Why is Suicide so bad?

[dtq123]

I am not making this post because I plan to die!

Now with that out of the way, I think many people need to be more open minded about the idea of suicide, since death in of itself is a mystery we should be glad that other people find out what's on the other side.

If ghosts are real, then I'll be able to amuse myself be toying with those still clinging onto their lives.

If there really is a god, and he sends you to hell: Hey, eternity is a long time to get to know Darwin right?

If purgatory is real, then you merely get dealt a fist in your face based on your karma.

If heaven is real, then that's the best scenario: And the fanatics would be right for once!

If you live on into another life, why not keep dying until you get a better situation?

Finally, If death truly just another end: This would mean the end of our lives. We simply rest in an eternal state of repose where not even our dreams can disturb us.

"Life isn't fair," and people who agree should have every right to choose death over life, because all it means that a evolutionarily incompetent person is jumping back into the dirt where cesspools of others have returned to.

[Hydra009]

There are billions of people who have already taken the plunge, so to speak.  Not a peep.  Either it's the end or it's not something where you can come back and visit.

It's fairly poetic to call it an "eternal state of repose" but it's pretty difficult to accurately call it that in the more advanced stages of decay.  If the mind is the brain, then it's safe to say that's out the window pretty early on.

And finally, I'm not at all familiar with the term "evolutionary incompetent person" (darwin award winner?)

[Johan]

"Life isn't fair," and people who agree should have every right to choose death over life,

They already do have the right.

[aitm]

meh, suicide is not so bad, changing your mind however, could be problematic after the fact.

[dtq123]

I'm not at all familiar with the term "evolutionary incompetent person" (Darwin award winner?)

An evolutionary incompetent person is someone who is not able to function well according to natural selection. Genes or environments that allow an individual to desire suicide is not good for passing on to the next generation.

They already do have the right.

Physician assisted suicide is illegal in many places in the USA (46 states as I recall), so at least there a couple places on this blue dot that doesn't allow it.

changing your mind however, could be problematic after the fact.

What would be wrong with changing your mind? The only one that would pose a problem would be hell, and our minds develop resistances to pain over time as long as it is constant, which an eternity would give burning in hell. Meeting Darwin and (Soon) James Randi would be nice, and we would have fun talking about our experiences, and more people would come to join our party.

[Hydra009]

An evolutionary incompetent person is someone who is not able to function well according to natural selection.

Which would include anyone who either can't or chooses not to have kids, as well as those who die early in life from anything, their fault or not.  Seems like a pretty strange term to label people with.

Genes or environments that allow an individual to desire suicide is not good for passing on to the next generation.

Environments are not hereditary, which is yet another reason why I would reexamine the term "evolutionary incompetent person".

[PickelledEggs]

I mean.... it's definitely upsetting for the people that are affected by it... the person's family and friends that love him/her even if they aren't aware of it.... And it's upsetting that someone would feel the need to end their own life.... (and upsetting is not even strong enough of a word)


But it's more complicated than saying it's bad or good... It definitely feels bad for the people that knows and knows of the person though... I don't know too much other than that though. I don't understand why anyone would ever want to end their life because I have never thought of ending my own.... even in my darkest of times, I always came out of the other end with the bad times behind me... and I've been in some pretty dark times... crippling depression. And I can't even say it's because I don't believe in an afterlife that I never thought of ending my own life to "make it better" or "end the suffering" because there are many atheists and people that don't believe in afterlife that have ended their own lives... really sad to think about.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

There are laws on the books that make suicide illegal, but impossible to enforce. More to the point through its attempted suicide that is more illegal, but even that is seldom enforced because there really is no point in punishing someone who is in such despair that they should want to die at their own hand.
For some years I was often suicidal, but killing one's self isn't as easy as most think.
Overdoses are often difficult because of the controls of drugs and poisons are much more difficult to get ahold of. At 19 I swallowed arsenic trying to end my life and spent a month in the hospital. I've tried other poisons, overdoses, hanging, smashing cars and even sat with a loaded gun and could not pull the trigger out of fear of missing and ending up permanently fucked up still alive.
It wasn't until one night I was about to plunge $200 worth of high grade heroin into myself that I had an epiphany of sorts and could see everyone I knew who loved me crying and could quite literally feel the pain they might feel. That was a turning point for me when I knew that I had to find a way to put my life back in order and I did.
I perfectly understand why people want to stop living, but also know that the moment people want to die is typically the darkest and if they can hang on and live they can find a way out of such despair if they can just think clearly enough.
There are always exceptions to this such as the elderly in terminal pain with nobody who cares and so on, but over a spouse or significant other there are always other fish in the sea and financial trouble is but a temporary problem that can always be solved or even ignored once you realize a life in poverty isn't near as bad as a life in pain or of never ending torment. Hell, most of the earths population lives in dire poverty and gets by one way or another.

