Discussion Is Suicide a Coward's way out?

[venom.52]

I don't think so. On the contrary, I think you need to have balls of steel to take your own life. Hell, people jump from buildings, in front of trains, set themselves ablaze, choke themselves to death. How much of pain and courage they endure to go ahead and overcome the natural survival instinct? And, in the end they say it's a cowardly act and that it's a permanent solution to a temporary problem? Seriously? The repercussions of a failed attempt are incomprehensible and yet they proceed, that shows the amount of pain they're in doesn't it? Relegious Gurus say you go to hell and become a ghost if you take your own life. Seriously? If God was there in the first place, he wouldn't let a baby come in to this world with horrible diseases and birth defects, would he? Hell, I saw a new born pup burnt in hot tar, would he have allowed it? would he allow children to starve to death in war-torn countries? Would he allow people getting raped and murdered? What kind of God is this? Are we all slaves? Slaves to the government(they need your taxes), slaves to relationships?, slaves to jobs?, slaves to the society? Isn't there any free will I have? Am I just a by-product of a sexual intercourse and that's all there is to it, no special purpose? What's the difference between me and a rabbit? , both of us are products of reproduction, just because I can think and talk doesn't make me superior to a rabbit, we both have the same fate right? I've learnt that you're alone and you're the only one who's got your back. Your family and friends care only upto a certain extent and not beyond. Are we all alone? Inspite of not making sense, do I still need to believe there's a god high above in the clouds who cares about me?, do I need to be happy that there are angels always hovering around me even if I know that it's horseshit ? do I need to pray to a unseen creator and believe in a man-made sacred holy scripture? Do I need to believe my life will get better like others say even if it will not? Do I need to be positive even if everything around me is negative? Dogs can be euthanized in this day and age, why can't I be? Why am I here? Who am I? Who are you? What the fuck is going on?

 

[Xaphous]

I heard quite a few times it's a soul farm. Humanity is stuck in a reincarnation trap, going into the light after death brings you right back to this shitshow. I don't know if that's true but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[whatever1111]

depends what you consider a coward... mental illness often does make people weaker and afraid of life. of course its not fair to have to endure mental illness, but from the outside perspective it's like chronic weakness so no wonder people consider suicide a cowardly act... i personally think there's no rule - sometimes its a cowardly act and sometimes a brave, honest act. some people were made cowards by other people early on, so its not as if they have much choice.. others maybe have more options, but prefer to end it - this could maybe be called cowardly. dunno.

 

[suffering]

This is such a good post. I can feel your indignation at the world though your words and I share it. I think the myth that suicide is for cowards is an inverse psychology manipulation invented by perverted minds in order to keep their illusions. They want to keep the illusion that life is worth it and that suicide is easy, otherwise they would be faced with the horrible truth that giving life is a sin. In so many years of evolution, anyone who saw the truth was, by definition, a genetic dead end. Nature kept shuffling her cards, keeping the worst after every generation.

 

[Escaper Boy]

I wish the society are willing to look at suicidal persons from the lens of compassion. Calling the act of ctb as "cowardly" is not only rooted in ignorance but also coming from the place of apathy. They just don't care about our suffering, pain, and struggles that we all have to face everyday just to get through the "next day", hoping for some kind of gamble for better tomorrow.

To this day, countless suicidal people are still engaging with such gamble, day by day, while desperately clutching on to every bit of "hope" available.

Some fortunate souls managed to win the lottery of "hope" and succeed in getting out of dark spiral of depression. But, most of us are still fighting the battle like true warriors. If anything, we are nothing but "coward"!

 

[Alan James]

I do not see anything wrong with being a coward or weak person because I did not ask me to give birth and did not choose anything, nobody is asked me about nothing, I did not choose this body and its characteristics, I don't have and don't want to be strong and courageous just because this is "good" - it is an artificial false concept invented to manipulate and control us.

 

[chrijo]

Hold a loaded gun to the head of one of those guys who call that coward and you'll see who exactly is the coward here.

They start crying, pissing their pants and begging for their miserable lives.

 

[Letmego. Please]

I am not sure anybody has ever referred to me in that way, i may have felt that myself when i was a kid but nothing i have done as an adult to try to leave this place has been 'easy'
Yes i technically do have a Mental illness (clinical Depression) but i have never been told that i am a weak person because of it, often the opposite as it's a bloody hard thing to live with. I am not afraid of life, or death.

