Do you think suicide is "selfish"?

[CTB Fella]

I often get that, when I speak about my intention to end my life.

"That's so selfish; think about those who you'll leave behind."

Do you think suicide is selfish?

 

[ChildrensITV]

Suicide is selfish.

So is wanting someone to stick around so that you don't suffer their loss.

So everything is selfish.

 

[tary]

I think it inevitably is, at least somewhat, unless you're some extreme hermit with zero social connections. But everyone has to consider that against other factors, like the right to personal bodily autonomy and self-determination, and whether they'll be much use to loved ones in a perpetually suicidal state anyway. Everyone's situation is different and it's up to everyone to come to a conclusion for themselves.

 

[thereisthemist]

search keywords "selfish" right here on the forum, but also look up dictionary definition of the word

 

[BringMeToLife]

In MY opinion it isn't. Selfish are those who don't want you to ctb only because they don't want to suffer themselves.
If you can decide for yourself, then it's your choice to live of end YOUR life.
But it's only my opinion.

 

[leavingsoon99]

What's selfish is to guilt trip someone into staying in an insufferable situation because "def bad. hooman no like def. def scary." Sure, some people will say that out of their way of showing love. However, what's lost upon people is that life can get to a point where it's no longer worth the hassle of living it out. And life is a hassle. No matter how much people want us to look at daisies and blue skies, or how much hope they want to pump us with. Life is not some sacred, loving force that must be protected at all costs. Sometimes, one is better off dead. So, no, it's not selfish at all.

(Personal Perspective): All that said, I don't tell anyone I know my intentions. There's too much backwards altruism floating around in society. And I'm not looking for someone to stop me or show me they care. There are people in my life who I know love me. My decision is based on my suffering and my whole view on life and where the human race is taking it. I don't need motivation nor to be reassured. I've made my decision. Telling someone about it only complicates our relationship and brings out types of platitudes that I find off-putting at best.

 

[Das Nichts]

The problem is the negative framing of the word selfish. It's not a bad thing to do something for yourself.
Society has somehow managed to make it a negative thing if you don't do stuff for society, the government,
got, the greater good.

So yes it is selfish, because I'm doing it for me, but not in the negative, guilt ridden way as society is dictating it.

 

[WorthlessCoward]

My heart and actions are utterly unclouded. They are all those of Justice.

That only applies to me though, you may or may not be selfish just like the people who tell you that you are being selfish may or may not be selfish

 

[AerialBoundaries]

Not at all. It's a means to end suffering. Some people just don't make it.

Involving others in your suicide is, such as throwing yourself into oncoming traffic etc., but the act of suicide in itself isn't selfish.

 

[angelysium]

Well, of course it is, isn't everyone and everything inherently selfish? Everything we do is for our selfish sake under a quiet veneer. The world turns round for pure selfishness—it's intrinsic, always.

 

[charlotte_]

Humans are all fundamentally selfish and are prone to do things that will give us pleasure, comfort or security. But if speaking of the "selfishness" society defines, then I never thought so, and never will. What is so bad about wanting to end your suffering? As long as you're not hurting anyone then I don't see how it's selfish.

 

[ShotgunShell]

No.

The only people that are selfish are the ones that try to force you to stay and then beg for pity points from strangers once you're gone. I hate seeing shit from people who've "lost someone to suicide", when in reality they were probably showing signs for years and were ignored by the people who claimed to love them so. People are fucking stupid, especially those who scream suicide is selfish and then try and become some kind of "savior" for suicidal people once their own stupidity causes someone they know to CTB.

 

[Hollowman]

No it's self care.

 

[outrider567]

No

 

[Mirrory Me]

Is it bad to live or die "selfishly"? In terms of good manners, if you don't cause harm to others, then no. To blame another for these feelings is selfish.

It sometimes helps to close one's eyes that there are, on the other hand, many who are guilty of the same things.

 

[Ambivalent1]

Technically but so is buying yourself groceries

 

[Forever Sleep]

Yes- in terms of- it may hurt the people left behind. HOWEVER- selfishness is often associated with greed. I don't think suicidal people are greedy. They're not ending their lives to gain anything- they're just so utterly desperate to escape. The primary motive therefore doesn't seem selfish- it's just a tragic consequence.