[SNP1]

I am not making this post because I plan to die!

Now with that out of the way, I think many people need to be more open minded about the idea of suicide, since death in of itself is a mystery we should be glad that other people find out what's on the other side.

The main reason I am against suicide is that the majority of people that commit suicide are not mentally stable. If you are mentally stable and old enough to understand, then I have no issue with someone choosing the path of suicide.

[Johan]

Physician assisted suicide is illegal in many places in the USA (46 states as I recall), so at least there a couple places on this blue dot that doesn't allow it.

Everyone has the right to break the law. There are consequences for getting caught, sure. But making it illegal sure as shit doesn't stop thousands of people from offing themselves quite successfully every year.

[Solitary]

Life is a disease with momentary joy and pleasure, the symptoms are aging health problems and pain, interrupted by sleep, unconsciousness, and the cure is death. And hell is other people. Kidding, just kidding, I've never met a person I didn't like and admire in some way. This fucking snow is giving me seizures.   

Back to the subject: Suicide is dependent on how much pain and suffering one can take. As to it hurting others, it will happen anyway, and the pain they suffer is just sooner. And if they get a big reward, or don't like the person, it is great. It's a personal thing, and I have seen many patients suffer way beyond bearable because they feel guilty for causing other loved ones pain if they pull the plug, so-to-speak. People dying need to be told it is OK to die. Life has infinite worth when bearable, but it is not sacred!      Solitary

[Mike Cl]

I mean.... it's definitely upsetting for the people that are affected by it... the person's family and friends that love him/her even if they aren't aware of it.... And it's upsetting that someone would feel the need to end their own life.... (and upsetting is not even strong enough of a word)


But it's more complicated than saying it's bad or good... It definitely feels bad for the people that knows and knows of the person though... I don't know too much other than that though. I don't understand why anyone would ever want to end their life because I have never thought of ending my own.... even in my darkest of times, I always came out of the other end with the bad times behind me... and I've been in some pretty dark times... crippling depression. And I can't even say it's because I don't believe in an afterlife that I never thought of ending my own life to "make it better" or "end the suffering" because there are many atheists and people that don't believe in afterlife that have ended their own lives... really sad to think about.

Well, Pickles, must totally disagree.  My dad committed suicide.  And I cried like a baby--and was angry as hell at the same time.  Why angry?  He was in the last stages of emphysema and could only move with great effort.  He had no alternative but to put pipe from the car exhaust into the passenger compartment, start the car, let it idle and then die.  Was I angry at him?  No--at our wonderful govt. that makes dying with dignity impossible in so many cases.  He felt he had no choice.  And he really didn't.  And I cried the hardest because he was reduced to this to end his life.  A few extra months of pain for him would not have made his passing any easier for me.  He should have ended his life months earlier--and would have if he had had the chance. 

Suicide is a personal choice and should be treated that way.

[PickelledEggs]

Well, Pickles, must totally disagree.  My dad committed suicide.  And I cried like a baby--and was angry as hell at the same time.  Why angry?  He was in the last stages of emphysema and could only move with great effort.  He had no alternative but to put pipe from the car exhaust into the passenger compartment, start the car, let it idle and then die.  Was I angry at him?  No--at our wonderful govt. that makes dying with dignity impossible in so many cases.  He felt he had no choice.  And he really didn't.  And I cried the hardest because he was reduced to this to end his life.  A few extra months of pain for him would not have made his passing any easier for me.  He should have ended his life months earlier--and would have if he had had the chance. 

Suicide is a personal choice and should be treated that way.

:(

[dtq123]

Our wonderful govt. that makes dying with dignity impossible in so many cases.

Suicide is a personal choice and should be treated that way.

Playing devil's advocate here, if suicide an honorable way to die, then why do many people hold on to their lives when they reach a terminal state?

It's kind of weird to have people not want end their own lives, but stay alive and suffer further.

Which would include anyone who either can't or chooses not to have kids, as well as those who die early in life from anything, their fault or not.  Seems like a pretty strange term to label people with.
Environments are not hereditary, which is yet another reason why I would reexamine the term "evolutionary incompetent person".

Point taken 

To an extent I am right, but as a social species we tend to benefit more from those who are alive to help us. And trashing the environment to gives future humans a worse place to live, where as if we take care of it then the next generation has a head start in life.

[Hydra009]

Playing devil's advocate here, if suicide an honorable way to die, then why do many people hold on to their lives when they reach a terminal state?

Just guessing here, but it's because they think hope that they'll eventually recover and also because family members push them to hang on.