Does it take courage or cowardice to commit suicide?

[Catholic_Lady]

Neither.

Usually its mental illness or being in a terminal condition of sorts anyway and not wanting to suffer more before you go.

I would agree with this, though I think if you’re suffering a terminal illness it probably takes courage to end your life.
It’s so much more complicated than just saying courage or cowardice. The notion seems ridiculous

I actually don't think it's courageous to end your life with a terminal illness, because it is taking the easy way out. With that being said, I don't find it cowardly either. It just is what it is.

[Anomalocaris]

There is no one size fits all characterization for the moral character of willful suicide.

I think people who applied one size fits all description of courageous or cowardly to the act of suicide mostly do so to further their own selfish agenda, and not based on any sincere interest in the motivations and the factors involved in the consideration of the person contemplating suicide

For example, it is obvious why the Japanese military of WWII and radical Islamists, both characterized by an imperial desire to domibate others coupled with inability to do so through superior resource, economics, technology, organization, or planning, would find it expedient to glorify suicide as a Way to make up for systemic inadequacy by extracting greater sacrifice from the hapless. It is also obvious why Christianity, which aggrandize itself by converting human beings capable of mastering their own destinies into prostrate drooling supplicants, would abhor the loss of its own control whatever the consequence of that control upon the controlled.

[Catholic_Lady]

Neither.

Usually its mental illness or being in a terminal condition of sorts anyway and not wanting to suffer more before you go.

Depression is often linked with a kind of emotional numbness. Depression robs people of joy. Food tastes bland. Entertainment is boring. Music is just noise. Suicide is just another form of self-harm that sometimes comes from a misguided attempt to feel something, anything. It does not take courage to dispose of what one thinks has no value.

Been there. Done that. Nuf' said.

Wow, had no idea you went through this sort of thing. I'm sorry.

[Shell B]

Neither.

Usually its mental illness or being in a terminal condition of sorts anyway and not wanting to suffer more before you go.

Depression is often linked with a kind of emotional numbness.  Depression robs people of joy. Food tastes bland. Entertainment is boring. Music is just noise.  Suicide is just another form of self-harm that sometimes comes from a misguided attempt to feel something, anything. It does not take courage to dispose of what one thinks has no value.

Been there. Done that. Nuf' said.

That's not everyone's experience of suicide or depression. The chemicals or lack thereof do what they will and people experience it based on a number of factors. Depression is feeling too much to function for me. Every single solitary thing becomes horribly difficult because I don't want to feel anything. I know that it's numbness for others. Maybe it's because I have rampant anxiety that causes occasional depression.

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I would agree with this, though I think if you’re suffering a terminal illness it probably takes courage to end your life.
It’s so much more complicated than just saying courage or cowardice. The notion seems ridiculous

I actually don't think it's courageous to end your life with a terminal illness, because it is taking the easy way out. With that being said, I don't find it cowardly either. It just is what it is.

People might argue that leaving your family, friends and life behind so that they and you can suffer less is not the easy way at all. I read an article written by a woman whose friend chose assisted suicide over some progressive disease that was robbing her of bodily functions slowly. The woman had a "life party" to celebrate her life with friends, then she went to the top of a hill with only her closest family members and lay upon a bed they had placed up there for her. The friend said she heard a visceral scream come from the woman, who clearly lamented the loss of her own life, but knew it was the best choice. I doubt either would have said it was the easier way. She just chose to do it her way.

[Losty]

I would agree with this, though I think if you’re suffering a terminal illness it probably takes courage to end your life.
It’s so much more complicated than just saying courage or cowardice. The notion seems ridiculous

I actually don't think it's courageous to end your life with a terminal illness, because it is taking the easy way out. With that being said, I don't find it cowardly either. It just is what it is.

Calling suicide the easy way out is a popular thing, I don’t agree that it’s easy especially for mentally sound people who loved their life but can no longer function. Some people choose this to save their family the agony of watching them suffer. Whatever it is it’s very personal and I don’t think any person can understand it for someone else.

[emjay]

I don't take the easy way out view at all; to me, to deliberately walk into the unknown and deliberately lose everything you love... is very courageous... especially if it has to be maintained for a long time... if the method of suicide is slow.

[Chad32]

I'm not sure either term should really be used to describe people with a mindset that life isn't worth living anymore. Is it courage or cowardice to remain in a situation that makes you so miserable, that you want to die? Honestly someone who has that kind of problem should be helped, or pitied, regardless.

[Edwardo Piet]

I wanted a "neither" option . . . but I disagree with the "cowardice" option much more strongly than the "courage" option, so I picked "courage".

[Neo-Scholastic]

Wow, had no idea you went through this sort of thing. I'm sorry.

It's a hidden illlness...until it isn't.

That's not everyone's experience of suicide or depression. The chemicals or lack thereof do what they will and people experience it based on a number of factors. Depression is feeling too much to function for me. Every single solitary thing becomes horribly difficult because I don't want to feel anything. I know that it's numbness for others. Maybe it's because I have rampant anxiety that causes occasional depression

I didn't mean to suggest that everyone's experience is identical because I completely agree with you - depression isn't just one thing and it is often accompanied by other problems like anxiety. David Foster Wallace had both. Many people thought that he wore a bandanna as a kind of GenX hipster statement, but really he was just hiding the fact that his forehead was sweating from anxiety.

[Edwardo Piet]

Neither.

Usually its mental illness or being in a terminal condition of sorts anyway and not wanting to suffer more before you go.

Depression is often linked with a kind of emotional numbness.  Depression robs people of joy. Food tastes bland. Entertainment is boring. Music is just noise.  Suicide is just another form of self-harm that sometimes comes from a misguided attempt to feel something, anything. It does not take courage to dispose of what one thinks has no value.

Been there. Done that. Nuf' said.

So true. And same here.