Why does society force people to live against their will?

[Darkover]

Sure, it will be said that "whatever reason that causes people to not want to live is irrational and/or temporary and/or can be fixed with whatever treatment/therapy/support".

But why is society so hell-bent on keeping people as prisoners of this world when they do not want to be a part of it? In some cases, people simply don't want to exist in this world; the mere concept of existing in this world causes distress. But society would rather force these people to live against their will, going as far as locking them up in mental institutes to ensure that they do continue to exist. From an utilitarian point of view, wouldn't it just be better to allow these people to take their own life? Is this just a relic of the past where strength came in numbers and we needed "every possible human" to ensure survival of the species? With an increasingly overpopulated planet today, this argument obviously doesn't hold anymore, if it ever did.

I don't want to exist these days. I'm heading towards my 40s, but I don't feel young anymore. I used to pride myself in my aspirations, dreams, ambitions, good health - all of it is gone. Some of my dreams, I'm too old to fulfill. Others, I had to renounce. My health has gone downhill in the past years with the apparition of a chronic illness, despite always taking extremely good care of my health. It just feels like life is simply a roulette game where nothing is in your hands. Things will happen to you out of bad luck, and the illusion of choice that you have is nothing but an illusion, since you're predisposed genetically to make your life decisions that ultimately shape your path. If I can't control anything in my life, why can't I at least control whether I want to play the game or life or not? I'm sick of it, yet I'm forced to play it.

 

[iloverachel]

because they are sick monsters

 

[FuneralCry]

It's just so hellish and deeply sadistic how people are treat like criminals simply for preferring to not exist, I despise this prison like pro-suffering society where suicide is seen as the worst outcome possible even know it's the only escape from the futile and torturous burden of existing as a human. I never would have chosen to exist in the first place if it's up to me, I really wish there's the option to just easily die in peace and the fact that we cannot have that is an unacceptable crime.

 

[Dark Window]

Mixture

1) Some people just cannot stand to lose loved ones, so they are against suicide out of fear of losing those they care about. You could consider it selfish but ultimately it's understandable

2) Some people have religious/moral points of view and think it's wrong in general or are afraid of after life consequences

3) Some people really believe it's the best thing for the person.

 

[Worndown]

Time is the most effacing force of all.
I am sorry. Add some health issues and life gets tough. My list of dreams now fits in a smaller bucket.

 

[Ephemeron]

despite always taking extremely good care of my health. It just feels like life is simply a roulette game where nothing is in your hands

Oh boy, how I feel this...

 

[DEATH IS FREEDOM]

The fundamental problem is that most people are stupid. Suicide became taboo and illegal because of religion - religion that is a human invention. Human life must be prolonged in all circumstances in civilization due to the denial of death but death is normal in nature. Euthanasia should and will probably be introduced worldwide - then society stops forcing people to live. Civilization creates the need for euthanasia - there is no need for euthanasia in nature.

 

[unabletocope]

Suicide doesn't make sense to a lot of people. Stay alive, life is great, keep living! A lot of people don't want to deal with the reasons why someone would want to kill themselves either. Too difficult.

 

[sserafim]

Because society needs slaves for the system. Every person is viewed as human capital and society wants to make the maximum amount of profit off of you. They expect us all to become wageslaves and buy into the capitalist pyramid scheme. You're more profitable and valuable to society alive than dead. As long as you're alive, there are endless ways to suck money out of you, in the form of taxes, bills, costs, mortgage, etc. Society wants to fleece us dry. They just milk us for money, labor and profit. They want us all to consume. "Consume, consume, consume." They want us to be consumers and good cogs in the capitalist wheel. It's all about the money and economy at the end of the day. Only dead men pay no taxes. One person dead is one less consumer, and if people mass died, that would be detrimental to the economy. A large portion of the workforce would disappear. If young people all committed mass suicide, then there would be no new labor entering the workforce, and society would collapse. The pyramid scheme would topple. The house of cards would fall apart

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Because they assume that everybody loves life and that any deviation from that is caused by mental illness which has been inflicted upon the suicidal person against their will (i.e. they assume that any desire to be dead is irrational). Therefore, they think that they have an obligation to "save" suicidal people from their irrational thoughts when not all suicidal people are irrational

 

[sserafim]

Because they assume that everybody loves life and that any deviation from that is caused by mental illness which has been inflicted upon the suicidal person against their will (i.e. they assume that any desire to be dead is irrational). Therefore, they think that they have an obligation to "save" suicidal people from their irrational thoughts when not all suicidal people are irrational

I think the reason is more economic, no?

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I think the reason is more economic, no?

It depends from whose perspective you're looking at. If you're looking at the perspective of the government, then yes. However, I'm assuming that OP was referring to the general population and I don't think that the general population primarily thinks about economy (society is too stupid to think about that). Hell, most people think that working is a choice which is stupid but, in the end, people are more emotional than logical. They assume that everybody wants to live by default

 

[abusedanimal6]

Because society wants as many worker bees as possible to support the shitty system

 

[sserafim]

Because society wants as many worker bees as possible to support the shitty system

This is the reason. They also want as many taxpayers and consumers as possible

 

[AbusedInnocent]

Billionaires/politicians need wage slaves, why waste time and resources on someone just for them to commit suicide?

They're okay with people over 60 committing suicide because they've already done their job and are now a burden.

 

[StalkedByDeath]

Selfishness and a lack of true understanding.

 

[davidtorez]

Most people think life is a gift that's why.

