Is it selfish to prevent people from commiting suicide?

[Kolby Jack]

Almost every single suicide is done because the person thinks the pain they feel will never end or they have no reason to live. Both of those things are almost always wrong, and convincing the person in question of that is never selfish.

That being said, I do believe euthanasia is acceptable, if only as the VERY last resort and with consent of course. If it is self-inflicted, then I find that acceptable too, but again I must stress as the VERY LAST RESORT.

 

[Liam Barden]

No. Philanthropy, by definition, isn't selfish.

And if it is, then I'm perfectly fine with being the most selfish bastard in the universe.

You said what I wanted to in far fewer words than I ever could. A cookie for you, good sir.

 

[quantumsoul]

Generally, no it's not. Suicidal people don't really want to die. They're looking for a release from whatever pains them so greatly.

You'd be saving they're life so they can hopefully find a solution to their pain and they can continue living like they want to.

If it truly is hopeless, like a terminal illness, then I can see it being selfish to stop them.

 

[Dr Snakeman]

Super-duper snip of epicosity

I don't like to say this very often, but... /thread.

Really, we're done here. Suicide is bad. Stop people from doing it whenever you can. Period.

 

[quantumsoul]

As a person who doesn't have any experience with this topic,

When did I say I had no experience. I have dealt with many depressed close friends in my lifetime.

you're vitriolic opinion is unfounded and uneducated. People who are saved from suicide are almost always grateful for it.

The operating word there being almost. What about the fraction of people (and with global suicide rates continuing to rise, that fraction represents a LOT of people) who don't actually feel grateful, ever? The people who truly dont want to be here, and never will? How can you help those people?

The alternative is to let those who want to die, die. This has a 100% track record of not causing them future harm. As soon as you can show me a better alternative than that, im going to stick to my guns.

I get what you're saying but the majority are still grateful. Death being a 100% irreversible it's better to stop a potentially grateful person then let them make a such grave irreversible mistake. If they really want to die after that they can always try suicide again later. To consistently stop a person who in no shape or form would want to live from suicide, I can agree with you there.

 

[ZydrateDealer]

It depends on the context. It's only selfish if you gain something from it really (and it's hard to see how). There are no completely selfless individuals so no worries really stop all the suicides you want. As for suicide; whilst euthanasia is acceptable (with in limits nobody can make that choice for you) and you're life is yours to take; nobody really wants to die. Few suicides are actually necessary because it's a pretty final solution to problems that might have other, less damaging solutions.

"I feel I must remind you that it is an undeniable, and may I say a fundamental quality of man, that when faced with extinction, every alternative is preferable."
(Cookie for the reference)

 

[Thistlehart]

If the one wishing to commit suicide is a family member, and you seek to stop them to prevent the grief it will cause among your family. That is a selfish action. You are thinking of yourself and others and not of the person in front of you. Laying the guilt of derived grief on them as a reason to stay their hand is disgusting and cruel and will not benefit them at all.

If the one wishing to commit suicide is a complete stranger or a casual acquaintance, and you wish to stop them, consider your reasons. "Because it's wrong" is subjective and based on your own morals. That is a selfish reason. "But they're throwing so much away" is a desire to sway them to your way of thinking. That is selfish. "It'll play merry hell with traffic" is logical and humorous, but ultimately selfish.

If given the option of interacting with someone who is suicidal, you may want to make sure the person is genuinely resolved to the act. If this person is committed, then they would not mind waiting for a bit. They could take the time to put their affairs in order before leaving, i.e. settling debts, selling off property, leaving a will, saying goodbye. They would confront all those things they seek to flee, and with the imminence of their cessation consider their importance. You have helped them make the choice that is right for them. That is one way help them.

Suicide is the one consequence-free decision we can make for ourselves. To clarify: there will be no consequences for the one who dies (ignoring religion for the moment).

Is that not immensely tempting? Speaking as one who has contemplated this subject, and the act, on a few occasions, the thought of freeing one's self from the seemingly endless march of horror that this world can bring seems a rather easy choice.

