Re: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Fri Apr 20 2001 - 00:47:05 BST

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    From: "J. R. Molloy" <jr@shasta.com>
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    Subject: Re: Is Suicide Contagious? A Case Study in Applied Memetics
    Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 16:47:05 -0700
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    > Ah yes, of course, but that's not the same as is being implied in contagion
    > theory (again, not that this is what Paul is necessarily saying). My beef
    > is in relation to the mediation part of the issue- that mediated suicide
    > (e.g. press reports, or TV dramatisations) lead to suicides in previously
    > non-suicidal people. Again, I think this has relatively little to do with
    > what Paul specifically is arguing, I'm just trying to keep people from
    > making erroneous jumps of causation.
    >
    > Vincent

    OK, thanks for clearing that up in such a succinct manner. I tend to agree
    with your position, and attribute suicidal tendencies or susceptibility to
    depression as a genetic rather than memetic related phenomenon (which can be
    triggered by environmental influences). I appreciate your comments.

    Best regards,

    --J. R.

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