Discussion Is suicide selfish?

[ARW3N]

Suicide is often portrayed as an act of selfish disregard for others. However, most of the time we are not living the life we feel we ought to live but forced to live a life we don't want to live. We are forced to pay taxes and work. We have to please family and friends. A person is either a worker, doctor, teacher, cashier or whatever. We are never truly ourselves. Sleep provides momentary relief from all this inauthenticity before the nightmare begins anew every morning. Does anyone feel the same way or is it just me?

 

[Flume]

The ones sayin it is are selfish fucks themselfs so they can all go to hell.

 

[HereToday]

No. People forcing you to live against your will just to make themselves feel better, are selfish.

 

[ImSoTired]

Definitely not. It's not always about others. They rarely stop to think about that though.

 

[TAW122]

The short answer is no. The long answer is that it is not (maybe barring a few specific situations like being ordered to care for someone, or having children). Also, I consider it to be equally selfish (if not more) for others to demand that one should stay alive just so they won't feel sadness. Also, it is selfish for government and society to demand that one stay alive just to benefit the collective without benefiting oneself.

 

[LivingToLong]

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Does it matter? Do you really care either way?

Everyone is selfish sometimes, and it stands to reason. We are only ourselves and will understandably act in our own interests. Sometimes that action 'offends' others and they deem us selfish. A lot of it depends on the offended person's definition of selfish. What's selfish to one person is not to another; that is, my one action is selfish to one and not to another, so my so-called selfishness is not about my action but of other's response. Now who's selfish?

Nah, 'selfish' is just a lazy label. It's other peoples problem, not yours.

 

[Farmmaa]

Yes, by definition, it is absolutely selfish.

That isn't to say it's wrong... but we are doing it for ourselves and we do have to block out the feelings of those around us in order to proceed. That is , literally, what a selfish act is.

Sometimes in life we have to be a little selfish in order to take care of ourselves.

We have to carefully weigh the pain we will cause to loved ones by leaving with the pain we endure by staying.

Sometimes we've been selfless for way too long and we just simply can't endure it any more... and the only act left for us is one of caring for ourselves.

 

[LivingToLong]

Sometimes in life we have to be a little selfish in order to take care of ourselves.

Absolutely. I don't think there ought be guilt or shame in that either.

I don't think we should ever go out of our way to hurt or offend others with our actions but neither do I think we should deny ourselves for the sake of others. It's a balancing act obviously. You weight it up, but whatever you decide you oughtn't allow guilt to make you feel 'selfish'.