Is suicide selfish?

[slayer202]

The answer is no, and the ONLY exception is if someone kills themself with the specific intenion of hurting others...

 

[dawp]

I'd say it depends on the reason. if, for instance someone has terminal cancer and the pain is unbearable, then that is reasonable.

 

[Platypus]

The answer is no, and the ONLY exception is if someone kills themself with the specific intenion of hurting others...

yep

 

[Dude111]

Suicide is nothing one way or the other; it just is.

I agree....

I think its WRONG TO TRY AND FORCE PEOPLE TO STAY ON THIS SCUMHOLE IF THEY DONT WANT TO!

I always hear suicide attempt calls and the POLICE rush to stop them...

WHY???? ITS THIER LIFE,WHY FORCE THEM TO LIVE HERE IF THEY DONT WANT TO?? (This world has gotton so fucked up its understandable why someone wants to do this)

 

[Phoenix86]

euthanasia is a little bit different than suicide. 1, people who commit suicide are doing it because they're depressed and won't take the necessary steps to get better. 2, people who go through with euthanasia do it because their pain is too great and will never end because they are terminally ill and at the end of their life and there's no chance of things ever improving.

It's not very different, and you're splitting hairs to say so given my conditions on suicide being compassionate (basically cases that might qualify for euthanasia). Both are consensual terminations of life, the person ending the life is the only change.

I just went through a suicide attempt with a close family member who's quality of life is right on the tip of what I consider (and this isn't the right term I just can't think of a better one) "acceptable" to justify suicide. Shades of grey...

 

[eits]

It's not very different, and you're splitting hairs to say so given my conditions on suicide being compassionate (basically cases that might qualify for euthanasia). Both are consensual terminations of life, the person ending the life is the only change.

I just went through a suicide attempt with a close family member who's quality of life is right on the tip of what I consider (and this isn't the right term I just can't think of a better one) "acceptable" to justify suicide. Shades of grey...

depressed people who want to commit suicide are doing it because they're unable to realize that their live is actually worth living. they have a chemical imbalance that needs to be fixed. the terminally ill who are in constant physical pain and will die in a bed in pain in the foreseeable future and are being kept alive to continue experiencing the agony and torture of their existence with no hope to regain a normal life should have the option to end their suffering.

someone who's wife is banging another guy, whose kids hate them, and just lost their job is not going to continue to have a life of misery and agonizing physical pain and torture. they can still have a normal life. he can still contribute to society.

there's a difference.

euthanasia = mercy
suicide = selfish

 

[eits]

and this whole "is childbirth selfish" thing is probably the stupidest thing i've ever heard.

of course it's selfish if it was done out of selfish reasons. having a baby for a welfare check or something = selfish. having a baby because you and your husband fucked and didn't have a condom and you don't want to get an abortion = not selfish. wanting to have a baby = not selfish. terminating a pregnancy because you don't want to deal with childbirth or a child = selfish. having a baby in the hopes that it will make you happy or your marriage not suck = selfish.

there are varying degrees of selfishness and not all selfishness is necessarily bad or inexcusable. but it either is selfish or it isn't. committing suicide IS selfish. is it understandable in certain cases? absolutely.

was it selfish for those in the wtc to jump to their deaths rather than suffer the flames? yes. was it wrong of them? no. in this case, it's almost a case of euthanasia... you realize that your life is going to end soon and there's no way to regain a normal life without pain and happiness, so you take matters into your own hands and try to have it done in the least painful way possible.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

People who say suicide is selfish are out of their minds...

So according to you, a person should just keep suffering forever because YOU want them alive? And THAT is not selfish? What a joke... Its their life, they do whatever they want with it

 

[OinkBoink]

Okay, just to clear up any possible confusion, humans (and all living organisms) are inherently selfish by nature. Altruism also arises because of selfishness at a fundamental level. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the negative connotation people brand suicide with, saying that the person was not considerate about others' feelings and stuff like that.

 

[OinkBoink]

depressed people who want to commit suicide are doing it because they're unable to realize that their live is actually worth living. they have a chemical imbalance that needs to be fixed. the terminally ill who are in constant physical pain and will die in a bed in pain in the foreseeable future and are being kept alive to continue experiencing the agony and torture of their existence with no hope to regain a normal life should have the option to end their suffering.

someone who's wife is banging another guy, whose kids hate them, and just lost their job is not going to continue to have a life of misery and agonizing physical pain and torture. they can still have a normal life. he can still contribute to society.

there's a difference.

euthanasia = mercy
suicide = selfish

Whether or not life is worth living is a matter of subjective opinion.

