I've heard this gaining traction to stop saying 'committed'

[Avicii]

The phrase 'committed suicide' needs to stop

When the news about the drop in male suicide was reported on Channel 4 News last week, for example, I was shocked that, in an otherwise sympathetic piece of reporting, the correspondent several times used the phrase "committed suicide". Language matters, and it must adapt with the times. The phrase comes from a time when suicide was a criminal offence. We commit a crime. We commit a sin. Suicide is neither. It is the tragic last step of someone who, for whatever reason, believes death is preferable to life. It stopped being a crime more than half a century ago. We need to stop using the language of crime around it.

 

[Jon]

Yeah but it probably wasn't intentional, it's just that only very recently was the collocation questioned, so it's still firmly imbedded in our speech. I know I use it occasionally but even it it were a crime, it doesn't matter, perhaps only to the family. Anyway the advice against using this is among the Samaritan's recommended guidelines for the media available on their site in PDF, which is largely ignored by journalists in many suicide reports, so I doubt the media is particularly concerned, as long as the ads keep running and the money keeps coming in.

 

[Made4TV]

So what is supposed to be said instead? I'd not heard this before.

 

[Revok]

"willingly ended their life"?

There's certainly options, though I don't see "commited" to be a huge problem. And it most western parts of the world it still is pretty much forbidden in the sense that people will and are expected to violate your rights to stop you from doing it, so I don't feel it is going to change anytime soon.

 

[Endless]

So what is supposed to be said instead? I'd not heard this before.

'died by suicide', 'took his/her own life'

 

[lv-gras]

'died by suicide', 'took his/her own life'

ended their life, etc....

 

[Endless]

ended their life, etc....

I've also heard of (when depression is at play) 'died of depression'

 

[Jon]

... jumped to freedom, set himself free, unshackled his earthly chains, put an end to himself, topped himself... many alternatives, but it is true that commit correlates with a crime or wrongdoing, such as to commit murder, to commit manslaughter, to commit adultery, which was the point Avicii was getting at.

 

[Revok]

Died by depression sounds like I wasn't capable of deciding for myself, but it is completely my decision.

 

[bigj75]

There are plenty of uses for the word committed that don't infer illegality. I have no problem with the word.

I don't either but the media likes to make suicide seem like a crime. It certainly is in the bible.

 

[Jon]

There are plenty of uses for the word committed that don't infer illegality. I have no problem with the word.

Commit as a verb followed by a noun is, as far as I know, only used for criminal or wrongful actions. Committed or commitment are used differently. But I don't personally have a problem with the word either, though some people do and I've seen it discussed a few times.

Perhaps subconsciously whenever we say commit suicide, because we associate that word with wrongful actions, then we could be reinforcing the misguided perception that is a wrongful or even illegal act.

 

[lv-gras]

I don't either but the media likes to make suicide seem like a crime. It certainly is in the bible.

except for all the suicides of honorable people who are in the bible

 

[Virgo]

Commit as a verb followed by a noun is, as far as I know, only used for criminal or wrongful actions. Committed or commitment are used differently. But I don't personally have a problem with the word either, though some people do and I've seen it discussed a few times.

Perhaps subconsciously whenever we say commit suicide, because we associate that word with wrongful actions, then we could be reinforcing the misguided perception that is a wrongful or even illegal act.

Yeah, I agree.

 

[bigj75]

except for all the suicides of honorable people who are in the bible

As Christians would say that's different!

 

[lv-gras]

As Christians would say that's different!

some christians

 

[bigj75]

some christians

I've never heard any Christian in any context say suicide can be honorable.

 

[Virgo]

I've never heard any Christian in any context say suicide can be honorable.

Maybe they meant self sacrifice. That is a big theme in Christianity.

 

[bigj75]

Maybe they meant self sacrifice. That is a big theme in Christianity.

Self sacrifice as in saving someone else's life at the cost of your own. That's true.

 

[lv-gras]

Self sacrifice as in saving someone else's life at the cost of your own. That's true.

yes, and you're right that most official doctrine in most types does not say suicide is a respectable or honorable thing, but that doesn't mean everyone has to or does adhere to that.

there are counterexamples, and one idea is that there should be understanding and compassion for other people, so some people can find that comes first.

 

[Temporarilyabsurd]

I've read people saying 'completed'.

I thought that was the new 'ok' description.

 

[Lra888]

I've never heard any Christian in any context say suicide can be honorable.

Samson

 

[bigj75]

Samson

Yae but nobody looks at our suicide in a honorable way.

 

[Maravillosa]

I've never heard any Christian in any context say suicide can be honorable.

Never, bigj75? I think suicide can be honorable in some instances, and I am a Christian (a practicing Catholic, to be precise).

 

[bigj75]

Never, bigj75? I think suicide can be honorable in some instances, and I am a Christian (a practicing Catholic, to be precise).

I just know in church and when any person gets asked what are their thoughts on suicide they say its a direct sin against God. But I do see instances in the bible where suicide or self sacrifice are done.

 

[Roulette]

How do you feel about the phrase "the victim has completed suicide"?

Heard thats a bit of an iffy one tho, the arguement against it is because 'complete' has a positive connotation or something. Personally it just sounds very odd to use anyways

 

[wxtyubidi7y]

I like "voluntarily died" myself but it will never catch on.

 

[Temporarilyabsurd]

Completion

A word used in " Never Let Me Go "

An epic movie / novel.

Institutionionalized suicide .............

A very odd conceptualization

Japanese surreal accuity methinks