# When is it acceptable to committ suicide?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 29, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262 "2005-11-29T20:38:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262/21 "2005-11-30T22:15:14Z")

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> [@John\_Stamos'\_Left\_Ear](#):
>
> It is acceptable to commit suicide when one is prepared to die.
> 
> Not trying to be glib, but it anything can be deemed a personal decision, this would be it, wouldn’t you think?

Seconded.

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**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-is-it-acceptable-to-committ-suicide/333262/22 "2005-11-30T22:34:12Z")

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> [@faithfool](#):
>
> The only thing you said that I’m not sure where I stand on is the whole “Suicide is selfish.” meme. Yes, it is in the fact that it ultimately comes down to being about you and only you. However, that negates the possibility (unless that was your intention and if it wasn’t, I apologize) that someone has forgone their pain forever in a desire to NOT harm anyone else. I suppose if I really thought it should be labeled, I’d put it under ‘tunnel vision.’ I mean, when you’re there, it’s not very many people that can consistently keep their eyes on the sky they can’t see or birds not heard. You fight everything just to keep the dirt from caving in on your head and suffocating you.

I call it a “selfish thing,” because really it is. Suicide is for the benefit, if you can call it that, of no one but the person committing suicide. Please do not consider that as being judged; it isn’t. I am well aware that there are times you can see nothing beyond the absolute anguish you feel. But suicide does not eliminate the problems it creates. It isn’t victimless. Many times people are left wondering why, because a large number of suicides don’t leave notes or explanations and many suffer in silence beforehand. Suicide takes care of the immediate problem of release from the pain for the person suffering. It doesn’t solve any of the problems the person was suffering from before, and it doesn’t bridge any of the deep gulfs that existed between that person and the people who loved that person. That is why I call it selfish. That doesn’t mean you have no right to be selfish; it’s your body and your life. Just that while some people may believe “the world, my kids, and my spouse will be better off…” most of those people will disagree.

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