Suicide: cowardly or courageous?

Angry? Yes, of course; who wouldn't be angry in my situation? Get back and hurt those that hurt me? I don't see how suicide accomplishes that. She cheated on me, lied to me, and left me for another guy. OK, she might feel a bit of shame or guilt perhaps, but hurt? I don't see how. There was no "problem" and I didn't consider suicide as a solution to any problem. There was nothing to reconcile. Sometimes, you can get to a point in life where you just don't want to live any more, just tired of living. I still am. But we all seem to have these innate, irrational instinct to live no matter what, that makes it very difficult to produce the overwhelming will power necessary to carry out a suicide.

I'm sure some version of this has been stated.

The way you put it, it does indeed sound courageous, and even somewhat poetic. However, I doubt the motive of everyone who kills themselves is simply to face that fear and overcome it. I can't say I know what went on in the heads of everyone who has ever killed themselves, but every case I've heard of has always seemed an act of avoidance of whatever should befall the person had they continued living. Perhaps at that time they fear whatever lies in their future more than death.

Actually, as I think about it, it seems to me suicide is always a form of escape (unless it is an act of martyrdom). Death comes for everyone, and I think that in the moments before it does, should you choose to accept it, and face it with grace and dignity, that is worthy of being called courageous. That being said, to skip all of the life that is to come before that seems to me like escapism. Therefore I'd say suicide generally is cowardly, either that or just plain foolish - or are those words synonymous?

Angry? Yes, of course; who wouldn't be angry in my situation? Get back and hurt those that hurt me? I don't see how suicide accomplishes that. She cheated on me, lied to me, and left me for another guy. OK, she might feel a bit of shame or guilt perhaps, but hurt? I don't see how. There was no "problem" and I didn't consider suicide as a solution to any problem. There was nothing to reconcile. Sometimes, you can get to a point in life where you just don't want to live any more, just tired of living. I still am. But we all seem to have these innate, irrational instinct to live no matter what, that makes it very difficult to produce the overwhelming will power necessary to carry out a suicide.

I think it was Aedes who said that 97% of all suicides were a product of mental illness. What part of mental illness do you not understand?

All of it.

What constitutes "mental illness", and are we sure it's 97%? The majority of suicides I personally know of, I wouldn't consider that individual having a "mental illness". Though, I could just be in that 3% or don't know the exact definition of "mental illness" being used here. How broad is "mental illness"? Is depression, sadness or loathing, "mental illness"?

Depending on how broad "mental illness" is, we could say all humans have a "mental illness", no?

I think it was Aedes who said that 97% of all suicides were a product of mental illness. What part of mental illness do you not understand?

I repeat suicide is not cowardly or courageous it is always an act of desperation

My experiences of the act gives me the opinion that many are self centred selfish acts of a coward.

Hey Xris,



I hear ya... and I can't deny that some are probably just as you say (I can't know what I haven't experienced). It just seems that; to judge such a sad act of self-destruction as "selfish" and "cowardly" condemns someone who, more than anything else, likely needed understanding.

Again, I'm not professing to know all motives behind all suicide attempts; I can only come from the perspective I have.

Thanks

Is not the act of condemning a vague useless action but its all we have when we see a certain weakness.I cant change that person , i cant go back in time and resolve their weakness.I have a good friend who was suffering from a protection racket and sought my help.I faced the bully out in his shop and said if he returned he would regret it."How did you face him Xris" my friend asked "He was twice the size of you"."Mike"i replied" my father always told me a coward dies a million times a hero just the once"It does not make me better than my friend just different.

I hear ya, and your point's well taken. Strength of character in facing our difficulties must remain a top priority of the highest importance. Your point's well conceded. In most cases, no doubt, dire issues in life can, should and must be endured with fortitude and forbearance.

But... but... but... I've felt that black desperation that screams "I just can't DO this anymore". For my part, I've pressed on (mainly because I see suicide as accomplishing nothing more than ensuring that things won't get better); but it's such a dark, desperate place. For those who've fallen prey to this particular demon, I just find it hard to justify such a harsh judgment of the act in general.

I suppose we're best agreeing to disagree - and I think we'd probably both agree that the circumstances and mental dispositions of those involved would likely play a pivotal role in how such an attempt can or should be characterized. I also have within my, in this issue, a little voice that cautions, "... take care here, how can you judge an act of desperation on someone else's part?" I do - I think we all do to some extent - yet the caution should remain nonetheless.

Thanks for engaging, Xris.