Life is sometimes like a one-lane road from a high peak to an abyss with no bottom in sight. Most of the time, the crowds that accompany us on this road are not actually accompanying us. “to the chair” or in our pockets “possibility” accompany them. The process and tragic end of the former Deputy Mayor of Avcılar, Burçin Baykal, is one of the most concrete examples of this social illusion and the inner turmoil of human beings.
Dear friends, today I'd like to share “showcases” Would you be willing to look behind it, at a dark reality hiding in the shadow of those glittering office chairs? Frankly speaking, Burçin Baykal's death brought me to deep thoughts and truths.
We are all trying somehow to get somewhere, to be appreciated, to create a circle of people around us. But do we ever think about how much of that circle belongs to us and how much belongs to our attributes?
I would like to look for the answer to this question through the story of Burçin Baykal, former Deputy Mayor of Avcılar, who tragically passed away recently. Let's examine the case not as a tabloid, but with Émile Durkheim, the father of sociology, at our side...
Émile Durkheim, one of the fathers of sociology, wrote in 1897 ‘Suicide’ In his book, he argues that this action is not just an individual choice, but is directly related to the weakening of social bonds.
Durkheim brought to the literature “Anomic Suicide” concept is key to understanding Baikal and similar stories today.
Burçin Baykal was undoubtedly a person who was surrounded by people when she was in office, like every person in authority. Her phone never stopped ringing, her appointments overflowed. Then the infamous process began: A corruption investigation, days in prison and finally a financial and moral collapse. At that point, the famous “crowds” vaporizes one by one. When the power (money) runs out, the greetings stop, when the authority is gone, the doors are closed in your face.
But is it only the loss of money that drives a person to death? Durkheim called it “No.” he says. Durkheim's “Anomie” is that uncanny state in which social rules are turned upside down and you feel like you are in a vacuum. Baykal, yesterday a cherished “vice president” while today “a lone accused” the social map in his mind was shattered. This is Anomic Suicide. One does not know where one belongs, who to trust.
Anomie means lack of rules and social chaos. When an individual suddenly loses the social status, economic power or prestige to which he or she is accustomed, he or she falls into a vacuum. The rules of his old life no longer apply, but he has no compass for his new life. In the case of Baykal, the position of deputy mayor brings with it “fake” It is precisely this anomic void that emerged when the crowd was dispersed by the corruption investigation and the imprisonment process.
Human psychology is strong as long as it is validated by its environment. Burçin Baykal's observation that those who surrounded her when she was on duty quickly moved away when the money and position ended is a testimony to modern man's “showcase” centered relationships. As Durkheim put it “Egoistic Suicide” This is where the genre comes into play. When an individual loses his or her organic ties with society, he or she feels extremely lonely and isolated.
The financial hardship following imprisonment is not only an economic collapse but also an erosion of identity. “Who am I?” answer to the question “Vice President” When the answer is taken away, the individual is left naked and vulnerable. The silence of the people around him/her turns this vulnerability into a deep depression.
Now let us ask ourselves this question: Are the people around us here because of who we are, or because of the opportunities we provide? Burçin Baykal's deep crisis is actually a lesson for all of us. The human spirit, “authority” or “money” such as the outer shells. When those shells crack, the naked loneliness underneath can be very painful.
The process that leads a person to suicide is usually not a final blow, but a prolonged “unseen” and “abandonment” is woven with a feeling. The contraction Baykal experienced after his imprisonment is a painful proof of how society silently eliminates a member of itself.
Dear friends, positions are temporary, money is dirt. As Durkheim warned centuries ago, what keeps us alive is social solidarity and real, organic ties. If one day that armchair is pulled out from under you and your phone no longer rings, the only thing that will keep you going is those one or two real people who still love you when you strip away your titles.
Life is too precious to be sacrificed for false applause, but the cold of loneliness is just as sharp. Please make peace with yourself in the mirror and your true friends by your side. Because when the storm breaks, it is not the size of the sails that will keep you on board, but the strength of the anchor.
Finally, if success in a society is measured only by office and reputation only by money, then every decline in that society is actually a collective murder. Perhaps the real issue is not how many people shake your hand when you are in office, but how many people can sincerely look you in the eye when that office is over.
With love ...