Is every person capable of suicide?

[astro]

By that I mean if being put in the 'right' situation, would everybody have the willpower to go through with suicide? I'm wondering this because even though my situation is beyond horrible I still feel as if I'll never be able to go through with it. Sorry, if this is a dumb question to ask.

 

[tireddreamer]

It's an interesting philosophical question. Personally I'd say not everyone, but a majority of people would turn to suicide if put in the "right" situation.

 

[disabledandhopeless]

No

 

[HadEnough1974]

It's an interesting philosophical question. Personally I'd say not everyone, but a majority of people would turn to suicide if put in the "right" situation.

I would say being in a concentration camp would be the "right situation". We know that many committed suicide at the camps, taking their own lives or even provoking the guards, charging the fence to get shot.

Yet, so many other's survived, they endured. A great study would be to examine the DNA of these survivors to see if they it can tell us anything about survival instinct. Is there a genetic component involved?

 

[Ghost2211]

I don't think everyone is. There are people that cling to life so dearly or desperately they would endure any situation if it meant they don't lose life.

 

[Lost in a Dream]

No, probably not. I don't know for sure if I am even capable of it, even though I think about it a lot. Maybe someday I will be capable (if I'm not currently), it's hard to say.

I think it takes just as much courage and strength to commit suicide, as it does to commit to staying alive. Either way, there is lots of uncertainty about what the future holds and so many factors to consider when making a decision like this. Most people will probably end up stuck on the fence like I am, until the circumstances in their lives make the decision for them, which would result in a natural death possibly.

This is definitely not a dumb question at all, so don't worry about that too much. I think this is going to be a very interesting thread, with lots of different views being presented about this.

 

[Soulless_Angel]

No I don't think everyone is, I believe some people are so wrapped up in their own little world, with the true belief that no matter how bad a situation, things will get better, that suicide would never even cross their mind,
Even announcement of the world about to end, for some they will still hold out hope for being saved or saving others!

 

[HadEnough1974]

People who are religious tend to be more optimistic. At the end, they have religion, Hope in Jesus or some other prophet. They pray and pray and say that it's in gods hands.

Religion can help people to have something to hold on to, faith. Faith equals hope in the supernatural (greater power) that things will get better.

I once believed in karma, you do enough good for others and eventually good will happen to you.

Thus far, it's a failure. There is no karma, no prophet, no "greater power". There is only SN, Meto and late night comedy!

 

[gnomeboy17]

I think no matter how bad someone's life situation is, they'd only ctb if they already had some sort of mental disorder.

Bad things happen to a lot of people but they somehow stay positive but I can't.

 

[Lost in a Dream]

People who are religious tend to be more optimistic. At the end, they have religion, Hope in Jesus or some other prophet. They pray and pray and say that it's in gods hands.

Religion can help people to have something to hold on to, faith. Faith equals hope in the supernatural (greater power) that things will get better.

I once believed in karma, you do enough good for others and eventually good will happen to you.

Thus far, it's a failure. There is no karma, no prophet, no "greater power". There is only SN, Meto and late night comedy!

I remember when I used to have faith. Now I see that it was nothing more than wishful thinking on my part, but for those who feel better because of religion, maybe they are lucky.

 

[AcornUnderground]

I think no matter how bad someone's life situation is, they'd only ctb if they already had some sort of mental disorder.

Bad things happen to a lot of people but they somehow stay positive but I can't.

I think chronic physical pain can make someone ctb without a mental disorder.

 

[smile418]

I think everyone is. I believe that the only reason the populations is so high is because suicide is painful and inaccessible. If it were otherwise way more people would cbt impulsively.

 

[Carina]

I saw that most others figured not everyone would be. But I pretty much figure everyone would be capable, and not only would be capable of it, but would ask/beg for the chance for it. I'm not saying what they'd have to be put through isn't absolutely cruel to the point of horror movie writers being like "whoa, that's too much", and not saying things involved wouldn't have been targeted just for that goal for some. But eventually I think everyone would be broken to that point.

I figure most here are going with normal life events, I'm opting for a psychotic person going around with the goal of driving people to it at all costs, and nothing being off limits.

---------------------------

Even that aside, I think most people would opt for it if they weren't told it was wrong, eternal damnation would await them, uncertainty in the afterlife, etc. Seriously, if you include DNR's into it (which is basically 'you can be saved without problem, but let me die' even if healthy shy of who knows what that could be a simple chemical spill at work, or a heart issue), or even stopping say chemo, or dialysis (which the latter will kill you)--all which in a sense is a death that you know can happen, sometimes you know when...or even a "don't keep me alive if I'm a vegetable" like thing.... include those? we're probably talking almost everyone right there.

It's just varying degrees to what people consider "suicide" and what's acceptable to them for living. Think of it.... let's say person A discovers they need dialysis, but ctb's, person B is on dialysis, but decides to end it causing their death. Why is one considered good, and the other bad? They both died because of dislysis, both by their own hand, just one took action, one took inaction. (I've wondered this because of my grandparents actually--one nwanted to ctb, family stopped because was one, one stopped dialysis "omg that's so brave!" like)


Anyway, short answer: I believe anyone is capable, some just might have wished they had over the alternative.

 

[Intelligent Ape]

When the "right" situation coincides with the "right" ideology nothing is impossible. Some people have the ideology that excludes such action as suicide. So it is their choice.

 

[toomuchtimetodie]

I'm sure youd get the few percent who have such a strong will imbedded in their genes to survive their mind can't overcome the bodies resiliance and let them.
I saw somebody mention concentration camps as an example. I think most facing certain prolonged physical torture would be able to go through with it.

 

[R_N]

Everyone would if the amount of pain exceeds their limit. For example just imagine being tortured in some dungeon by worst methods imaginable, there is not a single person that wouldn't wish to die.

 

[TimeToBiteTheDust]

I think chronic physical pain can make someone ctb without a mental disorder.

My case.

 

[AcornUnderground]

My case.

Mine too

 

[gnomeboy17]

I think chronic physical pain can make someone ctb without a mental disorder.

Perhaps, and I'm sorry if this is your situation. But there are a lot of people who deal with that but don't see ctb as the only solution

 

[AcornUnderground]

Perhaps, and I'm sorry if this is your situation. But there are a lot of people who deal with that but don't see ctb as the only solution

Agree. People handle pain very differently, I think certain types of pain and discomfort tend to throw people over the edge more than others. That said, I know plenty of people online dealing with issues similar to mine—they are all miserable and hardly functioning but only some, not all, are actually suicidal.

 

[TimeToBiteTheDust]

No. For example, people with ALS.

 

[lostangel]

Capable yes but that doesn't mean they will go through with it even when put in the ''right'' situation.

 

[UpandDownPrincess]

I don't think so.

Just as I am hard-wired for my brain to seek a certain kind of outcome, I think there are other people who are as hard-wired to survive at any cost.

One thing I learned from working with kids for so many years is that some personality traits come with the baby. They're not a blank slate.

I think society (in general) would do better to recognize that some people are born programmed to have a tougher time in the world. Early help in those cases might make such a difference.

[Steps off soapbox]

 

[Ireland]

I think chronic physical pain can make someone ctb without a mental disorder.

I agree

 

[Epsilon0]

In my experience people are capable of anything given the right conditions.