Those you leave behind and being a coward

[justMe7]

I've been reading some posts on another forum. Someone said suicide is a cowards way out.. I guess I can see what he means. But maybe that's his own walls to stop himself from considering the reality of why people want or feel they have to stop this. Logically, yes, it's a give up. But we're not robots or mathematical. I dont know, when someone says it's cowardly, it makes me feel more degraded as a person for even considering it.

Anyway.. stopping yourself for those around you is this right?


Sparing them the feelings they have to endure because of your personal choice. I think there's many ways of looking at it, but the one im seeing is, that means they mean more than me. Fine, they do to a degree, but how I feel matters too. And continuing to endure those feelings to protect others is insane at times.

Anyone have an alternative view on this?

 

[LightInTheDarkestNight]

I get how some people may view suicide as a cowards way out however without insight into someone's whole life experiences, their day to day pain, physically and mentally, you can't properly judge anyone for committing suicide, or even another action someone may deem "cowardly". People only have insight into their own past, lives and day to day suffering so if your life has never gotten to the point where suicide seemed logical, and there was no realistic hope for things to get much better, well it's obvious you'd view it as a cowards way out because for you it would be a "cowards way out" so your just projecting that onto others who do an act which is deemed a deviant behavior by society.

The thing is you can never know for sure how you would act until your put in that situation. Someone who calls it a cowards way out if they had the same past, life and pain as another person if they could magically be implanted in their shoes(obviously not a reality) may very well commit suicide.

Basically what I'm getting at is people are ignorant to other people's lives, they like to judge so they can feel better about themselves. For example "that's something I'd never do because only a coward would do that".... Too bad that person only knows their own life, it's their ego talking.

In a sense your protecting them by not doing it but at the same time if they know the degree of your suffering that may be hurting them as well.

 

[Prinnctopher's Belt]

I don't believe suicide is an act of cowardice at all. When you're losing the game, you leave the table. When you're out of luck you're outta luck, what are you gonna do eh. It's simple.

 

[VALIS]

(Statement retracted)

 

[peacelovingguy]

People with depression have a courage that is far greater than the average person, not plagued with a dark mind, who is terrified of dying.

Suicide is a misguided sacrifice.

You reach a level of pain and assume the world is better off without you.

Worse - we have hate turn inwards - and outwards. I used to hate pretty much everyone and would have cheerful nuked the entire plant.

Then it hit me suddenly - I realised I was becoming everything I hated - hating life? Avoiding love? Fearing to get close to someone because nobody will understand?

Cowardice is a real thing - but it has nothing to do with people affected by an illness which can destroy all hope.

Show me a person with no hope - and I'll find something buried there that does give them hope.

But I'm only human - I realise some people here might make choices that lead to suicide. I've been there and know how thin a thread it is between wanting to die and actually dying.

Hope is the key.

Take a hint from the worms . Notice how when you step on one (I do hate it - but it happens) the worm fights back - it struggles against an adversity which towers over it like a city landscape.

It still does struggle!

So - hope is many things - personal ones, universal ones - just the hope of even talking to someone and not being alone all week can give people hope.

Visiting people - maybe people here can eventually do this once you know someone well enough to trust.

Sharing things for now - that's the ticket!

That gets you entry to the main event. That would be us - cheerful for a change. Happens every day. Good luck.:smile:

 

[pppqp]

Selfish and coward? ...

Selfish by definition in a sense is wanting only good things to oneself. When someone says suicide is selfish, to me, it sounds as if they are saying that people who commit suicide, after they die, do CERTAINLY find perpetual happiness and keep happiness to only themselves. And that everyone is not allowed the 'way out' except the suiciders, whereas the truth is everyone is actually free to commit suicide. People who are immensely affected by their loved ones who committed suicide are free to commit suicide too should the sorrow is so overwhelming and unbearable. No one can actually force them to live if they don't want to.

People who say that suicide is a coward act, as I understand, value struggles. People who fight and fight and never give up become their heroes. However, it is very much possible as well that those who give up are actually really 'clever'. They don't see the point in being in pain and the risk of failing over and over again. No one really knows why we are here (philosophical speaking, not a personal point of view), so, suicide can be either coward or brave or neither. However, as generally discussed, someone who is brave enough to take his/her own life is no way a coward.