I don't think it's that simple to blame 'society' Yes capitalism, globalism or any ism is turning the world into a selfish shitshow but the world i turned an adult into didn't contain any of those things. But i do get the impression that what was just normal when i was younger, the woes of shit job, shit pay seem to be a reason to say 'fuck this' whereas to me that is just how you start in life & work your way upwards.

As for 'God' that is just a concept invented to keep people from questioning Why.

 

[venom.52]

I am not sure anybody has ever referred to me in that way, i may have felt that myself when i was a kid but nothing i have done as an adult to try to leave this place has been 'easy'
Yes i technically do have a Mental illness (clinical Depression) but i have never been told that i am a weak person because of it, often the opposite as it's a bloody hard thing to live with. I am not afraid of life, or death.

I don't think it's that simple to blame 'society' Yes capitalism, globalism or any ism is turning the world into a selfish shitshow but the world i turned an adult into didn't contain any of those things. But i do get the impression that what was just normal when i was younger, the woes of shit job, shit pay seem to be a reason to say 'fuck this' whereas to me that is just how you start in life & work your way upwards.

As for 'God' that is just a concept invented to keep people from questioning Why.

Perks of being born in a first world country I presume! But, yeah you're right

 

[Dead beat dad]

I think this depends on your point of view. One man's martyr is another man's terrorist.
You have to square the act of suicide on your conscious, they have to square it in theirs.
Ultimately though, it's you body, your life, your choice. People who accuse others if being selfish are themselves potentially selfish, but I'm not going to get in to that.
Those c***s at Nuremberg trials who killed themselves, that's selfish suicide, I don't think we fit in to that class.
Peace everyone
DBD

 

[Letmego. Please]

Perks of being born in a first world country I presume! But, yeah you're right

The country i was born into just thinks its 1st world, & i guess for the 1% with the money it is, we in the western world like to think we a civilised & somehow better, but you only have to look a little under the surface to see its all a sham that make folks feel worthless if they don't own x, y or z or earn mega money. It's all fake.

 

[Raggas]

No it is not. We are given the option of taking our own lives and that option should not be shunned no matter the circumstances.

 

[IronTusk]

No it is not. We are given the option of taking our own lives and that option should not be shunned no matter the circumstances.

Its a tricky question. Some say its harder to live then it is to die.

 

[seekingoblivion]

It doesn't matter.

 

[Didymus]

Suicide takes a lot of courage and willpower. It depends also on your reasons. In my case it's a combination of reasons including escape from problems I don't want to face and too weak to fight and overcome. In that regard I call myself a coward.

 

[Jean Améry]

No. If it was easy half the population would be dead by now. Doug Stanhope said it best:

Stupid drivel like 'suicide is cowardly' does not deserve to be taken seriously and should be laughed away.

 

[JadedGray]

On the contrary, I think living is more cowardly. After all it's our natural instinct to survive at all costs, even when we have no real reason to go on. We're fighting our own biology and conditioning by ending our lives, that's why it's so difficult and why our nature will do whatever it can to prevent it from happening... survival instinct. I feel living is more selfish than suicide as we take more than we can ever give back. We use and take to "improve" and extend our lives until we die from natural causes, all you have to do is look at the state of the planet to see the toll we've taken on it. I see suicide as closer to selfless and more self sacrificing. It's funny because that's how it used to be seen in the Middle Ages, but now it's seen as the opposite. Most people who commit suicide didn't want to feel like they were a burden to those around them and that this was the way of lifting that burden from others or felt that their lives caused more pain to others than their death would. Most people who commit suicide probably spent more time thinking about those they left behind than themselves. In a way people spend more time thinking of others when they're about to end their lives than when they were living. I think that's why suicide gets such an angered reaction from people, even complete strangers who didn't know the person. It causes them to reassess themselves and humans' purpose in this world. It also causes them to examine the world around them and question the myths of the happy ending everyone has in store for them and the "perfect" world we live in, since we may only live once and this is the only world we have (for now).

Of course if you see suicide as selfish or fear that your loved ones will think that your choice was, you can always do something altruistic with your death to try and make up for it, such as donating your organs to someone who's dying to live (as opposed to us living to die) or leave a large sum of money to charities of your choosing.

 

[Alan James]

"Of course if you see suicide as selfish"

But when our parents gave birth to us it was not a selfish act? They wanted children - not us, nobody asked us and after birth did not provide an opportunity to refuse to live if we do not need it. When people want to end their lives - they try to interfere in various ways. And what is so selfish in wanting to dispose of your own body and life on your own?

