Devil's Advocate'd:
I find suicide to be perfectly reasonable for anybody at any time. Let's say it's the one true Hamlet freedom we have: Not To Be.
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Originally Posted by ngdawg
I find suicide to be the most selfish thing a person could do. One is so wrapped up in his/her own misery, whether real or imagined, to be unable to fathom a) the misery is not or may not be permanent, b) the effect on those left behind and c) the lost opportunity to be a contributor to the world.
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A: What is more real than your own misery? We are all we can ever claim to know for sure and even that's up for debate. And misery, real or imagined, is still misery, no? Suffering either physically or mentally is still suffering and that's just all bad. How is one person to judge another person's agony?
B: The effect on those left behind obviously doesn't matter to the person who is suffering or matters less than their immediate need to not be suffering.
C: One lost contributor is also one less person in the world to consume natural resources and tie up I-66 into Washington on a Monday morning at 0517.
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Originally Posted by ngdawg
When that Rutgers student jumped off the bridge last September, my thoughts went to his devastated family. So much promise, so much talent and he was too selfish to care.
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Who is really impressed by potential? Nobody is going to give me a million bucks for potentially having the cure for cancer. Talent is only useful if you're around to use it. We are what we do, not what we can do, might do or should do. The Japanese certainly see suicide very differently than Americans.
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Originally Posted by ngdawg
As someone who has suffered from depression, I know the feeling of being "cocooned" in misery but I also knew it could be alleviated and that seeking help was the only good option. And, no matter how bad it gets, I remind myself there are some who are worse off and count my blessings.
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I understand your point of view (I really do) but I see that as the same kinda silliness pushed by religion. Let's play John Lennon for a moment and "Imagine" that there is no religion, no god above, no hell and no afterlife. If you're sucking so bad as to want to kill yourself and you believe ("know") there is nothing beyond this world, why not go there? According to the Gospel of Dramarama (that '80s band), "Everybody Dies." Totally true.
I guess most of these debate points can be answered with smartass retort, "But what do you care?
You're dead."
I'm not really all that "Babies On Spikes" but I figured these ideas should put up here for the sake of discussion.