# Suicide

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 28, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613 "2018-10-28T01:17:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Barack\_Obama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Barack\_Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barack_Obama)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613/82 "2018-11-07T12:59:31Z")

</div>

> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> That’s how YOU define “gift”. The universe isn’t all about you.
> 
> The truth is the universe imposes on us, and we impose on it.

It seems like your definition of gift is the same definition I have for imposition.

So I guess we agree on the point life isn’t inherently good, it’s good if the environment allows it to be good, it’s bad if the environment makes it bad. And bad/good is just a perspective of us, mainly being the quality of life something has.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613/83 "2018-11-07T15:33:36Z")

</div>

> [@Barack\_Obama](#):
>
> From my viewpoint it is the suffering that is the imposition, not life.

Suffering is part of the environment or genetics or circumstances your life was placed into. The actual living part where you’re a living being isn’t a gift it’s an imposition on the material you’re made of. A gift in this context implies it’s an inherently positive thing given to you. Life isn’t inherently positive nor is it inherently bad. The fact life is imposed onto things is does not mean it’s bad. It’s your personal feeling that it’s a gift but I disagree. Life is imposed onto things, then their environment is either a gift or torture. The fact not everything perfect for everyone means life is inherently not a gift, but simply an imposition as I said.  
[/QUOTE]

I think you’re using imposition incorrectly. The definition most people think of is:

> [@](#):
>
> a thing that is imposed, in particular an unfair or unwelcome demand or burden.

What it sounds like you’re trying to say is that life is neutral- it’s not a gift, but nor is it an imposition. The circumstances are what make it positive or negative.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613/84 "2018-11-07T15:35:05Z")

</div>

> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> Not sure exactly what “countenanced” means in this case.

“to approve of or give support to something”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613/85 "2018-11-07T15:43:43Z")

</div>

I’m from Michigan (Kevorkian), so this was an issue we dealt with in school, and I was pro-euthanasia then, and even more so now… I think only 3 states in the US have it - California, Vermont, and Oregon. Countries like The Netherlands and Switzerland attract tourists for this reason.

As long as one is an adult, I think they should have the freedom to go away in peace.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suicide/823613.md?page=4)