Killing yourself: Could you do it?

[Boneasse]

G'day my fellow Escapists!

Around 1½ months ago I made a thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.236269-Committing-Suicide-Could-you-do-it#8417957] posing a question which is very exactly similar to the one I will ask you in a moment. However, in that thread I was disappointed in the fact that many posters seemed to take my initial scenario/example too close to heart, disregarding, what I meant to be the point of the thread.

Therefore, I initially decided to pose the question again, albeit a bit differently, but I thought some time might have to pass first. So here we are;

If a situation should arrise in which you found yourself face to face with imminent death, the situation being perfectly clear to you and the chance of survival being infinitesimally(endlessly) small - could/would you take your own life to spare yourself any unnecessary pain?
[sub](Whether it is disease, torture followed by death, starvation, dehydration, the eradication of all human life or an otherwise unavoidable situation.)[/sub]

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Considering my current predicament?: Yes, if I really wanted to.

Considering that circumstance?: Hell. Yes.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Yes, I could, and I have made plans for just such an occasion.
I have no problem with ending my own life. And with the possible positive consequences to such a death, it could be the best course of action.
If not a survivor, then a martyr.

 

[Yureina]

If I was 100% sure I was probably going to die? Yeah, I probably would. If, on the other hand, there was a chance I could make it out, knowing my impressive streak of luck, I probably wouldn't do it. If there is even the slightest hope or chance that everything could turn out alright, I don't give up. That sort of attitude is part of what has helped sustain me over the past few years. :3

 

[minarri]

I can't know for sure what I'd do unless I'm actually put in such a situation, but my sneaking suspicion is that I wouldn't take my own life. I'm a wimp, you see.

 

[tofulove]

yes, i would also kill my self for people, i don't think people are equal, i see my life having low value because i have not done any thing to earn value in society, for example, a leading researcher in the cure for cancer life is far more valuable than my own, lets say he or she had a bad heart and needed a new one soon, and i happen to be a perfect match, i would end my self so he/she could live.

 

[Mr. Elemenopee]

Given your circumstances, I would definitely think about doing it a lot. I might even set myself up to do it. However, I would hope against hope itself and just try to live that infinitesimally small chance that I might survive. I guess I would be a guns blazing type, or at least a witty one liner (hopefully) before I die.

 

[Stasisesque]

I want to say no.

I'm a very hopeful person, even in the most disheartening of scenarios there's a part of me that's constantly screaming things will get better. I don't think even the almost certain death would gag that part of me. Not sure if it's optimism or a fear of missing out on something good, but if there's even a sliver of hope I very much doubt I would be able to eradicate all chance by taking my own life.

If the horror was something painful, such as disease/torture/starvation etc. I would rather someone else kill me, or hope (there's that word again) I passed naturally in my sleep.

 

[Sacman]

I've been killing myself for years... I'm American everything in America is scientifically proven to give you cancer and/or a diabetes...<.<

 

[TimeLord]

Suicide is for cowards. Even if your life is at it's lowest. It will always get better. I know that from personal experience.

OT: In regards to the question; I would go down fighting/resisting torture or what ever, rather than kill myself.

 

[Master Kuja]

In that hypothetical, yes, I'd probably jump at the chance to end significant and crippling pain via torture, disease what have you in the quickest way possible.

In any other circumstance, no.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

Given the success of the 'emo' movement it would appear that it's far more fun to simply fantasize about it. Psychology studies show that the ratio of people who 'want' to kill themselves is quite large compared to those that even seriously try.

 

[Bon_Clay]

As a side note I get what you mean OP, hypothetical situations are generally pretty clear on what information they are trying to get out of people, it isn't the kobayashi maru. You aren't supposed to cheat your way out of it or worry about other variables that aren't important.

OT: In a lot of circumstances I don't think I would be able to kill myself. I'd just be thinking, well if I'm going to die anyway why speed it up a little, and too curious to see how it plays out. Really hard to tell without being in the situation. But maybe if I got tortured for a while, then before it continued and would clearly end with my death I was offered a chance to kill myself I think I could go for that.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

Nope, if I'm going to die anyway what's the point? To avoid pain? If there's even the slightest chance of survival, I owe it to myself and anyone I'd leave behind to take that chance. Pain is never permanent. Death is.

 

[Infernostrider]

i honestly don't know, and i hope i will never find out

 

[OrokuSaki]

Well that really depends, WHY am I going to die? I mean, if I in any way deserved it (Say I blew up a microwave and the house was on fire and there were no unblocked exits) then no, I'd accept my fate. But if say, I were shot non-lethally but there was no chance of an ambulance coming before I bled to death, then yes, I could/would off myself to save myself the pain and deny whoever shot me the satisfaction.

 

[EmzOLV]

In that particular situation where there is no (or extremely tiny chance of) survival, and I was going to die in a hell of a lot of pain... then yeah I guess so.

Unless I was feeling particularly angry with myself that day in which case bring on the pain!

 

[DJDarque]

I've been killing myself for years... I'm American everything in America is scientifically proven to give you cancer and/or a diabetes...<.<

Same here. Oh, America.

OT:To save myself from the imminent and probably prolonged pain I would suffer before I died, I would probably not be able to kill myself.

However, if it were to save someone that I truly cared about from the pain I wouldn't have to think about it, I would do it in a heartbeat. Even if all it did was allow them to die quick as painlessly as well.

 

[Padwolf]

I suppose in that situation, I would, if I was 100% sure I was going to die. If there was the slightest chance I could make it out, then I would try to survive. But otherwise,in any other situation, I couldn't do it, I couldn't do something that would cause my family and friends such grief. It is not fair to them.