suicide, is that the suicide rate goes up markedly the richer and more developed a society

不斷明顯的上升且發生在社會更富有和發展更加良好時。

becomes. We might expect suicide rates to vary across time and place, but not to increase

我們可能猜想自殺率會發生在許多不同的時間和地點，但是並不認為自殺會與

alongside developments in wealth, comfort and security. That we should be unwittingly

富裕，舒適感和安全感成正比的成長。

creating nations in which more of us end up killing ourselves at our own hands appears

這些完全是無意識下的自殺行為與

to negate the whole purpose of economic growth. Nevertheless, the disturbing connection was

全盤的否定我們經濟成長的完全無關。儘管如此，這個造成令人不安的關係

first conclusively identified towards the end of the 19th century by the leading French

是最初肯定發生在大約19世紀時，由法國

sociologist, Emile Durkheim – and has continued to be noted ever since. The suicide rate of

社會學家艾彌爾·涂爾幹所帶領起的。從此就一直的被引起注意。

an undeveloped country like the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a fraction of the

與一個發達的國家南韓相比未發展國家的

rate in a developed nation like South Korea. The crucial factor behind people’s decision

剛果民主共和國的自殺率只佔很少數。殘酷的事是富有和貧窮並不是，

to end their lives is not really wealth or poverty. As Durkheim discovered, it is the

自殺背後的主因。就如涂爾幹所發掘的，

extent to which the surrounding culture ascribes responsibility for failure to individuals

是以文化背景將失敗的責任歸屬於個人程度的多寡

or else maintains a faith that poor luck, or divine intervention is to blame instead.

或是一直有著不幸的信念，或是責怪一切都是神的安排。

It so happens that as societies become modern and industrialised, they very frequently give

這經常發生在當社會族群變為現代化和工業化，他們不斷的放棄

up their beliefs in demons and gods and start instead to trust in a meritocratic, individualistic

對惡魔和上帝的信念，反而開始相信那些建議大家命運是

philosophy that suggests to people that their fate is always in their own hands. This may

掌握在自己手裡的菁英人士，個人主義者和哲學理念。這聽起來

sound generous but it carries an immense psychological burden, for it means that – when failures

應該是很仁慈的但是卻帶給我們內心一個巨大的包袱，其意思在於 - 如果

occur – the individual is held entirely responsible for them. Reversals start to seem

失敗了 - 那你就要承擔起有的責任。

like a horrendous judgement on one’s worth and a public humiliation from which there

背離從一開始就非常嚴厲的批判一個人的價值以及視為一個公眾的恥辱

may, at the extreme, seem no escape other than through annihilation.

到最後似乎無處可逃只有毀滅一途。

There are two big cultural ideas that may help to mitigate the pressures upon us: Luck and Tragedy.

有兩個非常大的文化理念可以幫助我們減緩壓力: 好運和不幸。

To believe in Luck is accurately to observe that merit and success are in fact never reliably

相信好運是清楚的了解一個人的價值和成功事實上是無關的。

aligned; one may be a fool and win – or a virtuous person and fail. If we fully internalise

一個傻子也有可能成功 - 一個優秀的人也有可能失敗。如果我們的內心完全的接納

and widely share the notion of luck, then the shame of failure will be greatly reduced

和大力地分享好運的理念，然後我們對失敗的齒辱就會大量的減低，

and our agony along with it. We will be able to admit, publically and to ourselves, that

除此之外也不會再那麼的痛苦。我們會放開懷的接納自己即使是

decent people can fail in their outward circumstances and, therefore, that professional success

再優秀的人也會因為外在的環境因素而 失敗，因此在職場上成功與否都不是唯一

isn’t the only, or even, the crucial marker of the merit of human beings.A Tragedy, as

人類榮譽的重要里程碑。如起源於古老的希臘而言，不幸的災難只是個對

it originated in Ancient Greece, is the story of a capable and intelligent person who happens

一個有包容力和智慧的人所犯的一個小錯誤 - 雖然會到致很可怕的結果。

to make a small mistake – which, however, leads to appalling consequences. The point

重點是在生命的當下，如故事中所說的(所有希臘的人民都要參與)，

of presenting such stories in very public ways (at Greek festivals the entire community

繼續重新認識一個重要理念: 那就是

had to attend) was to continually renew acquaintance with a hugely important idea: that one can

可以成為一個討喜，甚至成為一個被崇拜的人，以及最後處於一個完全被渴望需求處境的理念。

be a likable, even admirable person, and end up in an utterly desperate situation. Tragedy

不幸的發生好像都一直是發生在像我們這樣人的身上 (甚至是更好的人)。

is the careful telling of how disaster can come into the lives of people like (or even

也因此我們總是值得同情，而不是被輕視。

a bit nicer) than us. They – and hence we – are always deserving of compassion rather

涂爾幹知道自殺率的提升是不好的，

than contempt. Durkheim knew that it is not prosperity by itself that increases the suicide

令人討厭的因素是賦予我們一個 高度責任負擔的無知殘酷的文化背景

rate, the toxic element is an unwittingly cruel culture that assigns a high burden of

同時表面上是否認機運和不幸總是會一直

responsibility to us, while seeming to deny the truth that chance and tragedy will of

不斷的影響我們的命運。實際上對於高自殺率解決的方法就是

course always continue to affect our destinies. The real solution to a high suicide rate lies

在一個意外的地方: 一個理想化可以強而有力的提醒我們，在我們的命運裡，

in an unexpected place: an ideology that firmly reminds us that we are never the sole authors

我們永遠不會孤軍奮鬥。也因此當我們勝利時或是失敗時，不必驚慌或是得意。

of our destinies. and therfore should neither panic nor celebrate when we win or loose.

我們每個星期都會新的激發想法的新影片。

We publish new thought provoking films every week.

請確定訂閱我們的頻道和觀看我們在螢幕上所提供的連結。

Be sure to subscribe to our channel and take a look at more of what we have to offer at the link on your screen now.