A time or two I’ve heard about somebody’s suicide and secretly thought they did the right thing, saving themselves or their families years of living hell. Other times, suicide has seemed like a rational, or at least a reasonable, choice after a life well-lived but now winding down.
But Robin Williams? Robin Williams??? Of course he had demons. He laid them out before the world. But he also had such energy, empathy, manic joy, delight in a world whose every sound and action seemed to pass through him as if he were a human translator of all things wacky and strange. Robin Williams killing himself?
No, it’s just too … impossible.
Here are the three best articles memorializing him.
Best explanation I’ve see so far is over in Tam’s comments section, where this link was left: http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/robin-williams-why-funny-people-kill-themselves/
People seem to zero in on the suicide aspect and don’t fully grasp the depression issues. Super sensitive people getting overwhelmed never surprises me, what makes them so attuned to the world and other people is also the source of extra pain in their world.
Still, it’s so sad to see him go. But at least he has found some peace now.
– Seen- sorry I’m typoing earlier today LOL.
Excellent article, naturegirl. Thank you.
Thank you for that link naturegirl. It hits close to home although I think it’s a little simplistic in its correlation between humor and depression. He relates his own experience as if it’s the standard format. I think it would better serve the subject if he allowed for a wider range of experience. Of course, that may just be my own personal experience talking. I ended up in a similar place from a much different path.
Still, whatever the path, depression and humor too often go together. Just the famous funny folk who wrestled with and lost to demons is evidence enough. Of course he mentions Chris Farley, which immediately brings to mind John Belushi. Mitch Hedburg & Lenny Bruce also. Comedian suicide is ubiquitous enough that Wikipedia has a list about it! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Comedians_who_committed_suicide
I remember as a kid watching “Chico & the Man” and how confused I was when Freddy Prinze killed himself. It just made no sense whatsoever. He was successful and famous. What could possibly be wrong with his life?
I sometimes wish I still had that innocence.
You’re all so very welcome, glad I found it !
I still think that any person who is sensitive to others, or their surroundings – people watchers – and are creative in any of its forms, will probably encounter depression in some capacity. I think creating and pain seem to be connected somehow. There’s more than a few artists who have also gone down the self destructive paths as there are comedians and musicians, writers, etc. Some articles I have read over the years also link high intelligence with depression, too. The “mad genius” thing.
I think it’s easy to connect “things” with happiness for most people. Those with depression have the feelings without the specific “things” involved. I said while discussing this elsewhere that there was no way Robin didn’t feel all the love from people during his life/career. There was no doubt he felt his families love as well. As big as the world was full of love and gratitude for him – his brain was louder. His feelings and perceptions were louder. It’s a tough life to be at war with yourself 24/7. It explains the addictions that many creative people have, the silencing of the brain and the pain – only ends up being one more battle to deal with.
It’s just so very sad.
Another liberal gone, and I’m supposed to sad because why?- addition by subtraction.
Delderfield said it best, something like – The way they go on, you’d think death was reserved only for the chosen few. I refuse to mourn the dead simply because they are dead. We all have an appointment with the grim reaper
OTOH, if we only watched, read, listened to or otherwise enjoyed ONLY libertarian, conservative, or “morally”-acceptable talents, how little we would be entertained! And Robin Williams WAS talented, able to project emotion _and_ thoughtful insight into his characters ― if we would only see it once we got past his personal philosophy.
The world is full of socialists in many guises, and in all fields of endeavor. It is full of judgement as well! But thankfully we are still “allowed” to like whomever we choose for whatever value we find.
Wow. Did he really feel that?
Hopefully, John is just a troll, trying to portray people here as haters.
I can feel sad about a tragic end of life of a reportedly kind and humble human being, regardless of his politics.
Why should you be sad? Because a talented, infectuously energetic and funny man was defeated by his “demons”, which has brought. Sadness and grief to his family and countless others.
Shame on you.
Let me just say this. Its depression. People who don’t have it do not understand it. Probably they cannot. Its horrible. It literally takes a life that to all appearances should be bright and filled with wonderful colorful fulfilling things and destroys it. It destroys the lives of the people who love the person who has it.
I didn’t like his politics either.
But I am very very sad that this horrid disease took away the life of a man who made me laugh and examine myself in different ways.
I must believe that Robin Williams was as full of life as Jack London’s hero, Martin Eden. He reached the pinnacle, looked around, and realized that his free spirit was shackled going forward. Old age and all that usually goes with it, especially for one who had lived life to the fullest, was not going to be fun. Neither was endless, meaningless work necessitated by alimony and debt. No, he may have thought, I will be master of my own destiny.
The ending lines of Martin Eden:
He seemed floating languidly in a sea of dreamy vision. Colors and radiances surrounded him and bathed him and pervaded him. What was that? It seemed a lighthouse; but it was inside his brain—a flashing, bright white light. It flashed swifter and swifter. There was a long rumble of sound, and it seemed to him that he was falling down a vast and interminable stairway. And somewhere at the bottom he fell into darkness. That much he knew. He had fallen into darkness. And at the instant he knew, he ceased to know.
The latest:
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/08/14/robin-williams-wife-reveals-was-struggling-with-parkinsons-disease/