Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
I feel the same way. Ideologically, I believe people should be free to end their life whenever they choose. Economically and socially, I see the aging population and relentlessly rising health care costs as the biggest threat to the sustainability of public services - not only health care itself, but public education and every other program we’ll have to cannibalize to pay for health care.
And yet…
If we remove the professional gating of assisted suicide, and we remove the stigma around suicide, and we make it easier and more comfortable to carry out, I expect we’ll see dramatically higher suicide rates. Some of them will be people who were so miserable that death was a relief. But others will be people suffering from temporary despair.
Furthermore, it will be an indictment of our society as a whole, and the decreasing sense of purpose, belonging, and happiness.
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The awareness of ones mortality is something that often inspires bold behavior and brings about a sense of peace in life though. At least I've always found that to be the case.
When you remind yourself its temporary, things in it no longer feel so serious. And taking positive risks feels easier to do, because you've just got one go at this thing.
Its an uncomfortable concept to entertain from the surface. But I think in employing it there would be a swell in the moral and outlook of people. When you feel locked into life it makes things feel more serious, intense, and brings a sense of feeling trapped. The cautionary part would be people using it impulsively, and maybe some regulations could minimize that (like requiring a period of time before use to ensure it is thought through adequately). But like I said in my previous post, merely having the option available would help a lot of people feel like they're not backed up against a wall when things get difficult.
I think there's a negative concept of death in society too, and like it should be avoided or postponed at all costs, when the bare truth is no one gets out alive and it comes for us all. Having the ability to choose the timing would bring peace of mind to a lot of people and actually help them relax onto life a little more I think, and as a result enjoy it more. Just my theory. I'm interested to see how it plays out in Switzerland.