Suicide: cowardly or courageous?

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While riding the bus earlier this week, I overheard a man say that if he "had the guts to do it," he would jump off an overpass. He followed up with an affirmation that he would never do it because he would never find those guts.

We are probably all familiar with the traditional saying regarding suicide - that it is a "coward's way out." My question is this: Is it really? Or is it the opposite? That is, does the act of suicide actually require courage to commit?

Personally I believe it requires a tremendous amount of courage and perhaps the greatest amount of courage of any possible action. After all, we are speaking of terminating one's own life, perhaps forever ending one's existence. We all have our thoughts on what comes next, but no one can be certain. One may be forever ending his existence, or he may be forever subjecting himself to punishment if the religious views on suicide being a sin are correct. Either way though, one is entering the unknown by willingly terminating his life, which blatantly violates the biological drive to live, to continue existing.

How can this not be an extremely courageous act, much more so that "finding the courage to remain alive in the face of unbeatable problems?" Remaining alive to face one's problems is continuing the state of existence that one has always known. Ending that life is journeying into something new, something that may be better or may be worse than the current state of existence the individual is comfortably familiar with. Either way he is terminating his life and accepting the state of death that deep down we all fear. How can one consider voluntarily entering that state cowardly?

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@WithoutReason,

WithoutReason wrote:

While riding the bus earlier this week, I overheard a man say that if he "had the guts to do it," he would jump off an overpass. He followed up with an affirmation that he would never do it because he would never find those guts.

We are probably all familiar with the traditional saying regarding suicide - that it is a "coward's way out." My question is this: Is it really? Or is it the opposite? That is, does the act of suicide actually require courage to commit?

Personally I believe it requires a tremendous amount of courage and perhaps the greatest amount of courage of any possible action. After all, we are speaking of terminating one's own life, perhaps forever ending one's existence. We all have our thoughts on what comes next, but no one can be certain. One may be forever ending his existence, or he may be forever subjecting himself to punishment if the religious views on suicide being a sin are correct. Either way though, one is entering the unknown by willingly terminating his life, which blatantly violates the biological drive to live, to continue existing.

How can this not be an extremely courageous act, much more so that "finding the courage to remain alive in the face of unbeatable problems?" Remaining alive to face one's problems is continuing the state of existence that one has always known. Ending that life is journeying into something new, something that may be better or may be worse than the current state of existence the individual is comfortably familiar with. Either way he is terminating his life and accepting the state of death that deep down we all fear. How can one consider voluntarily entering that state cowardly?

Some would say that it is selfish. Whatever it is, one thing is certain. It is tragic.

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@Elmud,

Well, I think your reasoning has merit: [INDENT]One is fearful of something
One overcomes their fear to do that thing
In so doing, one can therefore said to have courage
[/INDENT]So yes; strictly speaking, I think you're correct. Although I must admit, it strikes me as very unproductive to give praiseworthy words to such an act. "He had the courage to kill himself"; though correct in this sense, leads to a 'destructive' conclusion.

As a side note, labeling it as a "cowardly" or "easy" way out - I think - is simply people using derision to express their disapproval. Such disapproval may be certainly warranted - and I disapprove of it generally - but what one must go through (mentally, emotionally and/or experiencially) can hardly be called "easy". I can also envision a state where, for me, such a solution could be warranted; not a good one to be sure, but conceivable nonetheless. To fight with every last stitch of breath for even the most-remote possibility for "things getting better" is what I hold to.

Interesting twist on the issue. Thanks for posting

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@WithoutReason,

It is a purely courageous act, especially if you prepared for it so that it was least painful for your loved ones.

I don't know if it could be argued as a logical choice, per se, especially if you had not yet tried letting go of all the things that bring you down (psychologically speaking).

But, if you just got your arms and legs blown off by and IED, then by all means, have at it. (Err...have someone do it for you.)

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@Pusyphus,

The horror of life must become greater than the horror of death. Unfortunately that is not all that rare.

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@WithoutReason,

WithoutReason wrote:

While riding the bus earlier this week, I overheard a man say that if he "had the guts to do it," he would jump off an overpass. He followed up with an affirmation that he would never do it because he would never find those guts.

