# Why stay alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 10, 2016, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317 "2016-08-10T06:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/41 "2016-08-10T14:01:20Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > And pleasure is still not a sufficient reason to keep on existing, it’s just a physiological response, automatic. So is, ya’know… living. > [@Machinaforce](#): > > People seem to only stick around because other people want them to, which is very selfish. There are people & things in life worth sticking around for. Anyway, life is encapsulated by oblivion. What’s the rush? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/42 "2016-08-10T14:12:57Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > There is no reason to believe you will live long enough to do any of those things. And pleasure is still not a sufficient reason to keep on existing, it’s just a physiological response, automatic. People seem to only stick around because other people want them to, which is very selfish. So, why are YOU still here? ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/43 "2016-08-10T14:14:28Z")
I have dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Vicsage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e68b1a/32.png) [@Vicsage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicsage)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/44 "2016-08-10T14:17:36Z")
To see who Negan killed. Then to see Dr. Strange. Then to see Dr, Who Christmas special. Always something to look forward to and put off the end. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/45 "2016-08-10T14:24:19Z")
A decision on whether to live or die would be easier if we knew what came next. What if I’m reincarnated as a peasant in a feudal society? Right now I have computers, an Ipod, air conditioning, Disney World, movie studios that will spend $150 million to show me monsters and robots fighting, and my job consists of me sitting at a desk rather than backbreaking work. Why would I be in a rush to end that gravy train a day sooner than I had to? Plus I’m intrigued to find out what the future brings. What if the Christian God exists, and I’m condemned to hell for my disbelief? I’m certainly in no hurry to meet that fate. What if there’s just nothing after death? Nothing only sounds good if the something you’re doing right now is worse than nothing. I like my something. You’ll notice I"m not ascribing much “meaning” to life. I used to have such thoughts, but now that I’m in middle age I’m just grateful to live in the most prosperous and safe time man has ever lived in(at least in the US), and enjoy the rest of the ride. ---
**Author:** ![psikeyhackr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@psikeyhackr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psikeyhackr)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/46 "2016-08-10T14:25:12Z")
You are going to die sooner or later anyway so you might as well see how much of a nuisance you can make of yourself until then. Try to motivate other people to kill themselves. 🆒 psik ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/47 "2016-08-10T14:42:42Z")
Once you reach a certain age, then the occasional decent bowel movement is worth living for. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/48 "2016-08-10T14:49:05Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Simply put, why not just die? Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. What’s the “rational reason” for \*not \*living? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/49 "2016-08-10T14:51:25Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. Exccept existence itself. Rationality depends on your fundamental premise. ---
**Author:** ![Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zeke\_N.Destroi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeke_N.Destroi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/50 "2016-08-10T15:06:16Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > Simply put, why not just die? Why keep on living? There doesn’t seem to be any rational reason behind continuing to exist. That’s actually a question I ask myself at least daily. In my case it is because I have two young children, a wife and a mother that would be devastated if I were to shuffle off this mortal coil. So in my case it is in order to spare others pain. Were it not for others (first my mom and now my wife and kids) I’d have long ago given in to the pointlessness. Best answer I can give you is that living is just what people do… until they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/51 "2016-08-10T15:10:03Z")
> [@ultimate11](#): > > There’s no deep dish pizza in heaven, Cite? Of course there is deep dish pizza in Heaven. It’s Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/52 "2016-08-10T15:10:03Z")
The world is full of fun shit. I haven’t even done all the fun shit of which I am aware. Plus there’s the fun shit I haven’t discovered yet, and fun shit that ain’t even been INVENTED yet. And some of the fun shit I’ve done, I want to do again. Why give up on that before I have to? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/53 "2016-08-10T15:11:54Z")
Reasons are a human invention. If we didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be a reason for anything in the universe. ---
**Author:** ![Vicsage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e68b1a/32.png) [@Vicsage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicsage)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/54 "2016-08-10T15:17:22Z")
I have decided that when certain condition occur, I would take my own life. I’ve been to too many nursing homes where you see rows upon rows of elderly people sitting in wheelchairs staring at the floor instead of the tv. Either unresponsive or unhappy or extremely angry. Once I get a dementia diagnosis, I would quickly get a few things in order, then end it. Same thing physically, once I can’t take care of myself, same thing. My one fear is something would happen quickly preventing me from ending it. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/55 "2016-08-10T15:25:30Z")
Watching your children grow up learning just how much you’ve been lying to them … worth living for … ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/56 "2016-08-10T15:30:03Z")
> [@Machinaforce](#): > > People seem to only stick around because other people want them to, which is very selfish. Isn’t doing what other people want pretty much the exact opposite of selfish? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/57 "2016-08-10T15:39:30Z")
adaher and Happy Scrappy Hero Pup both beat me to the punch on a serious answer: life as an average 21st-century American is frickin’ AWESOME! I’m going to squeeze as much of it in as I can. Last weekend I was [flyboarding](https://www.google.com/search?q=flyboard&safe=active&tbm=isch) on a lake. The weekend before that I was backpacking [here](https://www.google.com/search?#safe=active&tbm=isch&q=ibantik+lake). Living is a hell of a lot of fun. That purely selfish reason alone ought to be enough to convince you to keep doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/58 "2016-08-10T15:56:48Z")
Have you simply tried to not breathe until you fall dead\> Believe me, your body won’t allow it, and it will be a very unpleasant experience. As far as I know, the only other way to simply and passively die is to starve yourself to death. I can’t speak from experience, but I’d bet your body will fight it and make it a VERY unpleasant experience. Are those not good enough reasons? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/59 "2016-08-10T15:59:51Z")
Because I can’t bitch about life if I’m not here to not enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317/60 "2016-08-10T16:31:59Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Relief from what? > > If you don’t mind me asking. Everything. Pain, fatigue, embarrassment, disappointment, shame, working for a living, worrying about money, worrying about my kids, getting sick, being hungry, having to do exercise… Yeah, I think that’s it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-stay-alive/762317.md?page=4)