Suicide note
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A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits suicide. Approximately one third of those who commit suicide leave notes. Research indicates that suicide notes have a profound effect on the grief of those who read them.
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[edit] Uses
The most common reasons in favour of writing a suicide note are:
- Easing pain - To make the death easier for those left behind, often by easing guilt.
- Closure - To bring relationships to a close and provide a satisfactory explanation of the reasons for the suicide.
- Autobiography - A summary of one's life or what one likes and dislikes.
- Artistic self-expression - Notes can take the form of a poem or short story.
- Instruction - An explanation of what one wants the readers of the note to do with his or her remains, how one wants to be remembered, or things one wants to have happen.
- Revenge - To cause pain or guilt by blaming the suicide on others.
The most common reasons against writing a suicide note are:
- All or nothing - It is impossible to write a note that will eliminate all pain, anger and guilt.
- Consciousness - The person committing suicide will not be around when the note is later read. Also, some believe that one's death may cause the world to cease to exist in reality, a belief often derived from the premises of metaphysical solipsism.
- Physical reminder - The suicide note could serve as a physical reminder of the suicide or could be constantly contemplated by those who read it, increasing their grief.
- Quickness - The person committing suicide wishes to leave quickly and quietly and not have anything to hold on the thought of their death
[edit] Famous Suicide Notes
Some complete suicide notes are posted at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Category:PD-suicide
The following people have left famous suicide notes:
- Dalida - popular French singer. She wrote: "Life has become unbearable ... forgive me".
- Virginia Woolf - English feminist author and poet
- Kurt Cobain - lead singer of Nirvana. The note gives a message to his widow, Courtney Love and his daughter. (Whether Cobain actually committed suicide is disputed by some, see this article for more information.)
- Tony Hancock - British comedian, who died in 1968. Suicide note included the line "Things just went wrong too many times".
- Sid Vicious - British punk frontman and musician, who some believe committed suicide (via heroin overdose) after allegedly murdering girlfriend Nancy Spungen. A poem written by Vicious, which may or may not be a suicide note, contains the infamous phrase "And I don't want to live this life" that has inspired many musical compositions.
- James Forrestal - Former United States Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy
- Roger Angleton - Murderer and brother of famous bookmaker Robert Angleton
- J. Clifford Baxter - Enron Corporation executive
- Budd Dwyer - Pennsylvania politician who, on live television, read his suicide note and then shot himself.
- "Dead" - Lead singer of the black metal group Mayhem, whose suicide note famously read, in part: "Excuse all the blood."
Image:Kleist suicide letter.jpg
- Freddie Prinze - American actor and comedian, famous for his role on the sitcom "Chico and the Man." Is the father of Freddie Prinze Jr.
- Pete Ham - Leader of the rock group Badfinger. Ham's note blamed the group's manager for his financial ruin, calling him "...a soulless bastard. I will take him with me."
- George Sanders - British film actor who ascribed his suicide to boredom.
- Hunter S. Thompson - creator of gonzo journalism who also ascribed his suicide to boredom and a dissatisfaction with aging.
- Leslie Cheung - Hong Kong actor and musician who suffered from clinical depression.
- Mike Von Erich - Wrestler who committed suicide after thinking that he was not as good as before after a shoulder injury. His brothers Kerry and Chris also committed suicide.
- Elliott Smith - Singer / Songwriter who suffered from addiction and depression. The note, according to the coroner, read "I'm so sorry - love Elliot. God forgive me". The misspelling of the name is believed to be the fault of the coroner, but it's still unclear whether it was a suicide or not.
- Phaedra - Character from Greek mythology who fell in love with Hippolytus
- George Eastman, inventor of the 35 mm film and founder of Eastman Kodak. His note simply read: "My work is done. Why wait?"
