Why does society treat life as an Absolute Good?

[Matchaaa]

I'm not trying to belittle any particular view on life and death, nor am I criticizing people who believe that living is inherently better than dying. I simply think that everyone's circumstances, experiences, and personal suffering are different, so it is natural for people to assign different meanings and values to life and death.

What confuses me is why mainstream society seems unable to tolerate different perspectives on this issue. Instead, it often promotes a rigid "life above all else" mentality, regardless of the actual quality of a person's life.

It feels as though the moment someone believes that death may be preferable to continued suffering — or wants the right to make decisions about their own existence. society immediately reacts with hostility, panic, or coercion. In some cases, there are even forceful or violent attempts to "correct" people simply for holding different views about life and death.

That is the part I genuinely struggle to understand.

It often seems less like people truly care about the individual's well-being, and more like they are trying to defend the ideology that life itself must always be preserved at any cost. Whether the person is suffering, in agony, or living in constant torment appears secondary.

Life and death are realities that no one can ultimately escape. So I sometimes wonder: when those who strongly advocate the principle that "life must be preserved above all else" eventually face unbearable suffering themselves, will they find that the very system they defended is waiting for them too?

 

[intr0verse]

Because it exist based on this principle?

 

[if_i_make_it]

I think about how easier for everyone it would be if we were less afraid of death and grief. We basically live our lives trying to insulate ourselves from the realities of death, of aging, of sickness, etc. loved ones of those who ctb would not be so traumatized if this was a conversation we could have open and honestly.

 

[Matchaaa]

I think about how easier for everyone it would be if we were less afraid of death and grief. We basically live our lives trying to insulate ourselves from the realities of death, of aging, of sickness, etc. loved ones of those who ctb would not be so traumatized if this was a conversation we could have open and honestly.

I hope that one day society will stigmatize death and suicide a little less.

 

[Jrileniwa]

It depends on the culture. But initially it might have just been the instinct to survive that other species have to continue propagating where they could, kind of like robots programmed to build more machines like them. It was basic at first, then culture and it's a lot more complex.

 

[tooafraidtodiez]

This is true: that whether life is worth preserving or not depends on the quality and future of one's life. I've seen video of homeless people with gaping holes in their legs and people with disabilities who don't have a good support system (including myself). I live in a small city inside a developing country where the nursing home care here sucks, and one day there's a big chance I have to go there due to my disability. The ideology that life must be preserved above all else may be true for normal, able-bodied people who are not in any financial trouble, but for people with chronic illness or financial despair, preserving one's life as long as possible is just prolonging their suffering. Why are these things so hard to understand? Is it because they can't, or rather because of societal pressure and religious beliefs? Even in a less conservative nation where VAD is allowed, the cost is still ridiculously expensive. The problem with assuming that suicide is a simple impulsive thing (which i believe isn't true for most since fighting SI is difficult) is that it doesn't account that most suicidal people are either looking at a future which will be very dark, or perpetual physical and mental suffering—some of which will eventually lead to death anyway, like starvation, etc. I do believe to some degree that some people should be offered help first, like one case in my country where someone ctbed due to school bullying, I believe psychological help should be given first for these types of cases before deciding whether the person should be put to rest. But ultimately, if it arrives at the conclusion that an individual will be suffering indefinitely even after various medical and psychological help, they should be able to make personal choice. It still baffles me how lethal injection can be administered to a serial killer but not to people with extreme disability or poverty. Like, these serial killers deserve a peaceful death or something, while unlucky civilians have to suffer indefinitely.

 

[WantingOut2]

I'd give anything for help with a peaceful death.
I agree, people are in this brainwashed mindset of "life over everything" - as if the natural survival instinct that we all feel means that NOBODY would be better off dead. Society treats animals better than human beings, they are "put to sleep" when suffering - WHY NOT US?!??????

I also think the fact that Nembutal is not legal everywhere AS a death aid, that all barbiturates are not available anymore, is because governments WANT us to suffer; that's my belief, anyway. It certainly seems that way.
Suicide prevention is pro-suffering, plain and simple.
How I wish my life was over instead of typing these words now....