people, how we frame problems, even what we avoid saying, shapes how we behave and how we understand one another,” she con- tinued. “Language doesn’t just mirror so- ciety; it actively builds it.” Each phrase we utter, each label we attach, participates in constructing the world around us, shaping both perception and action. “The way we talk about suicide has become more open and compassionate, and that’s a crucial step. But words move faster than behavior.” “The hope is that language will eventual- ly help change the conditions that lead to it.” The “right words” aren’t perfect words. They aren’t polished or airtight or delivered from a place of expert certainty. The right words are the ones chosen with care, shaped by listening, and open to correction. They are words that acknowledge complexity rather than erase it. They are words that refuse shame. To talk about suicide is to speak with people, not about them. It means using language that does not crimi- nalize, dramatize, or contain moral judgment. It means recognizing that every phrase we choose holds weight. It means respecting the stories we do not know. It means let- ting empathy lead. And it means under- standing that our words are not the end of the conversation but the beginning of one.
In the end, I am still a quiet person.
I still worry about getting things wrong.
But silence, I’ve learned, is not the safest option. And that is enough for me to keep speaking. •
Winter 2026
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