We are probably all familiar with the traditional saying regarding suicide - that it is a "coward's way out." My question is this: Is it really? Or is it the opposite? That is, does the act of suicide actually require courage to commit?

Personally I believe it requires a tremendous amount of courage and perhaps the greatest amount of courage of any possible action. After all, we are speaking of terminating one's own life, perhaps forever ending one's existence. We all have our thoughts on what comes next, but no one can be certain. One may be forever ending his existence, or he may be forever subjecting himself to punishment if the religious views on suicide being a sin are correct. Either way though, one is entering the unknown by willingly terminating his life, which blatantly violates the biological drive to live, to continue existing.

How can this not be an extremely courageous act, much more so that "finding the courage to remain alive in the face of unbeatable problems?" Remaining alive to face one's problems is continuing the state of existence that one has always known. Ending that life is journeying into something new, something that may be better or may be worse than the current state of existence the individual is comfortably familiar with. Either way he is terminating his life and accepting the state of death that deep down we all fear. How can one consider voluntarily entering that state cowardly?

I think that when you assign either of those adjectives to the act it has no meaning. As I think the only person that can give the correct adjective to the act is the one commiting suicide. I think that it all depends on their presuppositions on life as then to whether or not it is a courageous act or cowardly. I think that someone commiting suicide could argue either way.

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@click here,

click here wrote:

I think that when you assign either of those adjectives to the act it has no meaning. As I think the only person that can give the correct adjective to the act is the one commiting suicide. I think that it all depends on their presuppositions on life as then to whether or not it is a courageous act or cowardly. I think that someone commiting suicide could argue either way.

I suppose that for some suicide may not require as much courage as it does for others. It is probable that some people who commit suicide will never have any reservations about following through with the act, and maybe they are viewing their reasoning as they do not have the courage to face life and are selecting an easier path with suicide, but even they fear death, although it would seem that they have decided their fear of death is longer prominent over continuing with life as it is. But it would still seem that there are a greater number of people out there struggling with various unfortunate circumstances who might desire to end their lives but know they cannot find the strength to actually proceed. The small percentage of these who actually do find it are perhaps those who require courage to commit suicide.

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@WithoutReason,

Suicide is labeled "the cowards way out" probably because of the general attitude that life is better than death. Boagie put it, "the horror of life is greater than the horror of death," for those of us who are still alive, the suicide has chosen the lesser good because it was easier. On the flip side some of us still living say it takes courage because we assume that life is better than death, and it is difficult to abandon that which is better. I suppose it comes down to your view of life. Is life a brutal and short or is life a celebration of creation. Are we expected to push through pain and suffering enduring to the end or are we expected to spend it stopping to smell the roses?

Also the reason behind the suicide can affect its perception as cowardly or courageous.The following scenarios are both cowardly and courageous because "life is better than death" and because "life is better than death"

A monk sets himself on fire to protest. Cowardly or courageous?

A man commits ritual suicide as per tradition where his continued living would bring shame to himself and loved ones.
Cowardly or courageous?

A person has terminal cancer and wishes to save himself pain and his family money.
Cowardly or courageous

A teenager has contemplated the meaning of life and concluded that there is no meaning?
Cowardly or courageous?

A person jumps in freezing water to save a fellow human knowing that s/he will likely not save that person and likely not come out alive.
Cowardly or courageous?

1 Reply

@GoshisDead,

Good thoughts, all.

I think that, as with all such judgments, the best view takes into account the details of the circumstance. That being said...

If we say that life is better than death (and I would definitely say this is so), then the only conclusion that can logically lead to is that "it is better to not commit suicide". Whether or not it's the "easy" way out hasn't anything to do with what's better - that seems to be addressing the aspect of effort.

I'm sure in many cases that was "easier"; but we should take care, because to judge all cases as such would be quite close-minded since we can't know - without examining the details - whether or not that was the case.

heh.. hope that makes sense. Thank you

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@WithoutReason,

It depends completely on the circumstances which each person finds themselves in. For example was Hitlers suicide cowardly of brave, he did not want to be humiliated by his enemies so to avoid them he killed himself maybe that was brave. On the other hand he was a coward and could not accept the same fate death that he inflicted on millions

Mentally ill people who commit suicide are not cowards just desperate sufferers wanting out of the unimaginable pain of life

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@Alan McDougall,

To commit suicide is to have some degree of mental illness.

