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News New Term: Completed Suicide Vs. Comitted Suicide

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Seasounds

MyPTSD Pro
i recently heard that 'completing suicide is now the preferred way to describe suicide since it omits the religious (i.e. commuted-a sin) overtones.
 
But you can also "commit" a legal offense...so? Are those now going to be "completed"? To commit means to do, or to assign to, to complete means simply to finish.

Could get very weird: "X completed the legal offense of jaywalking...." What if he didn't get across the road, though?

:P

Sorry words are a "thing" for me. To change a term so much seems strange-I understand why, but "commit" has been used secularly so long, I wouldn't think the religious implications would be as much remarked upon in today's era.
 
but "commit" has been used secularly so long, I wouldn't think the religious implications would be as much remarked upon in today's era.
Commit is the common vernacular. In psychiatry/psychology, 'completed' is much more common. It's simpler to differentiate, when talking about attempted vs. completed. "Suicided" is also used.

I'm not sure if it's a new usage being switched to, so much as an old usage being adopted by the mainstream.
 
Oh okay. If it's psychological terminology that's *completely* different. Common english rules needn't apply-not so much as in say....PoliSci, but it's up there, alongside the engineers. :P
 
I can completely understand that as method of linguistically separating the two, but "completing" can be with it's own positive label. We often reward those who complete things.

I'd honestly prefer suicide was given negative language, because it is a negative thing, in both the negation and being unpleasant.

I do understand the need for differentiation, as having laws that make "committing suicide" illegal is kind of silly sounding.

Perhaps it's changing the wrong term, and we should change attempt (which connotes failure) to "initiating". It makes it so that if you don't succeed it's not a "failed attempt" it is now an "initiated suicide", as opposed to committed one. Thus, those who do not die are not failures. Which I can wholeheartedly promote the psychological implications of.

One succeeds at not dying. One does not fail at becoming dead. Becoming dead bad. Not being dead is good, not a failure.

Just linguistic ruminations.
 
*Forewarning Crotchety Old Man Moment*

What does it even matter?
Committed? Completed? Successful? Whoops, there goes another one?
Failed to fly?

Sounds like that Happy Holiday's not Happy Christmas inclusionary nonsense people like spouting every year.

This isn't directed at anyone. I just find this sort of thing silly. Especially when the person it's supposed to apply to, doesn't care anymore.

Sigh...
 
The reason it matters *gets on English major soapbox* *ahem*:

Words are what we use to frame our thoughts, in expression, conversely the words we use elicit particular feelings and subconscious reactions or even conscious reactions.

For example: A fat, black haired girl walked into a bar. Not a very appealing image, no? Now let's see if we can do better: A young woman ripe with lush promise sauntered into the bar, lights winking off her raven tresses. Sounds kind of nice, huh? Same girl. Or we can do worse: a lumpy female tromped into the dingy dive bar. Not very sexy, no? Still the same girl.

We respond very differently depending on if we use negative or positive terminology. It's a tried and true phenomenon used in cultures, cults, religions, politicians, advertising, literature, even academic literature uses it-heck lawyers can make bank on it if they're well educated enough to take advantage.

Terminology sets the stage in our mind. The right words are the difference between lush and lumpy.
 
Regional pronunciations not withstanding - The movement to dispel "religious" connotation or not does not matter one whit - nor does the lawful description, the commission of a fatality. So to me, it's really a bit of marshmallow fluff on top of a pile of dog shit.

(Wow, I even surprised myself with that response. Call it what you like I suppose, but for those who've been affected by it, what you call it just doesn't really matter, does it?)
 
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Oh no, I understand your mentality entirely. I grew up partly in it.

But I have seen the effects of proper wording. Take a look at some comparative studies done on particular ad campaigns and literature responses. The data is there, it does make a difference. We just don't necessarily realize it. Which is why good advertisers and marketing folks make bank.

Social sciences should be renamed "mind control of the masses". There's a lot of actually pretty scary stuff that can be done with certain cues just using colours, imagery and a few words with some background music. Even if the message is, stripped down, the same damned thing.
 
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