Yes, there are many magnificent things in the world to behold and be part of. Though when one is contemplating death, those happy thoughts are stale and hollow. A colorful mask hiding the darkness of the world. In the long march of time, a single life seems to affect so little, and the idea of respite from the misery one may be experiencing is quite appealing.

Please allow me to help clear the air. For those of you commenting on this subject, please consider these thoughts.

If you are speaking from some perceived moral high-ground, you are a fool and ought to stifle your noise-making. You have no idea what you are actually talking about. You've never held the knife to your own throat and stood one twitch from release, despair urging you on, so your ignorance will help no one.

If you are speaking from a sentimental core that all life is special and should be preserved, you ought to hold your breath. The one you seek to help will not hear such words. They would be empty and even cruel.

If you are speaking from a stance that one less person around wouldn't be so bad, your nihilism is evident. Take solace in that and say no more.

If you have been there and come away. If you have found the will to live or the courage to strive on with a foot over the precipice of the ultimate temptation, then you have a better chance than any to help someone. Not to live and not to die, but to make the right choice.

 

[lacktheknack]

snip

Please allow me to help clear the air. For those of you commenting on this subject, please consider these thoughts.

If you are speaking from some perceived moral high-ground, you are a fool and ought to stifle your noise-making. You have no idea what you are actually talking about. You've never held the knife to your own throat and stood one twitch from release, despair urging you on, so your ignorance will help no one.

If you are speaking from a sentimental core that all life is special and should be preserved, you ought to hold your breath. The one you seek to help will not hear such words. They would be empty and even cruel.

If you are speaking from a stance that one less person around wouldn't be so bad, your nihilism is evident. Take solace in that and say no more.

If you have been there and come away. If you have found the will to live or the courage to strive on with a foot over the precipice of the ultimate temptation, then you have a better chance than any to help someone. Not to live and not to die, but to make the right choice.

What if I'm perfectly okay with being a selfish bastard?

 

[Tanthius]

As a person who doesn't have any experience with this topic,

When did I say I had no experience. I have dealt with many depressed close friends in my lifetime.

you're vitriolic opinion is unfounded and uneducated. People who are saved from suicide are almost always grateful for it.

The operating word there being almost. What about the fraction of people (and with global suicide rates continuing to rise, that fraction represents a LOT of people) who don't actually feel grateful, ever? The people who truly dont want to be here, and never will? How can you help those people?

The alternative is to let those who want to die, die. This has a 100% track record of not causing them future harm. As soon as you can show me a better alternative than that, im going to stick to my guns.

So because of those handful of people who were too far gone to help didn't want saving, you're willing to toss out the majority who desperately need your help? That's not how good people think. Every person deserves better than that. It's our responsibility to try. Helping a few friends isn't good enough either man, I've seen this thing from both sides and studied it as well and we need to be out there saving those who give up on life. No matter how bad life got I don't have the right to put the people around me through that, and by stopping this behavior you save not just a life, but a burden on the lives around the potential suicide.

 

[Ice Car]

Circumstantial. I will damn well stop someone from committing suicide given I believe they can keep living and recover. Or if someone is being stupid and irrational and decides suicide is the best solution to his/her problem(s) when their life is a lot better than they make it out to be.

Though to be entirely honest, I'm a softy and I'd try to prevent anyone from committing suicide, justified in their decision or not, thought put into it or not... If there's a chance to give someone another shot at life, and try to get it back on track, I'll take it. I'd probably regret it one way or another if I knew someone I know or someone close to me anybody was going to commit suicide and I just let them do it.

It's not necessarily selfish, in my opinion, however. If it's because you think it's wrong and you, (Now be honest, there are some like this) don't give an actual shit about the person, then it's selfish. If someone's legitimately trying to help the person and don't want them to commit suicide/try to change their decision, I wouldn't consider it "selfish", since their intentions are for the good of the other person.

