Social Suicide

Since I spend a lot of time just watching and thinking about things, reflecting on them, trying to formulate hypothesis about why people do or act like they do, something came to my mind that started getting me reflecting on my own experiences and/or how I think about social suicide. I think by my own definition, social suicide, is defined by doing something out of the norm that results in being ostracized or feeling ostracized.

While it might not be social suicide, per say, it got me thinking about a few times in my life:

1/ Being at a bar with colleagues, and noticing someone that had been there for hours by themselves and not having a good time. Not being interested in all, I decided that I would go talk to them to see if they were enjoying themselves or needing some help, or just someone to listen to. I approached and said “Hello” and all I could see after that point was the back of their head walking away.

2/ Being at a disco with some quasi-friends, I noticed someone that was by themselves the whole night and was watching around. I thought it would be nice to talk to them, and I did and a nice long conversation ensued. It was so good that my quasi-friends all abandoned me and left without telling me. Thinking that I was doing something nice, and not having any interest in this person, I thought that we were getting along and could be friends. Turns out this person only goes to bars to get an ego boost and make themselves feel like “they still got it” despite being in relationships.

3/ Trying to become a more warm person by not being adverse to appropriate physical interactions. I found people that i thought I trusted as friends, and started to greet them with hugs or fist pumps (for anyone that knows me, that one should make you laugh). While it seemed okay at first, I started to notice behaviours of avoiding me and outwardly rejecting.

These are just a sampling of some experiences, and I’m sure they could be extended back even farther with countless other examples but it got me wondering:

What do you consider social suicide?

Leave a comment and tell me what you think!