I'm not sure if suicide is cowardly or brave: it's probably both, a cowardly retreat from life and a dose of bravery is required to actually pull the trigger. But I think we can safely say that suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit: it presupposes that this life is "ours" to take.

2 Replies

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

To commit suicide is to have some degree of mental illness.

I'm not sure if suicide is cowardly or brave: it's probably both, a cowardly retreat from life and a dose of bravery is required to actually pull the trigger. But I think we can safely say that suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit: it presupposes that this life is "ours" to take.

It is thought that in some cases, a person can enter into a type of psychosis where they will experience command voices causing them to experience homicidal or suicidal thoughts.

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@Elmud,

Quote:

To commit suicide is to have some degree of mental illness.

I'm not sure if suicide is cowardly or brave: it's probably both, a cowardly retreat from life and a dose of bravery is required to actually pull the trigger. But I think we can safely say that suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit: it presupposes that this life is "ours" to take

You are correct to murder yourself is to spit into Gods eye and throw the precious gift of life right back into his face

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@WithoutReason,

Yet what if you don't see it as a gift, more like a cage meant to bar you from his presence?

Anyway, what I find about suicide is that you not only have to have no will to live, but a specific will to die. The case described originally of the fellow on the bus is a perfect example. He seems to have no will to live, saying that if he had the guts he would kill himself, but it is that very prohibition that shows he has no will to die. Over time, if unseen to, a lack of will to live can morph into a will to die, as one is continually depressed about life so much that he starts to wish for its end. That or he just gets bored. Either way, someone who was perhaps once loud and boistrous (doubt that's how it's spelt) and has recently become quiet and detached from life outside himself should probably be talked to about it, lest one will become another.

1 Reply

@Kolbe,

Kolbe

Quote:

Yet what if you don't see it as a gift, more like a cage meant to bar you from his presence?

Think beyond yourself, what about the gift he has given you if you have children etc?

I do not fear death I only fear the process of dying.

Would you like to know the exact day time and hour you are going to die?

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@Alan McDougall,

Alan, how beautiful it is the theology that what is bad by our means is a result of our free will, yet what is good by our means is a gift from god.

Yes, I would love to know when I'm about to die, that way I can pinpoint my last words:
"Respawn in 5...4...3...2...1..."

1 Reply

@Kolbe,

Kolbe

Quote:

Yes, I would love to know when I'm about to die, that way I can pinpoint my last words:
"Respawn in 5...4...3...2...1..."

OK I will calculate it for you now.

June second of the year 2009 06h02 hrs, sorry to break the awful news like that, but there is an upside, you will be dancing with angels .............?? Gosh I hope it is angels.:perplexed: :perplexed:

Just kidding :bigsmile:

Maybe god is an Indian giver ??

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@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

To commit suicide is to have some degree of mental illness.

This is such a vague point to make. What do you imply a mental illness does exactly that stipulates such a reaction to the world(perception thereof)

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@Holiday20310401,

I think what most People assume when they say things like, 'suicide is an indicator of mental illness' is that humans have a biological survival instinct, that is also reflected formally in most cultures, i.e. laws, religions, social norms. It stands to reason that if the 'sanctity of life' at least one's own life, is the norm, abhorrent behavior like suicide signals some sort of behavioral/mental illness.

However, it would also stand to reason by at least the biological survival instinct that altruistic actions like sacrificing one's life for that of another would indicate a mental illness, yet socially and culturally the altruistic action is considered courageous.

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@GoshisDead,

GoshisDead

Quote:

However, it would also stand to reason by at least the biological survival instinct that altruistic actions like sacrificing one's life for that of another would indicate a mental illness, yet socially and culturally the altruistic action is considered courageous

A good point there, one could say that Jesus commited suicide.

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Suicide: cowardly or courageous?

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