 

[OinkBoink]

and this whole "is childbirth selfish" thing is probably the stupidest thing i've ever heard.

of course it's selfish if it was done out of selfish reasons. having a baby for a welfare check or something = selfish. having a baby because you and your husband fucked and didn't have a condom and you don't want to get an abortion = not selfish. wanting to have a baby = not selfish. terminating a pregnancy because you don't want to deal with childbirth or a child = selfish. having a baby in the hopes that it will make you happy or your marriage not suck = selfish.

there are varying degrees of selfishness and not all selfishness is necessarily bad or inexcusable. but it either is selfish or it isn't. committing suicide IS selfish. is it understandable in certain cases? absolutely.

was it selfish for those in the wtc to jump to their deaths rather than suffer the flames? yes. was it wrong of them? no. in this case, it's almost a case of euthanasia... you realize that your life is going to end soon and there's no way to regain a normal life without pain and happiness, so you take matters into your own hands and try to have it done in the least painful way possible.

You didn't really get what I was trying to convey when I was talking about giving birth to children, but whatever.

 

[Phoenix86]

depressed people who want to commit suicide are doing it because they're unable to realize that their live is actually worth living. they have a chemical imbalance that needs to be fixed. the terminally ill who are in constant physical pain and will die in a bed in pain in the foreseeable future and are being kept alive to continue experiencing the agony and torture of their existence with no hope to regain a normal life should have the option to end their suffering.

someone who's wife is banging another guy, whose kids hate them, and just lost their job is not going to continue to have a life of misery and agonizing physical pain and torture. they can still have a normal life. he can still contribute to society.

there's a difference.

euthanasia = mercy
suicide = selfish

I preempted this exact reply with the shades of grey comment but maybe that was too vague. You are painting very black and white pictures.

I don't disagree with your examples but they are very simplistic. What do you call suicide of the terminally ill? Euthanasia is commonly performed by someone else. If a terminally ill person commits suicide is that selfish?

Then there's "not terminally ill but in extreme pain" patients with little to no hope of recovery. Also a touchy subject is patients in a vegetative state.

Again, shades of grey...

 

[chubbyfatazn]

euthanasia is a little bit different than suicide. 1, people who commit suicide are doing it because they're depressed and won't take the necessary steps to get better. 2, people who go through with euthanasia do it because their pain is too great and will never end because they are terminally ill and at the end of their life and there's no chance of things ever improving.

Wrong.

I've been at the stage where I drew out (and calculated) several plans for suicide, along with collecting the necessary supplies. Depression fucks with you big time, and even if you're seeing a counselor, a psychiatrist, going to an IOP program, and taking medicine for it, sometimes it isn't enough. Hell, I'm still doing all that and there are days I feel like shit.

Now you're probably going to say "Well, the impetus is on you to shake whatever thoughts you're having. You're getting as much external help as you can, so it's your problem now to get yourself better." If it were that easy, why wouldn't I have done it already? Life fucking sucks when you wake up in the morning just wanting to die.

I still believe that a person can never rationalize suicide unless they've been in that exact scenario. It doesn't make sense until you're facing the same issue.

 

[Soundmanred]

If yes, why?

 

[shortylickens]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXx1S6O-T30

 

[herrjimbo]

I agree....

I think its WRONG TO TRY AND FORCE PEOPLE TO STAY ON THIS SCUMHOLE IF THEY DONT WANT TO!

I always hear suicide attempt calls and the POLICE rush to stop them...

WHY???? ITS THIER LIFE,WHY FORCE THEM TO LIVE HERE IF THEY DONT WANT TO?? (This world has gotton so fucked up its understandable why someone wants to do this)

i concur wholeheartedly. decreases the surplus population.

 

[zinfamous]

don't do it, OP

 

[nanette1985]

This comes up a lot on the diabetes forums I visit. If you're diabetic and you don't take your medicine, & you don't follow your doc's recommendations, is that considered suicide? Because that's what diabetes is - serious with often fatal complications. You'll probably die if you don't manage your illness, but managing diabetes can be a real pain. Also when you get really sick, is it ethical to overdose on insulin and end it all?

 

[OinkBoink]

don't do it, OP

Wasn't planning on it.

