Is suicide really selfish?

[garbon]

I'm not sure what use it is talking about cases on the margins then.

[LaCroix]

I'm not sure what use it is talking about cases on the margins then.

well, not with marti's original post. i don't think marti was asking whether suicide is always good, either. he said whether "every time" someone commits suicide.

[garbon]

Well if we had to be limited to such a juvenile question then sure. I mean generally the answer is no to an "always" sort of question.

[LaCroix]

Well if we had to be limited to such a juvenile question then sure. I mean generally the answer is no to an "always" sort of question.

some responses in this thread seem to disagree

[DontSayBanana]

Suicide is selfish, yes, but I believe impossible to generalize as intrinsically indefensible or an unalienable right.  It's just that the person's survival instinct has been overwhelmed by their perception of their circumstances.  Since different people have different thresholds, it's impossible to evaluate except on a case-by-case basis.

[Monoriu]

It is selfish, but people have a right to be selfish.

[DontSayBanana]

It is selfish, but people have a right to be selfish.

Again, you're talking in generalizations.  Some people have lower thresholds where their will to continue surviving will be surpassed, and in many of those cases, those people can (and often should) be counseled away from the precipice.  The question of where that line is drawn (what's a "justified" or "unjustified" suicide) is completely subjective, so that's why I'm refusing to answer with a blanket "yes" or "no" on the topic.

[garbon]

What a courageous stand!

[Siege]

So, every time someone commits suicide you get those voices that "suicide is selfish" etc.

But is it really? Isn't it more selfish to expect people living in pain and anguish - be it physical or mental - to continue living for our pleasure, so they can be in our lives, or worse still, make more movies or entertain us?

Discuss.

Edit: For the record, I am not contemplating suicide. I just find it to be a valid option.

Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.
And all problems in life are temporary.

[CountDeMoney]

LOL, I forgot to unban Siegy. Sorry, Siege. 

[Martinus]

So, every time someone commits suicide you get those voices that "suicide is selfish" etc.

But is it really? Isn't it more selfish to expect people living in pain and anguish - be it physical or mental - to continue living for our pleasure, so they can be in our lives, or worse still, make more movies or entertain us?

Discuss.

Edit: For the record, I am not contemplating suicide. I just find it to be a valid option.

Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.
And all problems in life are temporary.

So is life. Arguments like this fail to acknowledge that we do not live forever.

[Brazen]

My mum attempted suicide no less than four times in the early stages of dementia - when she knew she had it but wasn't affecting her too badly. Between attempts she talked about it and told me she wanted dad to move on and be happy, so for her it was altruistic. Dad honestly didn't know whether to call an ambulance that final time, because she was already quite ill and she had expressed that she just wanted to not suffer any more.

[Brazen]

Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.
And all problems in life are temporary.

Not always, like when you're suffering an incurable condition like my mum.

[Maladict]

I wish we'd do something about the stigma attached to suicide, so people won't be forced to go through it all alone and often in very painful circumstances.
It's a lose-lose situation for everyone involved.

[Caliga]

My mum attempted suicide no less than four times in the early stages of dementia - when she knew she had it but wasn't affecting her too badly. Between attempts she talked about it and told me she wanted dad to move on and be happy, so for her it was altruistic. Dad honestly didn't know whether to call an ambulance that final time, because she was already quite ill and she had expressed that she just wanted to not suffer any more.

Wow.