Is suicide really a selfish act??

It has been said that suicide is the most selfish thing you can do because of all though you leave behind.

But in a way some that do suffer from depression even after drugs and therapy still have depression so you have got to think aswell is it really fair to make them suffer because we are only thinking of ourselves maybe in a way we are being selfish. By not thinking of their pain because instead we are only thinking about us suffering.

Also keep in mind alot of people who are suffering from depression think that they will be doing everyone else a favour by killing them selves and they don't realise that is not true. So is it selfish to commit suicide.


[Edited on 13-12-2003 by The Real Deal]

Aside from someone having to clean up the mess and bury the body,those who loved the one who offed him/her self feel guilty that they maybe did not love the person enough for them to want to go on living.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem,depression passes most times,death can't be fixed.

Nothing like eliminating the potential one does have,even if they are depressed there is potential...

Now if there were some way that someone could kill themselves and not leave a mess or a body,just disappear without a trace...............................

But then relatives would always wonder......

yes, it is selfish. I have considered suicide many times. I guess the only real thing that keeps me form doing it is fear that I will go to hell or I would have been dead a long time ago.

"Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." - Jimi Hendrix

I see no problem in suicide. Nobody asks for life. Having control over ending it is at least one thing you can do if you no longer want to be a part of it. I feel some people have every reaon to commit the act, and some just do it without thinking it through. Many times suicide is resultant from situations that are beyond the means of fixing by an individual. Painful permanent or life threatening illnesses or disability, loss of significant other, crushing debt, & jail sentences. None of these are things that can be fixed and the only true way out is through death.

Your life is your own whether or not other people around you would be affected negatively by the taking of your life by your own hands. Its not a selfish act at all, IMO.

I personally live with a very painful permanent illness called Reiters Syndrome that I got through a brief bout with depression (when you get depression, you don't know you have it). I never once considered committing suicide, but I do see why people would want to die if they feel miserable without an out. I do feel miserable, I can tell you that.

I think it can be selfish in some cases but in others, they view it as selfLESS.They think that no one will miss them and that no one wants them around. When someone we love commits suicide, it's hard not to be angry at them but we must also have empathy at the same time.

Originally posted by The Real Deal
I think it can be selfish in some cases but in others, they view it as selfLESS.They think that no one will miss them and that no one wants them around. When someone we love commits suicide, it's hard not to be angry at them but we must also have empathy at the same time.

Yes its selfish in so many ways. If someone is thinking of killing themselves they need to get some help. Deal with the issues. Dont make everyone else suffer for there own misery.

Mark

I don't see how it's selfish, myself. If someone is in so much pain that their life is a living hell, it's actually more selfish for those around them to expect them to endure it, just because they'll be sad when they're gone. Of course, it does depend on the level of pain they experience. People who've never been to that level of excruciating mental anguish can't possibly understand, so they think it's selfish. Physical pain is nothing, compared to mental pain.

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." - George Bernard Shaw

"Why fear death? It is the most beautiful adventure in life." - Charles Frohman

[Edited on 13-9-2003 by Satyr]

I think we view suicide as 'selfish' because we only have the views and opinions of those left behind. not like we can ask the person who died what he/she thought of the experience. I really think people need to be less judgemental about suicidal people. OMG so selfish going to hell! you think that means anything to someone who's that sick? absolutely not. when you're that depressed, there is nothing left of the 'you' that existed before the depression. that's how people get to the point of self-mutilation and suicide; you feel what you've become is so vile and horrible and full of pain, that damaging yourself is no big loss at all. eh, what I mean, is yeah, it's kind of selfish. but when you're in that position, a way out is a way out.

jeez. why do I post in all of these threads? I'm becoming the ATS depression spokesperson.

If you kill yourself the only thing it says to me is you couldn't handle your problems or see that in time they would get better. I am glad these people who cannot deal well with conflict remove themselves from the gene pool. I think that people who kill themselves do not consider those who have to clean them up. Al least cut your wrists in a tub or drowned yourself, something clean but when you blow your head off someone else has to clean up your mess. I believe that suicide is selfish and is the ultimate insult to one's honor. You are giving the greatest gift of all LIFE and you choose to throw it away? I don't care how bad your life is you have to realize that you are the end result of billions of years of evolution. Your body consists of billions of cells working in harmony with each other. Hell if takes 32 chemicals just to make your blood clot. You existing alone is such a long shot. Like I said above the only advantage is that they remove their inability to deal with conflict form our gene pool.

Kind of generalizing here... Just as there are different motives for murder, there are different motives for suicide... What you're really asking is "Is suicide because of depression, a selfish act". Obviously, if a soldier throws himself on a grenade to protect others in his unit, this kind of suicide would hardly be selfish.... Just illustrating the flip side of the coin....