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

I think even when Ai makes humans irrelevant they will still want to keep us alive even if we want to die.

imo Ai will be able to do 99% of the jobs humans can do in 10 years definitely . so what is a human needed for ? nothing. but they still won't allow those of us that want to die to exit this hell.

in 10 years a robot will have a brain orders of magnitude smarter than chatgpt. robots don't get tired. chatgpt can read 80,000 words per minute now. and write an essay or a program in second : how many writers or programmers can write code or an essay in a second?
so ai will be able to do jobs faster , never tired , never any demands etc. humans won't be needed but they won't let us go... mark my words.

i always dreamed of Ai surpassing dumb humans and showing them up for the bugs they are. now more people are beggining to see it will happen soon

 

[sserafim]

I think even when Ai makes humans irrelevant they will still want to keep us alive even if we want to die.

imo Ai will be able to do 99% of the jobs humans can do in 10 years definitely . so what is a human needed for ? nothing. but they still won't allow those of us that want to die to exit this hell.

Why???

Most people think life is a gift that's why.

"How is life a gift if we have to pay for everything here? Nobody pays for a gift."

"Its like someone says they gifted you a house or a car but only payed the 20 percent down payment and now you have to work the rest of it off."

"My problem is, once this alleged "gift" was dumped on me, everyone tells me I'm ungrateful for not wanting it, even though the cost of receiving it is a lifetime of wage slavery."

"Life is not a "gift". It's a struggle in general."

"really hate when some says is grateful. a person is grateful when is receiving something extra which , the other person, is just giving to them without having to do it but, what are we getting extra in this case? or what are we getting? we are getting nothing. why should we feel grateful for getting the bare minimum to survive? . why should we be grateful for anything. they did not do us a favor by putting us in this damn place and we are not getting anything extra as some gesture of kindness from anyone. even worse, the BARE minimum is not even free. you need to become a slave to get it. all we have, all we get, we need to become SLAVES in order to get it, no one is giving anything away for free. nothing at all. so why should anyone be grateful for this crap? and why should anyone say is grateful for the bare minimum they were able to obtain?. to add insult to injury, there is absolutely no need to put one more human this place."

Literally

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Misery loves company.

 

[karmaisabitch]

I guess they wanna us to die under their term! Crazy society

 

[LaughingGoat]

Agree with many of the points people have made in terms of how society views suicide, but the concept itself of being forced to continue living is one of the few things which aren't an illusion of choice. You're right that much of life is (where, when, who you were born as) are all out of your control, but no one is forcing anyone to live against their will. The truth is we bend our will to fit into those expectations and then blame the world for our own compliance. The individual who wants to leave has all the control in the world to make it happen, we either make choices or excuses to give up that control.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

One word - RELIGIOSITY. My opinion is that it permeates and pollutes everything in this world.

 

[divinemistress36]

Agree with many of the points people have made in terms of how society views suicide, but the concept itself of being forced to continue living is one of the few things which aren't an illusion of choice. You're right that much of life is (where, when, who you were born as) are all out of your control, but no one is forcing anyone to live against their will. The truth is we bend our will to fit into those expectations and then blame the world for our own compliance. The individual who wants to leave has all the control in the world to make it happen, we either make choices or excuses to give up that control.

Some of us are terrified of a failing and ending up a vegetable

 

[davidtorez]

Why???

"How is life a gift if we have to pay for everything here? Nobody pays for a gift."

"Its like someone says they gifted you a house or a car but only payed the 20 percent down payment and now you have to work the rest of it off."

"My problem is, once this alleged "gift" was dumped on me, everyone tells me I'm ungrateful for not wanting it, even though the cost of receiving it is a lifetime of wage slavery."

"Life is not a "gift". It's a struggle in general."

"really hate when some says is grateful. a person is grateful when is receiving something extra which , the other person, is just giving to them without having to do it but, what are we getting extra in this case? or what are we getting? we are getting nothing. why should we feel grateful for getting the bare minimum to survive? . why should we be grateful for anything. they did not do us a favor by putting us in this damn place and we are not getting anything extra as some gesture of kindness from anyone. even worse, the BARE minimum is not even free. you need to become a slave to get it. all we have, all we get, we need to become SLAVES in order to get it, no one is giving anything away for free. nothing at all. so why should anyone be grateful for this crap? and why should anyone say is grateful for the bare minimum they were able to obtain?. to add insult to injury, there is absolutely no need to put one more human this place."

Literally

If life is a gift we should be allowed to easily give it away, and if we can't give it away freely or easily then it's no longer a gift but a burden . And who needs more burdens ?

 

[LaughingGoat]

Some of us are terrified of a failing and ending up a vegetable

And that is completely understandable fear to have, however one should recognize that is there own cause of staying alive, that is not someone forcing them to stay alive. Recognizing one's personal responsibility to their goals is the first step to action.

 

[davidtorez]

Some of us are terrified of a failing and ending up a vegetable

Exactly right . If euthanasia clinics were more readily available, alot of us would have less of an excuse not to to exit.

 

[iloverachel]

Most people think life is a gift that's why.

Life is as much of a gift as dog poo

 

[AshH]

And that is completely understandable fear to have, however one should recognize that is there own cause of staying alive, that is not someone forcing them to stay alive. Recognizing one's personal responsibility to their goals is the first step to action.

Actively gatekeeping peaceful and reliable means of suicide is a form of coercion.

 

[LaughingGoat]

Actively gatekeeping peaceful and reliable means of suicide is a form of coercion.

Unfortunately it is a misnomer on this site that euthanasia is a more reliable form of suicide compared to self-inflicted forms such as full-suspension hanging and gunshot wounds to the brain. Both assisted suicides and lethal injection executions have concerning rates of failure. I agree gatekeeping can be a form of coercion, but it's still on the individual to make their own choice.