Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

User avatar
Pana
Posts: 2036
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:40 pm

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Pana » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:09 am

I think it's kind of interesting about these weird little facts and consistencies that abound with different types of suicides. For example, alot of people who commit suicide by drowning, remove their shoes first...and only their shoes. Jumpers remove their eye glasses.
“Integrity has no need of rules.”

-Albert Camus

User avatar
Egg
Posts: 8628
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:31 pm
Location: In Your Bedroom. Hi! :D

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Egg » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:18 am

Pana wrote:Mmm...can you still go?
Theoretically, yes. :D

I'd have to get into waaaay better shape first.


User avatar
TraumaT
Posts: 3547
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:53 am

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by TraumaT » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:58 am

lkwalker wrote:do it in the woods.
I have a friend who worked on a cruise ship for a few years, he told me that once in a while an elderly couple came aboard, enjoyed a few last days together, then comitted suicide in their cabin, most often with an overdose of sleeping pills. They simply went to bed together and died peacefully next to each other in their sleep.

These couples also left a note behind, stating the reason they wanted to die together, and that they chose this way because they wanted to spare relatives, friends or neighbors the shock of finding them dead, perhaps decomposing in their apartment. They knew that they would be found just within a few hours after they died.

I don't really get this thing with suicide clinics, at least not if you are physichally capable of ending your life yourself in some way. If I decided to commit suicide, and was able to swallow some pills on my own, I wouldn't want someone else to kill me. I wouldn't want to make someone else my "murderer", no matter how just the cause was.

But I guess it's easy for me to talk. I am doing OK now, but who knows what my situation will be later on in life.

;)

User avatar
lkwalker
Posts: 6429
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:20 pm
Location: Boycotteverything
Contact:

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by lkwalker » Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:42 am

Pana wrote:Ah, well, I hope that that rainy day never clouds over your horizon, Egg.

There is much fear of death in our culture today - kind of funny when you consider that you can't do a damn thing about it. Fearing it is a waste of time and energy. I'm going out on a limb here but from my meanderings I think death was much more enmeshed in people's awareness of days gone by. Death did lurk around each and every corner whether via accident, war, sickness or hunting. Perhaps also, people were taught to go towards death with honour. I don't think that is taught nowadays.

Death is easy. It is living that is hard.
I strongly disagree with that assessment. The preoccupation with death and the fear of death is well documented in both ancient and modern literature, thought, and custom. Nothing has changed. In fact it is that very fear that gave rise to, and continually empowers, religion- from Christianity, to Buddhism, to Islam. (I'll exempt Judaism from that curse only because of it's obsession with the 'here and now' struggle that precludes a belief in heaven and hell.)
"If you don't think to good, don't think too much." Yogi

User avatar
lkwalker
Posts: 6429
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 8:20 pm
Location: Boycotteverything
Contact:

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by lkwalker » Sat Apr 16, 2011 2:58 pm

Pana wrote:I think it's kind of interesting about these weird little facts and consistencies that abound with different types of suicides. For example, alot of people who commit suicide by drowning, remove their shoes first...and only their shoes. Jumpers remove their eye glasses.
What's that got to do with pratchett shredding? We're trying to stay on topic here. jeeziz...
"If you don't think to good, don't think too much." Yogi

User avatar
Egg
Posts: 8628
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:31 pm
Location: In Your Bedroom. Hi! :D

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Egg » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:32 pm

lkwalker wrote:
Pana wrote:Ah, well, I hope that that rainy day never clouds over your horizon, Egg.

There is much fear of death in our culture today - kind of funny when you consider that you can't do a damn thing about it. Fearing it is a waste of time and energy. I'm going out on a limb here but from my meanderings I think death was much more enmeshed in people's awareness of days gone by. Death did lurk around each and every corner whether via accident, war, sickness or hunting. Perhaps also, people were taught to go towards death with honour. I don't think that is taught nowadays.

Death is easy. It is living that is hard.
I strongly disagree with that assessment. The preoccupation with death and the fear of death is well documented in both ancient and modern literature, thought, and custom. Nothing has changed. In fact it is that very fear that gave rise to, and continually empowers, religion- from Christianity, to Buddhism, to Islam. (I'll exempt Judaism from that curse only because of it's obsession with the 'here and now' struggle that precludes a belief in heaven and hell.)
I'd possibly exempt some Jews. Too many Jews look at Judaism as Christianity without a Christ. Heaven and Hell are very much on their minds.


User avatar
Pana
Posts: 2036
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:40 pm

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Pana » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:35 pm

We agree death was much more enmeshed within societies of days gone by. My point was and perhaps put badly, that people nowadays want to beat death whereas in days gone by there was more of an acceptance of death.
“Integrity has no need of rules.”

-Albert Camus

User avatar
Egg
Posts: 8628
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:31 pm
Location: In Your Bedroom. Hi! :D

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Egg » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:38 pm

Pana wrote:We agree death was much more enmeshed within societies of days gone by. My point was and perhaps put badly, that people nowadays want to beat death whereas in days gone by there was more of an acceptance of death.
I think that's true. But, I think that no matter how good your life is on this planet there must come a time when you're happy for it to end. I don't want to be here forever. Blagh.... the way rent is going up, I wouldn't be able to afford cigarettes anymore.


User avatar
Pana
Posts: 2036
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:40 pm

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Pana » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:41 pm

Curious: how much is a pack of cigarettes in your area of the world?
“Integrity has no need of rules.”

-Albert Camus

User avatar
Egg
Posts: 8628
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 5:31 pm
Location: In Your Bedroom. Hi! :D

Re: Pratchett: Shedding some light on assisted death

Post by Egg » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:43 pm

Pana wrote:Curious: how much is a pack of cigarettes in your area of the world?
Between 12 and 14 US. Mostly 12.50.


Post Reply