 

[JadedGray]

"Of course if you see suicide as selfish"

But when our parents gave birth to us it was not a selfish act? They wanted children - not us, nobody asked us and after birth did not provide an opportunity to refuse to live if we do not need it. When people want to end their lives - they try to interfere in various ways. And what is so selfish in wanting to dispose of your own body and life on your own?

I agree. I was referring to people who are suicidal but their fear of it being selfish deters them from doing it.

 

[Broken]

I think this depends on your point of view. One man's martyr is another man's terrorist.
You have to square the act of suicide on your conscious, they have to square it in theirs.
Ultimately though, it's you body, your life, your choice. People who accuse others if being selfish are themselves potentially selfish, but I'm not going to get in to that.
Those c***s at Nuremberg trials who killed themselves, that's selfish suicide, I don't think we fit in to that class.
Peace everyone
DBD

Yes agree, you have to ctb for selfish evil reasons like war criminals for it to be classed as cowardly.

 

[Psychotic King]

I've heard it as well, but dont really sign it. I think it takes courage and hell, you even have to fight past the basic survival mechanism of human itself. Many people cannot do it in the end. Some people say it is a selfish thing to do, and I kinda see the point, one will possibly leave many sad family members behind, but then again, we aren't exactly really given the option to come here to begin with, are we? Coming to this disgusting life on earth, I sometimes feel like making children itself is rather selfish as it's a gamble on human life. You can never be sure how does that person will be able to live his/her life. It can be a good life or it can be one full of pain, suffering, anger and all sorts of problems.

But this is just my opinion and I am probably wrong anyways, just venting a bit

 

[Jolene40]

I think the complete opposite. Its terrifying. Most people don't want to die; they want an end to their suffering.

 

[DeathSaves]

Why would being a coward be something wrong? Are we all supposed to see ourselves like brave knights when in fact we'd be nothing but brute aggressive animals were we not cowards?

I believe this is the usual thing of glorifying violence.

 

[GeorgeJL]

It depends, if one has serious obligations like children or taking care of a family member then I would say yes it is the cowards way out. Or if one is perfectly fine, and young then I would say that it's the cowards way out. But most of the time I don't think the word coward does justice to what actually happened.

 

[Jean Améry]

It depends, if one has serious obligations like children or taking care of a family member then I would say yes it is the cowards way out. Or if one is perfectly fine, and young then I would say that it's the cowards way out. But most of the time I don't think the word coward does justice to what actually happened.

I disagree. While abandoning grave responsiblities by suicide could be called irresponsible and immoral in certain circumstances it's not cowardly as conquering the fear of death is by definition courageous.

The term 'cowardly' is often used as a synonym of 'morally reprehensible' but it is not the same. E.g. Waffen-SS soldiers participated in heinous crimes kiling innocents but they certainly did not lack in courage on the battlefield against armed opponents.

I fail to see how a cowardly person could ever complete the act of suicide.

 

[lynn14]

I feel a sense of duty at this time to be alive, although I don't think it would be necessarily "cowardly" to kill myself, I do think that my family and society would be worse off because of my absence. That responsibility is to me at this time more important than my selfish, suicidal desires. Why should everyone have to live without me just because I am in pain? All I can do for the moment is grin and bear it. So, in my personal case, if I were to kill myself now I think that selfish would be a more appropriate descriptive word than cowardly.

 

[GeorgeJL]

I disagree. While abandoning grave responsiblities by suicide could be called irresponsible and immoral in certain circumstances it's not cowardly as conquering the fear of death is by definition courageous.

The term 'cowardly' is often used as a synonym of 'morally reprehensible' but it is not the same. E.g. Waffen-SS soldiers participated in heinous crimes kiling innocents but they certainly did not lack in courage on the battlefield against armed opponents.

I fail to see how a cowardly person could ever complete the act of suicide.

Yeah I see what you mean. And I guess I agree with that. I'm still tired, so.

 

[Spyro]

Only the most brave people can die by suicide.

 

[Deadgirl]

Nope. That's what pro lifers say to keep people "alive" as in stay as zombies. They are the real cowards because they have no idea how to fight their SI.

 

[TAW122]

Definitely not cowardly. In fact, it takes a lot of courage and conviction in order to overcome the SI (survival instinct) and then follow through with one's attempt on one's chosen method. Some methods require even more courage and conviction in order to be successful. One of which, includes hanging, which means one has to be able to override and endure the pain until they pass out (assuming the rope and structure will hold their weight) and then die almost half an hour later.