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August 13, 2014

Robin Williams made an enormous amount of money so it took an enormous amount of effort to squander it.

Most people in serious money trouble are worried about making rent and buying food.
Williams was worried about making a sequel. A lot of people in my neighborhood would give their left nut to be so burdened. I’m sure suicide sounded like a great way out his troubles, but is hard to see how that is going to help his family. Thanks to his selfish act, they are facing even bigger financial problems.
The Z Blog › Robin Williams

Posted by gerardvanderleun at August 13, 2014 1:48 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

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I'd comment at Zblog but if I'm pretty sure there's no commenting.

The one thing that you can't fault Robin about is the welfare of his children. Reports are that (knowing he had a problem) he established fully funded trust funds for all his children. If his ex-wives miss a few checks...pity.

He suffered from depression, that's a disease, I'm sure if his file crosses JC's desk, he'll cut him some slack.

Posted by: Onthenorthriver [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 4:36 PM

Divorce. Nothing more expensive than women. Nothing.

Posted by: Fat Man [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 6:59 PM

There's no question that the spectacle of pious "mourners" checking in for their 15 seconds is disgusting, and predictable.

BUT.

The spectacle of pious know-nothings heaping scorn upon a suicide is no less disgusting, if a little more surprising. Matt Walsh at least had the humility to admit he didn't know what he was talking about before delivering several paragraphs on his own moral superiority, but the Z-guy just wades right in.

Clinical depression is a disease, pure and (un)simple. Imagine waking up with a demon sitting on your chest and crooning to you about how much better off everybody would be if you'd hang it up. And then the day gets worse.

And it goes on, and on, and on. And anybody you're incautious enough to tell about it assures you that you're just feeling sorry for yourself. And you never hear from them again. And doctors give you drugs that make it worse. And you know your own mind is doing you dirt and you can't stop it. For decades, and then it gets worse.

Can you imagine any of that? Depression's worse.

Robin Williams, imo, was living in a dark room which was only brightened by the attention he received for acting manic. He was abandoned by his parents, saying memorably "My only friends as a child were in my imagination." He said more than once that he dreaded acting because he lost himself in the character he was working on, and it got harder and harder to remember who he was. Sound like fun?

What I think is that RW was ultimately done in by relativism. Nobody around him believed that anything, ultimately, was true, which left him anchor-less and rudderless. I know for myself that I became a Catholic at 66 because there is no relativism in orthodox Catholicism. It was like finally meeting someone else who recognized that there was gravity. RW didn't have that, and he kept trying to substitute drugs. And that'll kill you even if it has to use your own hands.

So the next time you catch yourself feeling superior to somebody who loses himself in despair, remind yourself that you're un-crazy by pure luck, or the grace of God, or however you can understand it. You haven't done anything to deserve it, and neither has he.

Posted by: Rob De Witt [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 8:32 PM

Z Blog is wide open for comments. Check it out. VEry interesting page.

Posted by: Van der Leun [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 9:03 PM

"Can you imagine any of that?"
=================

Of course.
Almost every. fucking. day.
And it never lets up. ever.

But I doubt I'll ever wrap a belt around my airpipe and choke myself to death - that's just down right goofy.

What, he couldn't afford a $100 pawnshop gun?
And it's not like there's bazillions of acres of desolate land out there where a person can get lost when they decide to pull the trigger and never be found.

He had every right to do what he did, I just think the way he did it was chicken shit. His final act of narcissism. Hey, look at me!

Posted by: ghostsniper [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 9:23 PM

@Rob - You have a good "come-from". It seems we have walked some of the same paths. I wandered in darkness for decades until I found my way into the light. A spiritual awakening is what it was for me, an Inside Job: http://dpjk.blogspot.com/2014/07/inside-job.html

That's the nice thing about reality though, consequences are immediate and proportional: a short'n sharp feedback, no room for dithering excuses.

Posted by: chasmatic [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 13, 2014 10:12 PM

Watched "Patch Adams" last night, poor SOB should have spent some time watching some of his own movies.

Posted by: Onthenorthriver [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 14, 2014 7:53 AM

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