How did Jon Bon Jovi talk someone off the ledge?

👋 Welcome back to the Medium Newsletter
Issue #165: career wisdom from James Earl Jones and listening to your gut
By Harris Sockel

Last week, a coworker sent me a viral video. It’s CCTV footage of Jon Bon Jovi and a production assistant talking someone down who’s about to jump from Nashville’s ~80-foot Siegenthaler bridge. (Coincidentally, the bridge is named for someone who himself saved a would-be jumper.)

My immediate reaction was: This seems like a very private moment to be posting on YouTube (and Threads). My second thought: What did Bon Jovi and the production assistant say? What can you say?

This is a sensitive topic, but an important one. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for teens and twentysomethings globally. On Medium, psychiatrist Grant H Brenner MD DFAPA summarized recent research showing that suicide rates have increased by ~35% in the U.S. over the last few decades. As Nicole Dake writes in the mental health and addiction recovery publication Black Bear, the root cause of suicidal ideation is often (not always) a deep sense of loneliness. It’s a feeling so pervasive, for so many of us, that last year the U.S. Surgeon General published an 82-page report examining its negative effects on everything from cognitive function to heart health.

TLDR: Community isn’t just a buzzword. It doesn’t just sound nice or make us feel good. It’s vital for our survival.

So, what did Bon Jovi and his PA say? I’m not sure it matters much because their body language seems to be doing most of the work. Social psychologist Devon Price recently spoke with dozens of people who’ve struggled with suicidal ideation and came away with a few lessons. The best thing you can do, in his view? Go be with them! Help them do basic chores. Distract them by joking about the absurdity of the universe. Put on your favorite playlist. But mostly, just hang out with them. Your presence matters more than words.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

What else we’re reading: James Earl Jones on career growth

Journalist Andrew Jazprose Hill recounts an interview with James Earl Jones, the EGOT-award-winning legend who died at 93 last week. (His Mustafa was the Platonic Dad of my childhood.) Jones explained how he picks parts:

“If I play a policeman in one film, I want to play a thief in my next role… That gives me an opportunity to live in each world for a while. To look at life from different perspectives. To keep balanced. And not become typecast in my career or lopsided in my views.”

Your daily dose of practical wisdom: on making better decisions

Here’s a tip a friend taught me a long time ago about making tough decisions: flip a coin. Pretend the coin toss is binding, and pay attention to what your body does when you see the result. Do you feel relief or tension? That’s a clue about what’s important to you.

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Edited and produced by Scott Lamb & Carly Rose Gillis

Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email us: tips@medium.com