The Bridge Analogy

[RileyTanaka]

Here's how I think about the circumstances that lead up to suicide.

Everyone in life is set up with a bridge. This bridge goes over a deep ravine which represents Death. So obviously your objective is to not fall into the abyss and to keep your life extended on this bridge for as long as possible.

Some people's bridges are better equipped than others - some may be made of wooden planks haphazardly strung together. Others may have cobble stone, a slightly better option. Others may have steel bridges with reinforcing beams that protect against all elements and possible unexpected occurrences. However, in this analogy, the materials in which your bridge are made of do not guarantee success; they can, however, raise the probability that yours won't break apart right away. If you're an unlucky person who's been landed in a bad socioeconomic position through this lottery we call "life," then you may be more vulnerable to the elements or life events that will erode at your bridge.

For many on this forum, people's bridges end up eroding. They are struggling to hang on and no one has come to save them. It may be hard to hear, but some people's bridges are actually fine in their condition, but they still want to jump into the ravine because they're tired of keeping up the pressure of staying on it. For certain individuals, all the wooden planks have fallen off and they are literally hanging onto only the wires, hanging on with only the last strength of their body. It is not reasonable to assume that these people can "pull themselves out of it" and save themselves. Objectively it is only with others' support, resources, and considerable help that these people can be saved.

The odd part about this is that others don't see, or they don't want to see you struggling on your bridge. Sometimes, if you're lucky, someone will try to toss you reinforcements from their own bridge, but the likelihood it will keep you alive long-term is not great. Perhaps against all odds... if you're REALLY lucky, a helicopter will come and drop a donut on you to pull you out of this horrible scenario. For some unfortunate people, the people in their lives (who are on their own respective bridges) will turn away and pretend not to see you falter before dropping into the abyss. Denial. When it comes to suicide and the way it is dealt with in most places, people are expected to find a way to hang on. It is hard to understand how on earth you'd let yourself fall into the ravine if your own bridge is fine.

It is sad but I've devised this analogy to understand how the world works, particularly when it comes to suicide.

 

[a.n.kirillov]

The absurd thing is that everyone's bridge just ends at some random point over the abyss.

A bridge seems to imply there is some other side to get to, but there really isn't; still, we live as if there was, while all there really is is the walk over the bridge.
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Another thing to add is that we are more like stumbling backwards over the bridge. We can only see the parts of the bridge we have already walked over and then have to make guesses as to how not to trip and fall down, and we never really know at which point the bridge ends.

 

[Soulless_Angel]

A bridge seems to imply there is some other side to get to, but there really isn't; still, we live as if there was, while all there really is is the walk over the bridg

Yet what if the start of the bridge is birth, the path over the bridge is life, the end is death, we are all heading to death no matter our walk towards it, whether its ended sooner or later or naturally or not, the death is the other side that we all end up at.
Its the walk in between that is the important part, whether you are struggling or not, that walk defines us

Here's how I think about the circumstances that lead up to suicide.

Everyone in life is set up with a bridge. This bridge goes over a deep ravine which represents Death. So obviously your objective is to not fall into the abyss and to keep your life extended on this bridge for as long as possible.

Some people's bridges are better equipped than others - some may be made of wooden planks haphazardly strung together. Others may have cobble stone, a slightly better option. Others may have steel bridges with reinforcing beams that protect against all elements and possible unexpected occurrences. However, in this analogy, the materials in which your bridge are made of do not guarantee success; they can, however, raise the probability that yours won't break apart right away. If you're an unlucky person who's been landed in a bad socioeconomic position through this lottery we call "life," then you may be more vulnerable to the elements or life events that will erode at your bridge.

For many on this forum, people's bridges end up eroding. They are struggling to hang on and no one has come to save them. It may be hard to hear, but some people's bridges are actually fine in their condition, but they still want to jump into the ravine because they're tired of keeping up the pressure of staying on it. For certain individuals, all the wooden planks have fallen off and they are literally hanging onto only the wires, hanging on with only the last strength of their body. It is not reasonable to assume that these people can "pull themselves out of it" and save themselves. Objectively it is only with others' support, resources, and considerable help that these people can be saved.

The odd part about this is that others don't see, or they don't want to see you struggling on your bridge. Sometimes, if you're lucky, someone will try to toss you reinforcements from their own bridge, but the likelihood it will keep you alive long-term is not great. Perhaps against all odds... if you're REALLY lucky, a helicopter will come and drop a donut on you to pull you out of this horrible scenario. For some unfortunate people, the people in their lives (who are on their own respective bridges) will turn away and pretend not to see you falter before dropping into the abyss. Denial. When it comes to suicide and the way it is dealt with in most places, people are expected to find a way to hang on. It is hard to understand how on earth you'd let yourself fall into the ravine if your own bridge is fine.

It is sad but I've devised this analogy to understand how the world works, particularly when it comes to suicide.

I actually really liked reading this so thank you for sharing this, its really thought provoking and has some really interesting points. I am actually envisioning my own bridge and how it may look, ironically my want to ctb is jumping via a bridge.

 

[Soul]

I am actually envisioning my own bridge and how it may look, ironically my want to ctb is jumping via a bridge.

The poet John Berryman waved at some bystanders when he jumped (to death) from a bridge. I admire that very much.