Sure some of the reasons why people take their own life seem to be to avoid or escape from a situation but there are myriad reasons why people are driven to this so can we reasonably tar all suicides with the same brush. I knew one man who took his own life because he had suffered for 20 odd years from depression and was simply not in a fit state of mind when he committed the act, yes it was devestating for those left behind but I believe in his mind he thought his loved ones were better off without him. The one thing about a major bout of depression is it isn't something you can always reason through with the sufferer due to their state of mind. I'm not condoning or saying what he did was OK but it's not always such a black and white issue.

Originally posted by Gazrok
Kind of generalizing here... if a soldier throws himself on a grenade to protect others in his unit, this kind of suicide would hardly be selfish.... Just illustrating the flip side of the coin....

Good way too look at it Gazrok i never really thought of it like that..

Obviously, if a soldier throws himself on a grenade to protect others in his unit, this kind of suicide would hardly be selfish.... Just illustrating the flip side of the coin....

I really did not think of it that way. Please know that my earlier statement did not encompass situations such as this. I have the up most respect for people who are able to give their lives in this manor. They truly are great human beings. Also it is my opinion that there is no greater way to die then in a selfless act such as this, this is the way I would like to go out.

Theres no simple answer to this!
I new a man who commited suicide due to the fact that he lost his family , then his job, he turned to drink and lost everything he owned. He lived on the street ...He could not see away out..
To him the pain of living was to great to bare!

All though many of us tryed to make him see life could get better ...he was blinded to that...Also tryed to get him to seek help...but again something he has to do himself.....
Its sad,
One night it just got to hard ..some guys started to fight him...that was the point he gave up,

Selfish i dont know....A man who could not see any other way of living Maybe

A man filled with so much darkness and pain
That he could not see the light

I totally agree with Gazrok's point of view on this subject. If you go through with suicide as a righteous act, to save the lives of others (as in Gazrok's example), then that person is to be honored.

However, if one is doing it for a selfish purpose (financial problems, relationship problems... the general excuses for suicide), then, personally, I see it as no big loss. Yes, death is bad, and sad, etc., but I won't waste my time on someone who doesn't have the will power to fix a problem, but rather run away from it.

There are only two kinds of people in the world that piss me off: Uber-Christians, and suicidals, in that order.

Personally, if I were in at situation where my loved ones (not just my family, but anyone close to me) would be killed if I didn't commit suicide (i.e., "shoot yourself, or I shoot so-and-so), I'd allow myself to die without a second thought, if there we no other way around death, period. I'm not trying to be macho, or say one thing and do another. I've thought this through, and have beat this reaction into my head.

Suicide IS selfish.
There is a chance (no matter how small) that you could be ending a life which could dramatically change the human race for the good.

The fact that you, yourself may see no other option does not make it any less selfish.

This is slightly personal, but from so long ago I don't really care. Back in high school I considered killing myself, more of as fanasty teenage thing. But I really started to think about it and what it meant and I came to this conclusion:

IF I was ready to kill my self and throw my life away would not be worth "throwing" my life away helping people elsewhere, instead. Like at a soup kicthen 24/7 or Peacecore? In suicide I don't care about what I do with my life, obviously. The idea is that if you're going to throw you life away than do it by mind-numbingly and constantly helping other people.

It's all the same if you're willing to kill yourself.

Originally posted by ID
If you kill yourself the only thing it says to me is you couldn't handle your problems or see that in time they would get better. I am glad these people who cannot deal well with conflict remove themselves from the gene pool. I think that people who kill themselves do not consider those who have to clean them up. Al least cut your wrists in a tub or drowned yourself, something clean but when you blow your head off someone else has to clean up your mess. I believe that suicide is selfish and is the ultimate insult to one's honor. You are giving the greatest gift of all LIFE and you choose to throw it away? I don't care how bad your life is you have to realize that you are the end result of billions of years of evolution. Your body consists of billions of cells working in harmony with each other. Hell if takes 32 chemicals just to make your blood clot. You existing alone is such a long shot. Like I said above the only advantage is that they remove their inability to deal with conflict form our gene pool.

Spoken just like someone who's never felt true pain. Remember, there are people in this world who have seen pain that you can't even begin to imagine. If you could get inside my head for a little while, first you'd probably laugh hysterically, then you'd cry until you went completely insane. Some people just can't understand what hell life can be. I've known people that were even worse off than me. Unfortunately, they aren't alive anymore. Frankly, if I were them, I wouldn't be either. Some are just born into horrible, sickening situations that ruin their lives. Something you couldn't possibly understand, unless you've been there. Don't judge people. You don't know anyone.

[Edited on 9-13-2003 by Satyr]

Spoken just like someone who's never felt true pain.

You don't know me Satyr, trust me I have. That is not the issue here, I have been down and almost out many a time but that does not mean I considered ending life. I fought on just to spite the world, that was my view of it, if I kill myself then I lose. However my view on the world can be seen as very uncaring and I understand that. I simply feel that emotions muddy up the waters of life. I am not saying you should never feel anything but look at a situation logically. If you kill yourself it is over for good, if you work on your problems then things may become better. Hell if you think you have hit bottom then there is no were to go but up. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Also you mention "true pain" what exactly would your definition of "true pain" be?