Even if I was, what's in it for you to prevent me (or anyone) from doing it?

 

[eits]

People who say suicide is selfish are out of their minds...

So according to you, a person should just keep suffering forever because YOU want them alive? And THAT is not selfish? What a joke... Its their life, they do whatever they want with it

what kind of suffering are you talking about? what makes you think they will suffer for the rest of their lives? what makes you think it won't get better?

 

[eits]

Whether or not life is worth living is a matter of subjective opinion.

everyone has an innate desire to want to survive and live. if you don't, then you've got a brain chemistry thing going on, whether chronically biological or situational. by people who aren't depressed (or were and no longer are, whether due to therapy or medication), the vast consensus is that life is worth living. so, people need to try and accept the fact that it is and what they're feeling is not "right" and get the help they need so they can feel happy and that life is worth living.

if you have a differing opinion, you're either just trying to be argumentative or are depressed and are trying to justify holding onto your depression because it's comfortable to you.

 

[RaistlinZ]

I see it as a public service. The only thing that pisses me off is when they take other people out with them, usually their spouse and kids.

I think a lot of people just do it as a cry for help. I hear all the time about someone "attempting" suicide multiple times. These people want attention. You don't "attempt" suicide if you're serious. You just do it.

Find random 30 story building downtown, jump off onto pavement. Simple.

 

[OinkBoink]

everyone has an innate desire to want to survive and live. if you don't, then you've got a brain chemistry thing going on, whether chronically biological or situational. by people who aren't depressed (or were and no longer are, whether due to therapy or medication), the vast consensus is that life is worth living. so, people need to try and accept the fact that it is and what they're feeling is not "right" and get the help they need so they can feel happy and that life is worth living.

if you have a differing opinion, you're either just trying to be argumentative or are depressed and are trying to justify holding onto your depression because it's comfortable to you.

Or maybe I'm just trying to be objective.

 

[KeithTalent]

It can be; if you leave your family and friends in a position where they need to recover your debts and other things, then yes, but if I killed myself today, and the day is not yet over, nobody would give a shit and certain people would actually be better off than they are today (nobody would be worse off). So I say no; sure, it's selfish by definition I guess, since you are, in theory, only thinking about yourself when committing suicide, but overall it's somewhat muddled.

KT

 

[eits]

Wrong.

I've been at the stage where I drew out (and calculated) several plans for suicide, along with collecting the necessary supplies. Depression fucks with you big time, and even if you're seeing a counselor, a psychiatrist, going to an IOP program, and taking medicine for it, sometimes it isn't enough. Hell, I'm still doing all that and there are days I feel like shit.

Now you're probably going to say "Well, the impetus is on you to shake whatever thoughts you're having. You're getting as much external help as you can, so it's your problem now to get yourself better." If it were that easy, why wouldn't I have done it already? Life fucking sucks when you wake up in the morning just wanting to die.

I still believe that a person can never rationalize suicide unless they've been in that exact scenario. It doesn't make sense until you're facing the same issue.

dude, who HASN'T been there? i've tried killing myself twice... the first time was because of a chemical imbalance as a teenager, the second time was a personal, situational depression issue.

getting the right therapist or the right medication isn't the easiest journey, but eventually, you'll get there. it's not as easy as just "shaking thoughts". but it is as easy as having a therapist or psychiatrist that you can be open with and tell them whether or not you think their therapy is working and that either they need to change something or they need to refer you to someone else who can help.

you tough things out until you eventually find the help you need.

a lot of it has to do with yourself, too. get out and exercise and eat right, even if you don't want to. that typically works better than whatever medication there is out there. in many cases, it's just that easy.

a lot of people are depressed because they don't look like ryan gosling or something... they're fat, dress awkwardly, still live with their parents, sit around all day long playing video games or watching tv surrounded by mountain dew bottles and taco bell wrappers and empty doritos bags. then they get depressed and don't want to live because they look at themselves in the mirror and don't want to deal with the hard work of changing their lifestyle and getting in shape.

a lot of people have chronic pain which causes them depression. i see it all the time. it isn't until they realize that they have the option of chiropractic care, acupuncture, surgery, etc. to help rid whatever is causing their pain, then they start feeling better and less helpless.

there are tons of ways to battle thoughts of suicide.

regardless, suicide is selfish because you're killing someone someone else loved just because you didn't want to go through the hard work of getting yourself better by whatever means necessary.