If a man has made a thoughtful, rational decision that he simply doesn’t want to continue living, is there anything wrong with suicide if…
-He isn’t married and has no children or other dependents
-Quits his job first so he doesn’t leave them hanging
-Ties up all of the loose ends like closing the various accounts he has
-Takes great care to make sure it is as minimally inconvenient to others as possible?
No, suicide and assisted suicide should be legal. Even if they are married, depending on the situation. For example, why should a mother who doesn’t provide income in the first place, bring down the entire family for 3 years writhing in pain from terminal inoperable cancer? Now when she passes, the family is beat down from having to see their wife/mother in pain for 3 years, and they are 200 grand in the hole because the insurance company dropped them.
Technically, no. It’s your decision. I don’t really think it’s “wrong” in many cases. If you have children or children in your life who really love you, who wouldn’t understand why you did what you did, then I would say that you should give it more thought. People shouldn’t live or die worrying about what other people think. Granted, your decision may affect others, but ultimately it’s your choice. By “your,” I’m not referring to you, btw.
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.
[quote]Otep wrote:
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.[/quote]
i’ve tried a few times for the hell of it. ya kno the saying “you never know when its over?” i like to think I can control that time with my own hand. Its a freeing philosophy. I don’t see it as giving up…its a oh shit i wanna see whats after this!1 its exciting
Well, morality is often times broken down into an issue of Black and White. But morality is far deeper rooted than these simple ‘sides.’
I typically operate under the philosophy that a person’s right to autonomy takes presidence over legal obligations or issues that they may face. As long as the person who is contemplating suicide is in a ‘rational mind’ (though I know such a claim is ambiguous and hard to define.)
A Natural Law Theorist would perhaps argue that a person’s “given” right is to live and to do anything in their power (without violating the autonomy of another) to stay alive.
A person’s right to live also includes the right to end their life.
[quote]Otep wrote:
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.[/quote]
i’ve tried a few times for the hell of it. ya kno the saying “you never know when its over?” i like to think I can control that time with my own hand. Its a freeing philosophy. I don’t see it as giving up…its a oh shit i wanna see whats after this!1 its exciting[/quote]
You mean you’ve “tried” to commit suicide a few times?
If you’d really wanted to, I don’t think you’d still be around.
[quote]Producer wrote:
I don’t see any benefit in calling people who commit suicide COWARDS. I just have to ask in each case, what motivated the person to do it? [/quote]
[quote]Otep wrote:
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.[/quote]
i’ve tried a few times for the hell of it. ya kno the saying “you never know when its over?” i like to think I can control that time with my own hand. Its a freeing philosophy. I don’t see it as giving up…its a oh shit i wanna see whats after this!1 its exciting[/quote]
You mean you’ve “tried” to commit suicide a few times?
If you’d really wanted to, I don’t think you’d still be around. [/quote]
you’re right I really didnt want to. it was the excitement of knowing I could…like “whatever happens, happens” i actually love my life. I’m just a thrill seeker.
[quote]Otep wrote:
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.[/quote]
i’ve tried a few times for the hell of it. ya kno the saying “you never know when its over?” i like to think I can control that time with my own hand. Its a freeing philosophy. I don’t see it as giving up…its a oh shit i wanna see whats after this!1 its exciting[/quote]
You mean you’ve “tried” to commit suicide a few times?
If you’d really wanted to, I don’t think you’d still be around. [/quote]
[quote]Otep wrote:
With rare exceptions, people who commit suicide are cowards.
If you’ve decided your life has no meaning, it’s time to start living it for others. This isn’t so you can find meaning, it’s because the fact that you can act and think can still be put to good use, and even if you can’t use it, others can.[/quote]
i’ve tried a few times for the hell of it. ya kno the saying “you never know when its over?” i like to think I can control that time with my own hand. Its a freeing philosophy. I don’t see it as giving up…its a oh shit i wanna see whats after this!1 its exciting[/quote]
You mean you’ve “tried” to commit suicide a few times?
If you’d really wanted to, I don’t think you’d still be around. [/quote]
Myself personally, I don’t believe in any sort of afterlife. Thus I would be facing no moral judgment of any decisions. So that hurdle’s out.
Here’s a thought though, from my standpoint after I die, I cease to be. Utter cessation of my conscious being. In a few hundred years who would remember me, anyway? I’ll probably end up having a net positive force on the world, but I wouldn’t have been a famous general, cured cancer or influenced world peace. So arises the question, if your existence has so little bearing on the course of humankind why not just off yourself right now, why keep living?
The simple answer is that I want to.
Following that same train of thought, if someone thoughtfully weighs out their pro’s and con’s and decides that they really just don’t want to exist anymore it seems fair enough to me.
Problem is, most people don’t thoughtfully weigh it out and end up leaving a lot of people behind in their wake. Even if there isn’t an afterlife, human suffering is very real and it’s not fair to others to hurt them so deeply.
[quote]Producer wrote:
I don’t see any benefit in calling people who commit suicide COWARDS. I just have to ask in each case, what motivated the person to do it? [/quote]
Agreed.
While I think it selfish - I wouldn’t say it’s cowardly. My closest friend hung himself less than a month ago, and right now I only wish I knew why. He must’ve had some deep mental problems or similar, because he certainly wasn’t living a ‘tough’ life - good job, good looking, plenty of women, no major debts, etc…
The worst part is leaving behind friends and family - as mentioned above - the hurt is very real for us. I’m going to see his mom this week - and that’s not going to be easy.
[quote]Producer wrote:
I don’t see any benefit in calling people who commit suicide COWARDS. I just have to ask in each case, what motivated the person to do it? [/quote]
Agreed.
While I think it selfish - I wouldn’t say it’s cowardly. My closest friend hung himself less than a month ago, and right now I only wish I knew why. He must’ve had some deep mental problems or similar, because he certainly wasn’t living a ‘tough’ life - good job, good looking, plenty of women, no major debts, etc…
The worst part is leaving behind friends and family - as mentioned above - the hurt is very real for us. I’m going to see his mom this week - and that’s not going to be easy.
Hope you’re not considering it, OP.[/quote]
On the flip side, Isn’t it selfish to assume that suicider is selfish because of our feelings and how WE feel about them doing that? Selfishness works in both directions.
For this reason i’m apprehensive about labeling people with a word that implies judgment on them, their character or morality. Life is just too complicated. It may take a lifetime to really understand what makes a person tick and the pain they may hide.
Nothing wrong with suicide. The world would be a much better place if more people killed themselves. I don’t think it’s selfish to remove yourself from society, especially if you are an asshole to begin with. The world needs less assholes and more dead bodies.
They ought to legalize suicide, and encourage people to do it. There are plenty of people who simply don’t deserve to live.
In fact, I’ve been entertaining the idea of eating a bullet myself - only I’m not sure if I can buy a gun. I’ll probably have to go check and see.
I think it really comes down to circumstances. the scenario you present and selfish cowardice. I would find the only acceptable times to commit “suicide” are in reality not actual suicide, suicide would mean ending your life unnaturally …if you are going to die anyway and are without possible help then its down to the impact on others which is yours to decide. no one for lack of meaning or purpose should commit suicide. I do sense some fallacy in my thinking.