In the years following World War II, people scattered across the many islands of Micronesia were facing political turmoil and instability. As the United States and Soviet Union began competing for power, the people of Micronesia were subject to relocations because of nuclear testing and military occupancy that continued after the war. Underlying all this was a rising problem.
The son of an illustrious family on the island of Ebeye found himself in a romantic dilemma. Emotionally torn up after having affairs and children with two different women, he was found hung in his bedroom in November 1966. His death brought about a strange and troubling upsurge of suicides among young boys and men throughout Micronesia. The trend has baffled social workers and anthropologists for decades. Now, more than 30 years later, the suicide rate for males between 15 and 24 in Micronesia is more than seven times higher than the rate in the United States. Boys in Micronesia are killing themselves over the smallest things, and no one can figure out how to end the suicide epidemic.
The above story is discussed at length in Malcolm Gladwell’s book “The Tipping Point.” The United States is now facing a similar problem: a school shooting epidemic. In much the same way that the death of the son of one of Ebeye’s wealthiest families triggered Micronesia’s suicide epidemic, the celebrity of school shooters is sparking this disturbing trend. Sept. 11 and the war in Iraq have made for an environment in which this kind of movement can take off. Violence is everywhere and we see no examples to counteract it. Should we really be that surprised?
Schools are breeding grounds for intimidation and isolation. Kids who are already subject to depression and the chemical swings of adolescence are thrown into a mini-culture of cliqués and a popularity hierarchy. Once this stage is set, it only takes what Gladwell calls a permission-giver to tip the trend. When school shooters do the unthinkable, they send a message to hundreds of other kids that it is an option for them to do the same. This is an upsetting combination of environment and social cues, and it is easily comparable to the situation that produced the Micronesian suicide epidemic. We can see what is causing the problem, we must now figure out a way to fix it.
The romanticized suicide of the Ebeye boy made a serious impact that spread across an entire country and lasted for many years. The notoriety of school shooters has the same resounding influence. We are up against a very difficult enemy because it’s not the school shooters themselves that should worry us, it’s their reputations. As Chuck Palahniuk wrote, “The only difference between martyrdom and suicide really is press coverage.” Candlelight vigils, gun laws, and investigative panels aren’t going to stop the infamy of school shooters. We must turn instead to ourselves to make the difference. You have to set the counter-example. You have to be the role model. If you don’t stand up and present a positive influence, then there is no way to tip the trends.
Remember, Palahniuk also said: “The first step – especially for young people with energy and drive and talent, but not money – the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. To model and demonstrate the kind of world you demand to live in. To write the books. Make the music. Shoot the films. Paint the art.”
Never underestimate what you can do. Twelve years ago, Palahniuk sat down and wrote the book “Fight Club.” Six years later, Tucker Max lost his job, read the book and was inspired to put up his now famous Web site www.tuckermax.com. If it weren’t for that site, Ryan Holiday would never have published his writing. And if I had never read Ryan Holiday, I’d be sitting around moping about a bad weekend instead of writing this article.
What if that man from Micronesia had written a book instead of committing suicide? Don’t be that guy. You can set an example. Show what it takes to transform all that destructive energy and create something instead.