Is suicide selfish and cowardly?

[Dargor]

Title says all. As for my opinion, it depends on the situation and circumstances. For example, it may be justified if someone is all alone and has no one left in their life to give them a reason to live. However, if this is not the case and someone is leaving loved ones behind such as parents, wifes/husbands and kids then it would be rather selfish indeed and a cowardly act. A good example is Kurt Cobain. No shots fired hopefully...

[shivatar]

I don't see suicide as selfish and cowardly. I see it as an act of self-love. A last ditch effort made to alleviate pain when nothing else has worked. A self-enacted mercy killing.

[Dargor]

I think it doesn't necessarily have to be an act of self love, someone can also hate themselves and/or their lives to a point of driven to suicide.

I had an acquaintance who committed suicide he ended up in a dark place alone in the after life reflecting his state he had hoped to escape on earth
I was not allowed to help him so told my guide since he had to remain there for some time later it was o.k. to help him , but that was after a considerable time
and there was an other case a very different one there I was allowed to help soon after , just saying all can only be looked in to individually

and with out any knowledge you can say almost anything about it thinking its true :-) thinking a mere fraction of the people have any real experience in these matters

[iamthat]

The subject of suicide is too broad for any meaningful generalisations.

For those with a terminal illness and no quality of life, then assisted euthanasia seems a reasonable option. My sister had progressive brain damage for the last five years of her life, and for the last eighteen months she could neither move nor speak. Her eventual death was a huge relief.

it may be justified if someone is all alone and has no one left in their life to give them a reason to live.

This does raise the question of why our reasons to live should depend on other people? Surely our reason to live comes from within.

Often suicide is selfish, because the person seldom thinks of those who will discover the body and have to deal with the aftermath. Eg, some years ago a friend of mine hanged himself in the barn on Christmas morning, leaving his partner to discover the body. But when someone is seriously contemplating suicide then their thinking is not clear and rational.

There are examples of people killing themselves for a greater purpose - for example those Buddhist monks in Vietnam who self-immolated in the 1960s to draw the world's attention to what was happening in their country.

But if someone ends their life because their problems seem overwhelming, then what have they achieved? For those who believe in reincarnation then people do not solve anything by killing themselves. Supposedly they return to face similar problems and hopefully deal with them more effectively.

And no matter how bad things are, it doesn't mean that it will always be that way. There may be good times ahead - we just have to hang on through the bad times and wait for the light at the end of the tunnel.

If we think of ourselves as actors in the drama of our lives, then killing ourselves is like walking out of the play halfway though. I am naturally curious to stay until the end and see what happens.

Peace.

[Native spirit]

We have no right to judge anyone who commits suicide.unless you walk in that persons shoes you will never know what they are going through.


Namaste

[Dargor]

Originally Posted by iamthat

This does raise the question of why our reasons to live should depend on other people? Surely our reason to live comes from within.

Well think about it, we humans evolved as social creatures, therefore it seems legit that most people need someone special in their lives. It has even been scientifically proven that loneliness may be more lethal than smoking. Some animals can die from loneliness, and despite our buffed intelligence, we aren't so different from animals at all in some aspects. Trust me at this, loneliness makes you feel unworthy of living, especially when you're forced to lurk in the shadows of those who achieved anything a human needs to keep on living. And no, enjoying 'little things' such as watching other people being happy and watching the sun rise etc does not increase one's own happiness and will to live.

[Dargor]

Originally Posted by Native spirit

We have no right to judge anyone who commits suicide.unless you walk in that persons shoes you will never know what they are going through.


Namaste

I understand your point of view, but I am a little bit more straightforward than that. Some people need a wake up call and a kick in the butt, while some others really could use some help from above. Depends on the circumstances as I said. But that's just my beliefs though, be free to disagree of course.

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by SlayerOfLight

Well think about it, we humans evolved as social creatures, therefore it seems legit that most people need someone special in their lives. It has even been scientifically proven that loneliness may be more lethal than smoking. Some animals can die from loneliness, and despite our buffed intelligence, we aren't so different from animals at all in some aspects. Trust me at this, loneliness makes you feel unworthy of living, especially when you're forced to lurk in the shadows of those who achieved anything a human needs to keep on living. And no, enjoying 'little things' such as watching other people being happy and watching the sun rise etc does not increase one's own happiness and will to live.

This may be true, but being alone is not the same as being lonely.

Peace.

[Dargor]

Originally Posted by iamthat

This may be true, but being alone is not the same as being lonely.

Peace.

Those are two different things indeed. Someone can be alone while not being lonely at all. I'm talking about people who are literally alone in their lives, not by choice.