I voted “not cowardly, but selfish”. I’m not totally certain I’m happy with choice that, though, since I can imagine cases where it would be cowardly.
I guess there’s plenty of ways to throw away your life in a courageous and selfless way, but I would consider such things more along the lines of battlefield heroism, not “suicide” in the way we normally use the word.
Harikari, huh? There would be substantially fewer crappy people around if everyone adopted the traditional Japanese motives for suicide…ironically perhaps, one of these motives is an act/display of cowardice, a subcategory of the main motive-dishonor.
I think if you are in enough pain where medication, therapy, and other forms of “help” are NOT helping… then a person can make the decision whether or not to end his/her life. I have had depression since a very young age and have only found minimal help through medication. I have the type where there are times I want to die, but wouldn’t take my own life. I told my mom for the first time yesterday (I am 34) that I don’t take the medication for me. I take it for her, but I don’t want HER to feel guilty or miserable if I did die at my own hand. I also told her I think it the other way around. I think it’s selfish when other people expect you to stay “here” when you don’t want to be “here” because you are in nothing, but pain. So, you are just living for THEM and not YOURSELF. Anybody that says it’s selfish obviously has never been clinically depressed. Depression is cancer of the brain. If it’s clinical and not situational (most people get situational) then it is not going away and medication is just a bandaid and there is no cure. I suffer, daily. I take medicine for mood swings, depression, and anxiety. I have to take medication to go to sleep. I am in a lot of pain and it’s constant. Of course, the depth fluctuates. But, it’s always there. And I am here so other people don’t feel bad? Hah. Yup. I’m here because THEY are selfish.
And for your reply of “crappy people…” Excuse me? In pain people… yes… crappy? No. I am a 4 year Bachelor Degreed, multi-language speaking woman. And you call that crappy? I think you’re crappy for judging. And if you are a Christian, you’re not supposed to judge. And if you are not a Christian, you’re just a judgmental sociopath.
I think it could be cowardly-selfish or neither. (In suicide, the two go together, IMHO.)Depends on the context.
Life too hard, and you have kids and a wife? TS, don’t leave your fat ass around for me to bury, and to come make your funeral arrangements and to comfort your wife and to pay for your funeral, and to do all of the phone calling to the relatives, etc… You’re a selfish prick. Too fucking cowardly and mentally lazy to tough it out.
Mental problems? You’re someone for whom I have a great deal of sympathy. I can understand, but wish you had not done it.
Terminal illness: Same as mental problems.
9/11 Terrorists/suicide bombers: Cowardly and selfish. Too chickenshit to fight a man’s war, actually looking a warrior or a politician in the face to kill them. Actually, like, not even having the balls to disagree to somebody’s face about policies in one’s own country.
When I read of the breakup of the Third Reich, there was a curious exchange between Heinrich Himmler and some of his SS people (allegedly). Himmler pointed out that he was going to commit suicide if the going got too rough. Some of his men actually told him not to be so selfish, for leaving them there to take the burden without him.
So, in my economy, life is a burden that one must bear, and there are others that you must consider. If there is nobody, or you are in extreme mental (mental disease) or physical pain, with no realistic hope for relief, ever, then I do not consider it cowardly-selfish.
The reason is clear. People have become clear that their life has no meaning, that except misery, nothing happens; except anxiety, anguish, life has nothing to offer.
Individuals have always committed suicide. And you will be surprised: the people who have committed suicide have always been a little more intelligent than the normal people. Psychologists commit suicide twice as much as any other profession. Painters, poets, philosophers either go mad or commit suicide. Idiots have never been known to commit suicide, nor do they go mad. - Osho
I voted Other because it can be cowardly and selfish or not, depending on the motivation and the method chosen. Someone who kills themselves after arranging their affairs to avoid a slow death by disease is being rational and as considerate as is practical; someone who throws themselves in front of a train because they are too proud to ask for help or admit failure is being both selfish and cowardly. Or for pretty much the ultimate example of that, the “family annihilator” type of murder-suicide who responds to personal failure by killing their family along with themselves. That’s selfish and cowardly.
Very well said.
I smell two-way fear!