Poll: Suicide: Choice or Response?

[chach_face]

The only way it could ever be called less than a choice is when someone kills themselves by mistake. For instance, through mishandling of a weapon or accidental housefire.

If it's mishandling a weapon or housefire, it's an unfortunate accident, not suicide.
Aren't all choices in response to something?

 

[Lizmichi]

It's a choice. There are many things you can do when you're depressed. You can choose to get help or your can choose to kill your self. A response to said depression is feeling like crap and having low self esteem, both you can't help but feel. Killing your self isn't automatic with depression, if it was then not only would it be a response, but I would also have died years ago.

 

[KelsieKatt]

Suicide is a choice. I have absolutely no remorse or apathy towards those who have committed suicide. You can either deal with it and become stronger, or you can be a selfish prick and end it because you are weak.

Suicide is a selfish thing to do. You not only take your own life but destroy the lives of those that love you. Life isnt that bad.

That largely depends on the situation.

Life can be pretty fucking bad sometimes, and I certainly sympathize with those who find themselves in a hopeless situation which requires them to endure misery for a long period of time and no way out of it. In that situation, why bother to live if it only leads to suffering?

I don't care how tough some of you may think you are, given the right situation anyone can be broken.

That said, a lot of suicides are made for stupid reasons, but that doesn't inherently mean anyone who commits suicide is a moron.

As for the question, I'd say most of the time it's a choice unless someone has medical problems, although I'm not sure what the purpose of this question really is... Most things in life are a choice, aside from involuntary feelings and thoughts.

 

[Kortney]

Eh it's kind of a choice. However the person's mind has deteriorated to a point where normal brain function isn't working - so calling it a "choice" per se may be a little ignorant.

Suicide is a selfish thing to do. You not only take your own life but destroy the lives of those that love you. Life isnt that bad.

I hate that argument. So that person has to continue to live in abject misery so they don't make other people sad? And how can you say that 'life's not that bad'? Not everyone has the same emotional makeup as you. What rolls off your back could devastate someone else. I'm not saying suicide is ever a good answer, but sometimes it's an understandable one.

But what if the person would have just waited things would have improved? Think of all the people who kill themselves because their lover broke up with them, or because they lost their job. They do it in the heat of the moment and if they literally would have just calmed down and waited a few days (or minutes, in some cases) they would have been fine.

In those cases, then yes, the person committing suicide is selfish. They don't do it for selfish reasons however - so calling them "selfish" might be a little unfair. I believe to call someone "selfish" they must have selfish intent - and I don't think the unhealthy mind of someone committing suicide should be labelled as "selfish".

 

[Stalk3rchief]

It's a choice someone makes in response to the perceived futility of their current situation. People don't chose to be depressed, they CAN chose how they deal with it.

This guy said it best.

 

[Scout Tactical]

The only way it could ever be called less than a choice is when someone kills themselves by mistake. For instance, through mishandling of a weapon or accidental housefire.

If it's mishandling a weapon or housefire, it's an unfortunate accident, not suicide.

Yes. That would be my implication. Hence my earlier statement: suicide (all) is a choice.

 

[chach_face]

The only way it could ever be called less than a choice is when someone kills themselves by mistake. For instance, through mishandling of a weapon or accidental housefire.

If it's mishandling a weapon or housefire, it's an unfortunate accident, not suicide.

Yes. That would be my implication. Hence my earlier statement: suicide (all) is a choice.

You say BY MISTAKE and then FOR INSTANCE, IMPLICATING that those are accidental suicides.

Haha, enough, we're having a suicidal argument

 

[Scout Tactical]

You say BY MISTAKE and then FOR INSTANCE, IMPLICATING that those are accidental suicides

Accidental suicides are a type of unfortunate accident.

happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally

the act of killing yourself

inauspicious: not auspicious; boding ill

Accidental suicide: Unintentional act of killing one's self.
Unfortunate accident: Inauspicious act that was unintentional.

