Can it ever be right to commit suicide and if not is it always right to stop it?

[Smurfy]

My father was a semi-vegetable and my mother wouldn't let him die. It's an individual choice, if someone is incapacitated and has no chance of recovery would you "make" them live longer Smurf? IMO, I would rather die than live as a vegetable paraplegic.

no way. i would never drag on someone's life in that situation

 

[JayC9]

its completely subjective, but ultimately the morality of such a decision depends on how rational it is ie an old person in extreme pain deciding that theyve had fun in their lives, but want to bow out = rational. an emo wanting to emulate their fave rock band lyrics = not so rational (regardless of how darwinian i feel about it lol)

rationality and morality are also subjective making it difficult to draw a line in the sand anywhere, i think you touched on the main concern though of the older generation, they seem to feel that they are witnessing a kind of misanthropic pessimistic age that thinks life is not worth living, though not an uncommon sentiment between past generations

 

[biteme]

i disagree with ya there smurfy...

look at it from all angles...

even if someone has never been depressed, or had a hard life, or even wanted to die, everyone has toyed with "what if i was gone, what if iv never existed, what if i left right now" scenarios in their head.

some people feel the need to die, but just arnt "balsy" enough, or are too scared to end it for themselves. in that id say that the only thing keeping them alive is fear of what comes next. thats not a very balanced and healthy mindset.

now take the person who feels like they have been there done it all. a truely smart person who thinks all the time, is always living up in their head. they start to realize how monotonous life is. they see life for what it really is...a pass time untill death. for them they arnt wanting to die, but maybe dont see the point in living? theyve accepted they spent enough time in this world and are ready to move on. thats more healthy and balanced in my eyes that scenario number one.

i think its stupid to judge someone based on their outlook on life, and label them unhealthy and inbalanced. they are just different...

You really are me... LOL... I approve of this post, even though you wouldn't care if I did because you are your own thinker as am I.

 

[jackangel]

i think its stupid to judge someone based on their outlook on life

on the contrary, i think someone's outlook on life is quite a reasonable thing to base judgement on. this is in comparison to other things. for example, one's favourite sports team, favourite colour, or favourite kind of food.

 

[FriendlyCanadian]

I don't think it's ever right in my honest own humble opinion, not because of religious this or religious that.. I'm not religious..

but I think there is always room for mental healing.. a better life.. a second chance.. a new way of thinking a new approach..

I don't believe in incurable illness.. there have been hordes of people with the strongest of mentalities that have recovered from, what were inccurable diseases or situations, some walking who were paralyzed from the neck down.. etc etc etc etc..

the mind is a beautiful thing, but when polluted it can and will suffocate the life out of you.

I still firmly strongly believe, that suicide is bad, and that one should always try to talk one out of it, because I think every person has thier place in life and when it's thier time to go it's thier time..

If suicide worked out for them.. then well.. It was thier time..

but I think thier should always be efforts made to aid those of less mental capacity in such a dark and horrific situation.

 

[GUARDIAN]

Osama Bin Laden - let the fucker shoot himself.

 

[JayC9]

do I think anyone in their RIGHT mind, a person of rational thought, would choose suicide as the answer? No I do not.

oh wait - exception - in the case of terminal illness.

thought about this and as much as i'm inclined to immediately agree with you i can't. shaping ones own demise is a final expression of control. it’s not necessary to be terminally ill in order to rationally consider suicide, there are many reasons why death could be an option. a rational person by definition must have the ability to weigh the pros and cons between continuing to live and being dead, and making a sane decision between the two, therefore either outcome is a possibility, therefore a rational person could quite reasonably come to the conclusion that there are more advantages to ending life, than continuing it, at any stage in their life.

 

[EnderJE]

Sometimes, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.












































































































KHAN!!!!!!!!!

 

[Smurfy]

thought about this and as much as i'm inclined to immediately agree with you i can't. shaping ones own demise is a final expression of control. it’s not necessary to be terminally ill in order to rationally consider suicide, there are many reasons why death could be an option. a rational person by definition must have the ability to weigh the pros and cons between continuing to live and being dead, and making a sane decision between the two, therefore either outcome is a possibility, therefore a rational person could quite reasonably come to the conclusion that there are more advantages to ending life, than continuing it, at any stage in their life.

i see what you're saying but in my mind, I dont think anyone who kills themselves (hanging, overdose, shooting, jumping off a bridge, whatever it may be) is sane. i dont think that comes from rational,sane thought. thats all.

its ok to disagree of course. Im not intending to change anyone's view of the topic.

 

[wlmcrae]

Even the terminally ill who have been mentioned so often will not, according to my reading, look to suicide unless they are also depressed. Probably the best definition for suicide I have seen is 'A permanent solution to a temporary problem.' For a 'rational person to weigh the options' and determine that suicide is the best option is to be irrational. How can any rational person see into the future? How can the 'rational person' noted know whether they will be the spontaneous remission, the miracle cure, the lifesaver of the year, the one true love of the beauty around the corner . . ETC? How can it be rational to assume that the future is going to be the same as the past? No scientist would assume that - how can the said rational person assume that?

I'm going to have to come down with Smurfy on this one. Personal experience? Oh, how about a personal suicide attempt (many years in the past now) and an uncle who attempted suicide less than two weeks ago. There is genetic depression in the family. This hits DAMN close to home.