Birthing a child however I'd say was either more selfish- or- at least naive. You're playing the chance lottery with someone else's life.

Plus- expecting someone to linger on in pain because you don't want to feel grief is ALSO selfish- as many other people have pointed out.

 

[hwaiting]

I agree with Das Nichts in that the main issue is the framing of suicide as 'selfish'. I think the way a lot of people see it is something along the lines of: "someone is having a bad day—who doesn't—but instead of getting over it like a normal person they kill themselves without considering how it'll hurt the people around them."

Some people in my family fail to understand that depression isn't just being in a bad mood. Sometimes, it's literally your brain not producing enough dopamine or serotonin. Medical or not, it's years of 'bad moods', only that 'bad moods' are more of a baseline and it gets so much worse, constantly. Maybe it would be selfish if someone had one bad day and decided to CTB. One way I've seen it explained is that people with depression are fighting a losing war. They've won hundreds, maybe thousands of battles, but it only takes one loss.

Suicide could still be selfish, strictly speaking. Referring to google's definition as it relates to my experiences, while I normally care about my friends and family, there are moments where all of that goes away. There's only this feeling of suffocating, almost, and just wanting the suffering to end.

While *some* of the stigma around mental health has gone away, there's still a lack of empathy for people who are struggling. I think it's selfish to pretend that you know someone's situation better than they do. "It'll get better" can only work in so many situations, and it just loses more meaning every time.

 

[CellarBoy]

I mean, it can be, but in the grand scheme of things, everything is selfish. People are born to do stuff for themselves and to prioritize themselves.

 

[animism]

I believe that suicide is self seeking, not selfish, and anyone trying to stop anyone else from seeking self is the selfish one.

 

[FuneralCry]

No matter what pro suffering people say there could never be anything wrong with suicide. We are all destined for nowhere but death anyway and suicide is just choosing to take control over our inevitable fate, it's a decision in which someone has every right to make. Just because some people were selfish enough to procreate doesn't mean that anybody is obligated to exist in this world and endure this futile process until they decay from old age, being able to free ourselves from what the true problem is which is life in itself is a basic human right.

 

[justwannaendmypain]

Maybe it is if it is atleast i did one selfish thing in my life for myself the main reason one prefers suicide is because he is suffering and that's because of someone else and they can't speak for themselves

 

[gaeulfeels]

No.

 

[leanwimp67]

It's very difficult for me to think of suicide, for me it's a very significant topic, I want to ctb most of the time but I don't have the courage to hurt certain persons, I think that maybe the pain is not as painful as I thought it's, and yes I think suicide is selfish, but forcing someone to live is also selfish. I think there are levels of selfishness, so, if you try to kill yourself out of the blue because someone broke up with you, you're being the more selfish one (no hate to my bpd friends)because that is impulsive, you didn't thought about the consequences of your death. Buy if you're in this constant pain every fucking day of your life and nothing is helping you, The more selfish ones are going to be the ones that try to keep you alive.

 

[fallenangel444]

it depends on other perspective for some people might find it selfish because the stigmatize of people who ctb'ed never consider how their death will affect others while its not people who choose that already consider about it very carefully but for me suicide is not selfish

 

[TheSadStranger]

For my story (it's too long to post here) it's a catch 22. Either way I lose. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I don't want to suffer anymore. I feel selfish and guilty whenever I think about doing it because there are some people who care about me. I also feel like I have a good reason given my story.

It really just depends on context.
Even then it's still subjective.

Always remember it's your life and your choice.

 

[HaveToEndIt]

No, keeping people alive against their will is selfish.

 

[Hunter2005]

No because people have a right to end their lives if they want to. Especially to something they didn't ask for.

 

[goodbye_._]

It's selfish to ask someone to stay even though it hurts them so badly just because it makes you feel better. So personally I don't think suicide is selfish. It's your life, it's sad and it sucks but if someone is in so much pain and they want to die why force them to stay.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Do you think suicide is "selfish"?

Absolutely. It's about you and only you, as it's supposed to be. That is the definition of selfish.