On the Merits of Productive Stupidity

Abstract

This chapter discusses how the collective discomfort with the many things that we do not know about suicide constrains innovative thinking about suicide. It begins with a critique of contemporary suicide prevention efforts, looking at military suicide. The inherently complex nature of suicide renders it beyond the reach of causal explanations such as mental illness. Nonetheless, many in the suicide prevention community fell victim to confirmation bias, interpreting these symptoms and problems in a manner consistent with what they already believed: suicide is caused by or results from mental illness. Based on this conclusion, the message was also communicated that mental health treatment can prevent suicide. Ultimately, suicide is a complex and wicked problem with no “right” way to define or conceptualize the problem, and no “right” solutions.