Discussion Are people who commit suicide strong or weak?

[noname223]

I was in my self-help group this evening. There were two newbies. One was a woman who told us that sometimes she cries randomly while masturbating. It was her first time in this group.

Later she said she knows suicidal thoughts but would never do it. She is a strong person and would not act on it.

Personally, I am a little bit sceptical. I think there are weak and strong people who commit suicide. And there are weak and strong people who don't commit suicide. Suicide is not a good indicator whether someone is strong or weak.

Some die accidentally when they OD on sleeping pills for the first time in their life. Others survive self-immolation and live to the rest of their lives with the consequences.

It is such a bullshit to say people who commit suicide were cowards. But I also don't see them as brave role models. This is too black white thinking.

 

[TheHolySword]

They're neither. Just people who did not want to live anymore for various reasons. Nothing weak or strong about suicide, in my opinion. Not everyone wants to live, not everyone wants to die. We all make our choice the same.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I think that suicide is strong to do. Call it black and white thinking all you want but given the current circumstances that are related to suicide, it takes a lot of fucking strength to go through a suicide attempt. I believe that suicide is an indicator of somebody being strong due to how difficult humans have made suicide to be. If humans didn't make it difficult to kill oneself, sure, your point may be valid but in a world where you have to prepare the suicide method alone, attempt the suicide method alone and do so in a way where nobody will catch you during the act and also deal with the SI that comes with it, suicide definitely is the strongest thing ever.

Some pro lifers like to claim that suicide is super easy to do but they have no idea what it's actually like.

 

[mattoman]

I don't believe committing suicide is cowardly, but neither it's strong. I mean it does take somewhat mental strength to go through with it, because of SI and incase you're consuming something poisonous, your body starts rejecting it. I believe people have a right to live, but also right to die, on their own terms. I.e., this is why I hate that euthanasia is illegal in most of the parts of the world, you are just forced to suffer. Though I think euthanasia is another discussion.

 

[derpyderpins]

Strength can be measured in different ways and almost all humans are weak in some ways.

There probably is a certain type of weakness that leads to wanting to die, unless your circumstances were simply horrible. (Talking sold into sex slavery as a child, not having to deal with the modern economy in middle class). You can also say that in a different way there is strength in deciding to cut one's losses, or stop clinging to false hope.

Overcoming survival instinct absolutely requires a strength no one who hasn't been there themselves can understand.

 

[Namelesa]

to be able to commit suicide is go against our biological coding so I would say you are pretty strong for breaking the rules of nature

 

[isolatedl111]

I was in my self-help group this evening. There were two newbies. One was a woman who told us that sometimes she cries randomly while masturbating. It was her first time in this group.

Later she said she knows suicidal thoughts but would never do it. She is a strong person and would not act on it.

Personally, I am a little bit sceptical. I think there are weak and strong people who commit suicide. And there are weak and strong people who don't commit suicide. Suicide is not a good indicator whether someone is strong or weak.

Some die accidentally when they OD on sleeping pills for the first time in their life. Others survive self-immolation and live to the rest of their lives with the consequences.

It is such a bullshit to say people who commit suicide were cowards. But I also don't see them as brave role models. This is too black white thinking.

suffering

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think in part it depends on how much a person values something as to whether they themselves think it's worth succeeding in. Bravery adds another element to it. You're debatably not going to do something risky and potentially painful for foolish reasons. For example- a child falls into a lion enclosure at a zoo. Someone jumping in to protect them would be considered brave. If we take away the child and someone jumps in because they want a selfie with a lion- they're simply an idiot- surely? So- what is it about staying alive that's so worthy of being brave for? What are we likely to achieve in life? Will it really be that important? I suppose we might be important to other people- that is a bit of a problem.

Ultimately, some people want to quit life not just because it's too hard but, because they don't see it as a game worth playing. To disregard that motive, it's basically saying- there's something wrong with you if you don't enjoy life. When you consider what some members have gone through here, the only way they'd enjoy their life would be if they were masochists!

Why is it brave to stick around to be exploited and abused? The ideal solution of course would be to get it to stop but ultimately- we're all being exploited and, we're all exploiting others. That isn't a 'brave' way to live! It means all but the very richest and most powerful suffer on some level. We're all part of a corrupt capitalist, consumerist system. How's it brave to just tow the line?

Personally speaking, if it were only for my own sake, I think it would be stupid for me to want to stay alive! I'm old enough to know what I do and don't want out of life- I have 44 years experience of being me. I know I've had enough.

The only problem is the impact our suicides might have on others. That is, I think the most problematic part. In which case, it is kind of brave to put their comfort above our own I suppose.

 

[Valhala]

They are brave, above all.

 

[SadLad]

Both.

 

[needthebus]

saying "im a strong person and would never act on my suicidal urges" is in the context of an exploitative mental health sysyem who would lock her up, inflict pain, and bill her 30,000 given enough indication she's likely to ctb.

the interesting part of this isn't whether what she said is true, the interesting part is she has to qualify and couch her language because she's that afraid of being snitched on or being hauled off for "benevolent" financial exploitation and misery and "treatment."

 

[Apathy79]

I think the common thought process that "suicide is cowardly" comes from the refusal to face life's challenges and instead try to run away from them this way. But it requires the premise that facing life's challenges right up until natural death is the right thing to do. Which I don't necessarily accept in all cases. I tend to agree with you that it's contextual. It can be weak, but it can also be strong. For example,

Spoiler: Squid game spoiler

I just watched episode 8 of Squid Game. That was a case of suicide being the right and strong thing to do.

 

[SVEN]

Just desperate and hopeless.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

People who commit suicide have a personal reason. That doesn't make them cowards! An honorable suicide is always preferable to any kind of suffering we don't want to endure.

 

[unknown_xav]

I am of the view that this view of those that die through suicide comes from a societal context that views every issue that people go through in a life affirming view. I'd say that this also assumes suicide is just an easy choice people make, it's not at all given this societal view. Several people who die by suicide have families, friends, things they love, dreams, goals, wishes, hopes and so on. It's never an easy decision, and it really takes so much for someone to end up deciding the world is too much for them. If we put ourselves in their shoes we can see that in their context it was hard to continue. The problem comes from people looking at their own biological capabilities, situation or that of others and applying it to those that choose suicide which is wrong even in context of something like MAID. Just cause someone can for example live with cancer and it's pain till natural death does not mean everyone who feels fulfilled or that the pain is a lot is weak for choosing maid for example. In the end everyone of us is strong in our way, just as much as we could say soldiers who indirectly put their lives on the line chose that based on context. It's never easy to take your own life, it's never weakness that leads one to that decision.