 

[Thistlehart]

snip

Please allow me to help clear the air. For those of you commenting on this subject, please consider these thoughts.

If you are speaking from some perceived moral high-ground, you are a fool and ought to stifle your noise-making. You have no idea what you are actually talking about. You've never held the knife to your own throat and stood one twitch from release, despair urging you on, so your ignorance will help no one.

If you are speaking from a sentimental core that all life is special and should be preserved, you ought to hold your breath. The one you seek to help will not hear such words. They would be empty and even cruel.

If you are speaking from a stance that one less person around wouldn't be so bad, your nihilism is evident. Take solace in that and say no more.

If you have been there and come away. If you have found the will to live or the courage to strive on with a foot over the precipice of the ultimate temptation, then you have a better chance than any to help someone. Not to live and not to die, but to make the right choice.

What if I'm perfectly okay with being a selfish bastard?

Then allow me, sir, to commend you for your self-awareness.

 

[Tilted_Logic]

I'm against suicide simply because I've almost lost friends to it when they went through a depressed phase. They get over it, and I think people debating it need help. But I do think people have a right to kill themselves if they want to.

Now for your specific question, I've always been of the mindset that it's extremely, extremely hypocritical of people to say suicide is selfish. You wanting someone to suffer through life because you'll miss them is selfish.

As a side note, I know that sounds hostile and terribly cynical, and I don't at all mean to berate people wanting to help suicidal people. I'm just pointing out that selfishness is hypocritical in a situation like that.

 

[lacktheknack]

snip

Please allow me to help clear the air. For those of you commenting on this subject, please consider these thoughts.

If you are speaking from some perceived moral high-ground, you are a fool and ought to stifle your noise-making. You have no idea what you are actually talking about. You've never held the knife to your own throat and stood one twitch from release, despair urging you on, so your ignorance will help no one.

If you are speaking from a sentimental core that all life is special and should be preserved, you ought to hold your breath. The one you seek to help will not hear such words. They would be empty and even cruel.

If you are speaking from a stance that one less person around wouldn't be so bad, your nihilism is evident. Take solace in that and say no more.

If you have been there and come away. If you have found the will to live or the courage to strive on with a foot over the precipice of the ultimate temptation, then you have a better chance than any to help someone. Not to live and not to die, but to make the right choice.

What if I'm perfectly okay with being a selfish bastard?

Then allow me, sir, to commend you for your self-awareness.

Well played. I agree with more or less nothing that you say, but still, well played.

 

[Custard_Angel]

I think its selfish for people to suicide at all.

Everyone has someone that cares about them. To commit suicide is to say "I don't care about what you think, I'm taking this way out."

It's just a cowardly way to deal with problems.

 

[Aprilgold]

No one, no matter what, wants to die by their on their own hands, but as my starting sentence, sins blind anyone, no matter will. Many times is mental illness, which can be diagnosed and cured, even without that illness, they should see a shrink, but for fucks sake people, preventing a death, no matter how many, is a heroic act, anywhere.

Wait what? By whose hands is it better to die from , if not your own?. Also "No one, no matter what, wants to die by their on their own hands " is false, it happens ALL THE TIME !So basically your saying a person does NOT have the right to make the CHOICE to kill themselves?

Quickly refer to several of my sentences, and I may add another for good measure.
I never say they can't die from their own hands, but the example before this was of a school kid, giving context for what is below, thus cutting a chunk of it and then tossing it out doesn't work.

In my context, do you honestly think the kid would have wanted to die?
Out of context, of course it makes no logical sense, but yeah, people sometimes take their lives and are alright with the choice, but I'm not going to drown on, because we'll be here all day. I'll make it short, however, those people are often less then those who die from things that could be prevented. Life is a important gift that is only given once per person, so I really don't see a way to justify it. Never did, never will. Only justification is that you, physically, mentally can't live life, in which case a disease is burdening you, so then you have justification.

What did we learn today: Connecting dots of a paragraph is a good idea, and when you take things out of context, please note the context and where it came from.