They both seem to fit the examples of weapon misfire or housefire.

EDIT: I agree, no need to get worked up about this. I posted this before I saw your edit, though.

 

[chach_face]

Okay, buddy boy, which is it? you were saying that you knew that they were not suicides, but now you are proving (attempting to) that you were correct in calling them suicides.
I'm saying that suicide is the intent to kill yourself and doing it, not leaving the god damn burner on.
(Sorry if I seem heated, but the topic is near and dear)
Yes, and I just saw your edit

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

Okay, buddy boy, which is it? you were saying that you knew that they were not suicides, but now you are proving (attempting to) that you were correct in calling them suicides.
I'm saying that suicide is the intent to kill yourself and doing it, not leaving the god damn burner on.

sui, latin prefix meaning self.
cide, latin suffix meaning to kill.

ergo, even causing your own death accidentally would be suicide, albeit an "accidental suicide" as he stated.

still not convinced? take homicide for instance. there's a category of manslaughter called "negligent homicide", wherein one person causes the death of another through gross negligence, yet still lacks intent. so he's technically correct (in at least this assertion, though i disagree with him on the choice vs. response assertion), which is, of course, the best kind of correct.

 

[chach_face]

Okay, buddy boy, which is it? you were saying that you knew that they were not suicides, but now you are proving (attempting to) that you were correct in calling them suicides.
I'm saying that suicide is the intent to kill yourself and doing it, not leaving the god damn burner on.

sui, latin prefix meaning self.
cide, latin suffix meaning to kill.

ergo, even causing your own death accidentally would be suicide, albeit an "accidental suicide" as he stated.

still not convinced? take homicide for instance. there's a category of manslaughter called "negligent homicide", wherein one person causes the death of another through gross negligence, yet still lacks intent.

The connotation of suicide is that you are doing it on purpose
ergo, nutshot

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

The connotation of suicide is that you are doing it on purpose
ergo, nutshot

connotation, yes. denotation, no. ergo, sac-smack right back at ya
seriously, though, i'm just arguing semantics, 'cause, well... i'm a words guy. i understand your point.

 

[jonyboy13]

Suicide is either done by complete idiots (in that case a choice) or, most likely, by a complete lack of hope which happens when your spirit completly breaks therefore it's not REALLY a choice.

It's a choice like someone tells you "either I kill you now or I kill your entire family and then I kill you."
Not much of a choice as the way you see it there's only one option. I don't think that people who weren't suicidal can actually fully understand that.

 

[lacktheknack]

It depends on whether or not it's the result of mental illness.

If it's an overwhelming depression that causes the attempt, that's probably a response. If life is just generally crap/the person wishes to make a statement, it's a choice.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Definitely a choice.

 

[chach_face]

The connotation of suicide is that you are doing it on purpose
ergo, nutshot

connotation, yes. denotation, no. ergo, sac-smack right back at ya
seriously, though, i'm just arguing semantics, 'cause, well... i'm a words guy. i understand your point.

FAIR......ENOUGH.... (my nutshot's EX)

 

[SilentCom]

It's a choice. I've felt very depressed before that I thought about committing suicide. Obviously I'm still here so it's not a response.

 

[DeathWyrmNexus]

Suicide is a choice based in response to the victim's personal issues. Simply put, it is both. A choice can be a response.

Ex. A person's life is utter shit, at least to them, the walls of depression suffocating them, closing in... Until they snap, that is a response, the snapping. That snapping results in a choice, suicide.

 

[TehCookie]

It depends, if something happens and after the person sees/hears it immedatly kills themselves then that's a response. If the person is depressed and plans how they are going to kill themselves it's a choice. Gun, pills, or cutting hmm so many choices which should I do? Well seeing how I made everyone in contact with me miserable maybe I should just burn the whole house down with everyone in it?

It's not a sane choice but a choice nonetheless.