by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: September 14, 2010

Suicide is the act of murdering oneself. But as with any acts of murder and suicide, there are mitigating factors, such as self defense, acts that prevent an enemy from taking a prisoner or getting information, public safety, and mental illness where the person is simply unable to control their actions and decisions as society would like for them to.

In the end, a story that is inexplicably wrong to some, while a symbol of heroism to others is told through suicide, which is inherently wrong.

One of the worst and most telling statements by family members who are not the most loving and caring of people is that "suicide is selfish". The meaning of that statement is "Forget the person who was in so much pain that they killed themself...what about me?"

That statement is usually uttered in rage, lack of remorse and lack of empathy, and is rarely, if ever accompanied by any understanding of how bad a person must have been suffering if ending their own life was the only resolution that they could do.

But some suicides are by incredibly selfish people who  decide that others must join them in death. Some are extreme narcissists who do not want for others who are close to them to live in a world that does not include or exist for their selfish benefits.

Some people kill themselves because they have lost their will to live after great loss, loss of hope or loss of ability to thrive after a major setback or a series of major setbacks. Others are sociopaths or psychopaths who cannot live in a world that will not satisfy their wishes or goals. Others cannot stand the idea of divorce, death of a loved one, going to prison, being caught in a devastating scandal or a terminal illness. Their minds and or spirits are so broken that they cannot find one reason to not kill themselves.

 Some are led to believe that they are doing a heroic or world-improving action or  that they are obeying a god's orders. Some are so mentally ill that they live in a completely different world of reality than actually exists. Others are under the influence of drugs and are not dealing with reality.

In the end, suicide is an act of wrong that can also be a response to horrendous suffering, from extremes of mental illness or substance abuse, to avoid an intolerable life, to commit acts of heroism, or to commit acts of great and even inexplicable evil.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth M Young.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.