 

[RottingAwesome]

People should have the right to do it, but that doesn't mean that they SHOULD do it
Is it selfish for loved ones of the person lost to be selfish? I would hardly think so. If you really break it down, every action can be considered "selfish" in that it in someway benefits you, even if it's just releasing endorphins in your brain (that "warm and fuzzy" feeling)

When we consider that, we must redefine what selfishness is, or just disregard it all together. If what you do is primarily helping others, whether or not it be for personal gain, does it really matter?

You can't honestly tell me that if I have a friend that's suicidal and wants to end his own life, that if I were to help him through this time and help him realize he has something to live for, help him become happy again, that I'm selfish. Maybe I did it because I didn't want to see a friend in pain and lose him. So was it because I myself didn't want to feel bad? Looking at it purely objectively, yes. But that's not the point, it goes much deeper than that (or so it seems to us anyway)

tl;dr it can't be called selfishness if what you're doing is helping others.

 

[Drakmorg]

No, I'd actually say it's pretty selfless. Well selfless might not be the right word as that involves doing something without regard to your own well being. So maybe not selfless, but certainly not selfish

Most suicides are spur of the moment kind of things that people do when they aren't thinking clearly, like right after losing their job or their significant other leaves them, or life just seeming hopelessly bleak at that moment. Keep them from making that spur of the moment mistake and it's very likely they'll thank you for it after they calm down and start thinking with a level head.

But if it turns out the person made a completely calm and rational decision that they don't want to live anymore, then it starts to become a little inconsiderate to stop them from dying. Not exactly selfish though.

 

[cookyy2k]

In a more general sense is any action ever either completely selfish or completely selfless all the time? Context and motive has a big bearing on if an action can be called selfish or selfless. I don't think actions have an inherent bias either way.

 

[Ham_authority95]

So me and this guy were talking today at work and the topic of suicide came up ( because someone decided to jump in front of his train which made him get to work late). One line he said kind of distrubed me he said : " I have nothing against suicide , but don't piss people off while doing it ".

Shocked by this comment i asked him what he meant by the fact he has nothing against suicide, because it was the first time i heard anyone say something like that, usually people want to prevent suicide and think it's a terrible act.

He explained to me that he thought that any person living should have the right to take their own life. That anyone that tries to prevent someone for doing the act is selfish . He said that in a world where countless people are murdered or that die by "accident" why shouldn't someone be able to take his/her own life? That people often talk about the family memebers and friends of the person that commited suicide , and how they are sad and heart-broken and wish that said person did not go through with it. That stopping someone from suiciding because themselves or family/friends would be hurting is selfish by not considering the fact they the person who died , wanted to in fact die , thus commited suicide.

As strange as it might sound, his argument made sense ! I mean, who better than onself to decide when and how to die ? The guy i was talking to firmly believe in the freedom of choice, no matter what choice it may be, therefore he believes that someone should be able to take their own life regardless are what people close to them think .

So what do you escapists think ? Is preventing or trying to find help for someone that wants to commiting suicide, selfish ?

P.S I'm not talking about assisted suicide , that another topic all together.

EDIT : Some people mis-understood my question. It's not about if suicide is right or wrong. It's about if it's selfish of prevent someone for killing themselves. It's basically like taking away their freedom of choice. The choice to end their own life. And also i am NOT talking about helping someone with a terminal illness kill themselves.

If you can stop a person from committing suicide, they probably still have hope enough to live in the first place, so you wouldn't technically be stopping them, but rather showing that you care for their well-being.

When a person seriously, absolutely wants to kill themselves, they will find a way and they won't tell anyone that cares for them.

 

[mrdude2010]

it's more selfish to commit suicide than to prevent someone from committing suicide. most people who commit suicide either don't understand that they'll be dead or have some mental illness, and i feel like we almost have a responsibility to make sure that someone is in good mental health and understands the consequences of being, well, you know, no longer alive.