison system.
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I wasn't trying to do that, sorry. Another misunderstanding, we don't even live in the same country, I was not trying to comment on any government.
But I will say I hope this week goes well for you, good bye.
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Bloodletting was a practice used back in medieval times to treat the imbalance of humors.
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Bloodletting is not effective with mental issues either
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Her comment reminds me of a saying.
'Telling someone they can't be sad because someone has it worse is like telling someone they can't be happy because someone has it better.'
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Self Harm hurts the people around you that love you, thats what I think.
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a lot of people do it just for attention which is selfish
they cause their family to worry that they'll take their life and mutilate their body
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If some manipulative narcissist went that far to get attention and no other reason whatsoever, then I can see why that would be generally self-centered
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It's not selfish, it's just idiotic. If you want to feel pain squirt lemon on your eyes.
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How is that any differnt? We're you being sarcastic or something?
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What exactly are you trying to say?
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You said the lemon thing in the eye. How is that any better?
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Yes I know that, but how is that any better? Is it any less damaging than cutting yourself?
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Running the risk of partial blindness less damaging than skin-cutting? As if!
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