Suicide is totally self-centred just as the phrase I quote above indicates. And necessarily, a self-centred view cannot reach a use, a purpose, a meaning, or a reason to live. — unenlightened
Why don't the most self-centred twats (e.g. putin) commit suicide then? I consider people like that the most self-centred and useless beings on Earth. — Professor Death
to put too much emphasis on oneself, greatly contributes to the existential angst. Constantly worrying about yourself can put you in a funk. — 3017amen
Oh yes, that's really insightful. I say selfish not as a moral condemnation, because it comes very often from trauma, childhood trauma often. It's just a simple fact that might sound more acceptable if I put it thus: only love is a reason to live. — unenlightened
Except it doesn't happen. Forcing someone to stay alive is difficult even when they are incarcerated. I keep asking you what is your experience of this or what cases can you cite, and you don't come up with even a description of an instance.
And again, even if it were commonplace, what is the relevance to my description of the nature of suicide? I'm certainly not forcing anyone to stay alive, I'm posting on a philosophy site and I wouldn't have a clue how to go about it. — unenlightened
If you are trying to prevent someone from killing themselves in the context ive laid out then you are in some sense forcing them to suffer (in cases where ending their suffering is their reason for killing themselves.) — DingoJones
One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to understand that in addition to longstanding depression, anxiety, loss, grief or money troubles that there are places in people's hearts and souls that are not open to others to analyze or tabulate or study. And these "places" are not subject to life coaches, or the endless American drumbeat of "tomorrow, tomorrow," or cheer-up drugs.
Sometimes it is just time to end life.
Sometimes the struggle to pretend that all will be well becomes absurd and burdensome.
I think we need to do our best to love, understand and help all around us, but allow that middle-aged person to opt out, when they no longer feel able to endure. — Chisholm
If someone finds their life to be "useless".., — Anthony Kennedy
A question I have is a dark one but is asked with no ill intentions.
If someone finds their life to be "useless", who's say is it to try and deter their thinking. Also, are there any arguments that support suicide besides that of physician assisted suicide? — Anthony Kennedy
It's just a simple fact that might sound more acceptable if I put it thus: only love is a reason to live. — unenlightened
I'm not interested in love but I like living. There are more reasons than love to live. — Michael
I'm open to persuasion on that, though I take 'love' broadly in my universal pontification. Reasons that are not about other people you may have, but a solitary life is certainly harder to sustain in a positive frame of mind. But tell us about it. Personally, I find I am dependent on others not merely physically, but psychologically - but there are sociopaths and hermits I suppose. — unenlightened
Admitting you are depressed isn't that different from saying that you have a kind of physical wound, of course, people are going to recommend that you get it treated or offer you aid. Depression isn't an intellectual position, it's a mental illness that nobody would choose for themselves and someone in this state of mind either has ideas helping to cause their depression (which is bad) or has ideas shaped by their depression.
That's the issue with illnesses that affect the mind, it is disrupting one's thoughts and interfering with one's ability to think clearly. — Judaka
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