Man Against Himself

I was referred to this book after it being mentioned in Blue Nights by Joan Didion by Joan Didion. She read the book and included a few lines about how people ‘over-react’ (suicide, self-harm) to ordinary things: “What special circumstances are required before this woman throws it all in.”

I think Dr. Menninger explains things quite while in his book.

“…we must reckon with an enemy within the lines…”

He explores many concepts of self harm, from self-preservation, “A weasel…gnaws off its own leg to escape from a trap…”, to how we explain the cause of suicide in a various amount of scenarios, …this man began to commit suicide long before he took the pistol…. It’s a dark book in one sense, but its eye-opening in another. I never thought about how someone who is willing to kill someone is more aptly willing to kill themselves, and that in a sense they are ‘objectifying’ something to kill. Suicide and self-harm is an extension of that, you have to treat yourself as an ‘object’ separate from yourself.

He even looks at those who are Ascetic as self-harming, that is people who are characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasure to pursue some spiritual goal. When combined with someone who identifies with being a Martyr to a cause can lead to self-destructiveness.

Then there are topics around career, crime, inferiority, etc… when you get to self mutilation (something I never understood), he opened my mind into understanding what it takes to be able to partake in that. People who self-mutilate are essentially bargaining to kill a objectified part of their body rather than themselves: My arm was guilty…not I…I shall sacrifice my arm; more logical than death in their minds.

It was hard to read at times, but I think everyone needs to read this (or something like it) because we all have people or acquaintances who suffer, or maybe we ourselves do - the first step is sometimes understanding what makes you suffer, what the things are that you or someone else is doing that leads to it, and maybe - just maybe - that tiny bit of understanding and knowledge can help save someone else from similar suffering.